Willard “Jack” Zinn, M.D., died on Dec. 21 at the Royal Oaks Senior Living Community in Bradbury. Son of the late Cleo Jack Zinn and Mabel Ethel (Scott) Zinn, Dr. Zinn was born in Long Beach on July 18, 1918. As a youth growing up in Fullerton, he assisted in his father’s soils laboratory, laying a foundation for his scientific vocational interest.
Dr. Zinn graduated from Fullerton High School in 1935. Later, he graduated with a B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley in 1939 and from the UC San Francisco Medical School in 1942. He completed his internship at Gorgas Hospital, later completing a residency in internal medicine from the Birmingham Veterans Administration Hospital in Van Nuys with a residency in clinical cardiology at the Los Angeles County Hospital in 1951.
Dr. Zinn led a distinguished medical career that began as he practiced tropical medicine through the U.S. Army from 1943-46 in Panama during World War II. He continued as a board-certified internist and cardiologist in Los Angeles. Dr. Zinn was an adjunct clinical professor at the USC medical school from 1974-91. Published widely in peer-reviewed medical journals, Dr. Zinn had an intellectual curiosity all his life. He read medical journals and scoured the internet for medical research well into his 90s. He served as director of the Good Hope Medical Foundation, a clinic sponsored by Good Samaritan Hospital, from 1956-1969. Upon retirement, he volunteered as the clinic cardiologist at Clinica Monseñor Oscar Romero. To better serve his patients, he relearned Spanish from his initial Spanish-speaking days when he served in Panama.
Dr. Zinn was respected nationally and internationally by his medical colleagues, as evidenced by his leadership roles in the medical community. He served as president of the District 1 Los Angeles County Medical Association in 1968 and the Los Angeles Academy of Medicine from 1984-85. Dr. Zinn was a fellow in the American College of Physicians and the American College of Cardiology. In 1991, he was selected as the Los Angeles County Heart Association physician of the year.
His commitment to medicine and his patients was robustly complemented by his service to his country. Dr. Zinn was a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserves Medical Corps from 1964-79. He received an Air Force certificate in aerospace medicine in 1965 and completed flight surgeon training at age 46 in 1965. Dr. Zinn was a consultant to the surgeon general of the U.S. Air Force Reserves from 1967-70, specializing in internal medicine.
His love of patient care and military service was surpassed only by his love for family and church. A 53-year resident of San Marino, he was a trustee and elder of the San Marino Community Church. An avid runner into his 90s, Dr. Zinn annually took his wife, two sons and, later, two grandsons to the annual family vacation in Mammoth Lakes. This was a Zinn family tradition begun by Dr. Zinn’s parents that has continued to the present generation.
Dr. Zinn is survived by his wife of 71 years, Dorothea Grace (Wilson), a resident of Royal Oaks Senior Living Community in Bradbury. Two sons, Douglas Scott (Patricia) and the Rev. Peter S. Zinn (Suzanne) survive. Chaplain Capt. Matthew S. (Crystal) Zinn, son of Scott and Patricia, survives. Dr. Joel C. Zinn, son of Peter and Suzanne, also survives. In addition, he is survived by a close family friend, Dr. Kadri L. Vural and his two sons, Alper (Celeste) and Timur.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, March 13, at San Marino Community Church with the Rev. Jeff O’Grady presiding. A reception will follow at the church. The family requests that donations be given to Doctors Without Borders and the Malawi Mission Fund of the San Marino Community Church.
Willard ‘Jack’ Zinn
