Reflections From the Mendelsohn Family

Reading deeply in humanist, Jewish, Quaker and Unitarian thought, Mendelsohn was a firm believer in free will and the ability of individuals to shape not only their path in life but also their values and personality. "I have willfully incorporated ways of approaching life's challenges and opportunities into myself that I selected from role models," Mendelsohn wrote in his memoirs. He believed that each of us "has a role in healing the world." He felt called by the biblical injunction "Go forth and be a blessing," to offer comfort, kindness, support, inspiration and grace. Mendelsohn conveyed a profound excitement for life.


While on his Fulbright Scholarship, Mendelsohn developed his love of literature, music, philosophy and travel. For the remainder of his life, traveling was an immersive experience, informed by extensive reading of history and historical fiction about each new destination. He was fond of recalling that the family drove thousands of miles through Western Europe visiting the great museums and cultural sites during their nine-month sabbatical in Amsterdam in 1979.

Soon after starting medical school, Mendelsohn met his wife, Anne Charles, a research chemist at Polaroid, one of the few companies at that time to hire women as research scientists. They were deeply in love for nearly 60 years of marriage and she played a huge role in his life's work.

The Mendelsohns spent 15 years living in La Jolla, raising their three sons, and creating a deeply engaged lifestyle in culture and the arts. Mendelsohn was passionate about classical music, with a special appreciation for Wagner operas, which he listened to late into the evening at his home office. Even in his 70s, Mendelsohn found new ways to engage with music when he started playing the violin after finding inspiration at his grandson's violin lesson. The Mendelsohns filled their family homes with books, bedside tables disappearing beneath the stacks. They also explored the uniqueness of each place they lived. In California, Mendelsohn loved to run barefoot on the beach, play tennis and take the family backpacking in the Sierras and the high desert. An often-repeated quote from his uncle Rabbi Victor Reichert on living a happy, fulfilling life was to "take a long walk, read a good book and make a new friend."

Mendelsohn believed success in applying science to human health comes through collaboration, bridging worlds from basic science to business, governmental organizations, health institutions and philanthropists. He was renowned for his ability to create caring bonds with colleagues, friends, staff and patients and to treat all people he touched with dignity and respect. His life work is as much about this as the science. He lived his life according to two principles: Live each day looking forward with the greatest hope and looking back with the least regret, and the last two words in the book Howard's End: "Only connect."

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