Local physician Otto Neufeld dies

Jackie Conley

Otto J. Neufeld, Glendale community leader and longtime physician,

has died. He was 90.

Neufeld died March 28, 2004, in Loma Linda, following an extended

illness.

Neufeld and his late wife, Anabel, had been residents of Glendale

since 1948.

For many years, Neufeld headed the Department of Radiology and

Nuclear Medicine at Glendale Adventist Medical Center, where he had

worked since his discharge in 1946 from the Navy as a medical officer

following World War II.

He was also a former associate professor at the School of Medicine

at Loma Linda University.

“He was like a second father,” longtime family friend Allen

Brandstater said. “He was a mentor and a great example of dignity,

knowledge, kindness and talent as a healer.”

He was a longtime member of the Kiwanis Club of Glendale, the

Native Sons of the Golden West and several professional societies. In

the 1960s, he and his wife helped establish Glendale’s Sister City

affiliation with Higashiosaka, Japan, and were instrumental in the

development of the Japanese teahouse and gardens in Brand Park.

For decades, the Neufelds opened their home to Glendale groups and

candidates for numerous political, civic and charitable events.

“He never took himself too seriously. He had a great sense of

humor,” said son Dennis Neufeld. “He really made an impression on

people and he wasn’t just a nice man -- he was a remarkable human

being.”

He was born March 18, 1914, in Exeter, a small town in Central

California. He was one of seven children.

He graduated from Exeter High School and graduated from Pacific

Union College in 1937 and Loma Linda University in 1940.

Prior to his Navy service, he was a resident and staff physician

at White Memorial Hospital in Los Angeles.

He is survived by his sons, Dennis and Donald; daughters, Denise

and Debra; and eight grandchildren.

Interment will be private. A life celebration and memorial service

will be at 11 a.m. today at the Glendale Seventh-day Adventist

Church, 610 E. California Ave. Contributions to the American Cancer

Society may be made in his honor.