Kenneth Ira Gottlieb M.D.

Kenneth Ira Gottlieb, MD Passed away on August 5, 2009 when his plane crashed in Napa. The cause of the crash is presently unknown. He was 67 years old. Dr. Gottlieb was born in Brooklyn to Norman Gottlieb and Sarah (Eckstein) Gottlieb on May 28, 1942. After completing a bachelor's degree in philosophy and religious studies at Amherst College in 1963, he obtained a medical degree from Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 1968, where he completed his residency in psychiatry while continuing his studies at Yale Law School until 1971. Dr. Gottlieb served in the Uniformed Public Health Service from 1971 to 1973 in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco, where he began a private practice in psychiatry. He is a graduate of the San Francisco Psychoanalytic Institute, where he served on faculty for many years. Board Certified in Psychiatry and Neurology, with additional qualification in Forensic Psychiatry, Dr. Gottlieb also taught at the University of California, School of Medicine and the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. He served as Chief of Psychiatry at Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, where he remained on staff until his death. Dr. Gottlieb was extraordinarily dedicated to his family. He and his wife recently returned from a trip to visit their daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughters in Italy. Later this month, Dr. and Mrs. Gottlieb were scheduled to spend a week in Seattle with their son and his husband, who reside in Washington, D.C. A life-long fan and supporter of theater and opera, Dr. Gottlieb also pursued his athletic passions throughout his life. He moved to San Francisco in part to take advantage of the city's sailing opportunities. An avid tennis and squash player in his youth, he enjoyed water skiing, snow skiing, and scuba diving trips around the world, and most recently a passion for flying. Dr. Gottlieb is survived by his wife of 41 years, Gale Kolker Gottlieb; their children, Michael (Ari Shapiro) Gottlieb and Tamar (Clay) McLachlan; granddaughters, Isabelle Eva Kolker and Azalia Luce McLachlan; and his sister, Karen Gottlieb Levy. Memorial Services will be held on Tuesday, August 11th at 12:00 noon at Congregation Sherith Israel, 2266 California Street at Webster, in SF. Those choosing to honor his life may do so with a charitable donation to the Merola Opera Program, War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave., SF, CA 94102 or www.merola.org ; or to Congregation Sherith Israel, 2266 California St. SF, CA 94115 or www.sherithisrael.org