Alexander Charles Grant Van Dyke M.D.

Alexander Van Dyke, M.D. Long Beach Pediatrician (age 95)

On Monday, December 11, 2023, Alexander Van Dyke passed away peacefully at home in Long Beach. Alex (also known as "Ike") was born November 26, 1928 in Long Beach, CA. As a boy, Alex sang in the Long Beach St. Luke's Episcopal Church Choir, and joined the St. Luke's Choristers, a group of boys selected to work on and off camera in Hollywood films. Alex sang, and or also appeared as an extra, in over twenty films, including Men of Boys Town and Mrs. Miniver.

Alex attended Lowell Elementary and Rogers Middle School in Long Beach, and The Thacher School in Ojai, CA. He worked as a lifeguard for the city of Long Beach for a time while in college and graduated from UCLA in 1951 with a degree in Business Administration. He then decided to pursue a career in medicine and attended medical school at the University of Cincinnati and received his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1956. After an internship at St. Mary's Hospital in Cincinnati, he returned to Southern California with his medical degree and a classmate he met in Cincinnati, D. Lael "Dee", whom he had married. He served in the U.S. Naval Reserve at Camp Pendleton as a Lieutenant in the Medical Corps for the next two years, attached to the 1st Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force of the U.S. Marine Corps.

In the two years following, he was a resident at Children's Hospital, Los Angeles. In 1961, Alex joined his father, Harold Milton Van Dyke, M.D., and brother-in-law, Richard C. DeGolia, M.D. at Pediatric Medical Center "PMC" in Long Beach. D. Lael Van Dyke, M.D. soon joined onboard. Doctors John H. Samson, M.D. and Michael L. Goodin, M.D. followed in the early 1970s, and were later joined by Louis P. Theriot, M.D.

Alex enjoyed his practice and friends at PMC for more than thirty years. Alex was an attending pediatrician at The Long Beach Children's Clinic for a decade, served as the clinic's Medical Director for five years, and served on the clinic's Board of Directors for fifteen years. He was on staff at Children's Hospital, Los Angeles, St. Mary Medical Center, Long Beach and Children's Hospital, Long Beach, where he also served as Department of Pediatrics Chief for two years. He held many academic appointments and was among teaching staff at Long Beach Children's Hospital, and the University of Southern California Medical School, Department of Pediatrics for almost three decades. He was a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at USC School of Medicine from 1978-1989. Alex was Board Certified in Pediatrics and later became Board Certified in Emergency Medicine. He was dedicated to his pediatric practice, and he worked as an emergency room physician a few nights per month on weekends. He practiced emergency room medicine in various emergency rooms in Southern California, and at Queen of the Valley Hospital Trauma Center in West Covina.

Alex married Penelope Jones in 1983. The two moved to Bellingham, WA in 1989 to raise their two young boys. Alex then worked at Whidbey Island Naval Hospital while making trips a few times a month to Southern California to work in the trauma center in West Covina. His trips to Southern California also offered him the opportunity to visit his friends and practice at PMC, and visit his three grown children he had raised with Dee.

Alex loved the ocean, sailing, and adventure, and he loved his children. His children have many fond memories of him, including boating adventures with him around Catalina Island and the San Juan Islands.

In his years leading up to retirement, Alex joined the Holland America Line to work as a physician on cruise ships. He mostly worked onboard the ship MS Rotterdam for five years, which allowed him to practice his love of medicine, enjoy his love of the sea, and the assignment offered him and Penelope the opportunity to travel extensively. Alex was kind, caring, and generous. Yair Katz, Senior VP of Pediatrics and Chief Executive of Long Beach Miller Children's & Women's Hospital stated, "his legacy extends far beyond the walls of the hospital. His compassionate service will be felt for generations to come." He knew he was fortunate, and he knew he lived and loved a long, full life. To quote a line Alex often said, "that's for sure."

Alex is preceded in death by his parents, Harold Milton Van Dyke M.D. (d.1962) and Sallie North Van Dyke (d. 2000), his wife, Penelope Van Dyke (d. 2005), his brother-in-law, Richard C. DeGolia, M.D. (d. 2004), and his first wife, D. Lael Van Dyke, M.D. (d.1999). He is survived by his five children; Alexis Van Dyke, Harold Milton Van Dyke II ("Mike") (m. Liza), Elizabeth Van Dyke, Scott Jones (m. Serina) and Todd Jones M.D. (m. Jenny Poste M.D.), five grandchildren; Alex and Christina Van Dyke, Penelope, Aero, and James Alexander Jones, also considered as family; Laura Newman, Matteo and Gianmarco Orlandi, his sister, Sallie DeGolia Jorgenson (m. Jack Jorgenson, Esq.), a niece, Sallie DeGolia, M.D. (m. Martin Bronk, M.D.), three nephews; Rick DeGolia (m. Karen), Van Dyke DeGolia, M.D. (m. Lela), and Peter DeGolia, M.D. (m. Rachel), and fourteen grand and great-grandnieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to The Children's Clinic of Long Beach.
The clinic provides quality medical care for under-served young patients and their families; https://www.thechildrensclinic.org/index.php/giving/.

A private family graveside service will be held in Seattle, Washington. A Celebration of Life event in Southern California will be planned at a later date.