In Memory

Donald T Lunde - Class Of 1954

Dr. Donald T. Lunde passed away in his sleep on December 15, 2007, of cancer. He was born March 2, 1937 in Milwaukee, WI to Alfred E. Lunde and Evelyn Gottschalk Lunde. He is survived by his beloved wife, Marilynn, sister Patricia Lativiere and his brothers, Alfred Lunde, Jr. and Kenneth Lunde. Dr. Lunde excelled in academics and music from an early age and received a full Navy scholarship to attend Stanford University in 1954. There he met classmate, Marilynn Krick, who would become his devoted wife. After graduating from Stanford Magna Cum Laude in 1958, he was proud to spend three years as a CIC Officer on the Aircraft Carrier Yorktown based in the Far East. He also trained as an air traffic controller and served on the Military Court. He completed his active duties in 1961, and returned to attend Stanford University Medical School where he completed his MA in psychology in 1964 and his MD degree in 1966. He continued at Stanford as a Medical Intern, and then spent three more years there as a Resident in Psychiatry, becoming Chief Resident in his final year. He joined the full time Medical School Faculty there in 1969, and he and Marilynn built a home on the Stanford campus. There Dr. Lunde devoted himself to diverse interests from hormone research to serving on the first heart transplant team as psychiatric consultant and giving the first paper on the psychiatric effects of anti-rejection drugs on the first patients. He was also in charge of Residency training in Psychiatry. The activity closest to his heart and Marilynn's, was raising their five sons; Monty born in 1959, Chris in 1960, Glenn in 1963, Evan in 1964 and Bret born in 1967. They remained his first priority and he was a loving and devoted father to them throughout his life, eventually adding their wives and 13 grandchildren to his loving care and attention. Dr. Lunde spent several years teaching at the Stanford Law School, co-teaching in Family Law and Advanced Criminal Law class in the Clinical Teaching Program. He also started the first Human Sexuality Class for Stanford undergraduates with a colleague, and they co-authored the first text book in the field. Dr. Lunde continued his interest in law and psychiatry and became a well known forensic psychiatrist and a founder of the American College of Forensic Psychiatry. He was a Life Fellow of the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law. He wrote books in that field: "Murder and Madness", "The Die Song", and this year, a memoir called "Hearst to Hughes" covering several of his most famous cases. Throughout his life, Dr. Lunde became close personal friends with a diverse group that included undergraduate students, law and medical students, attorneys, judges, physicians, scientists, writers, and many whom he met along the way. In 1997, Dr. Lunde became a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry Emeritus from Stanford Medical School, and he and Marilynn moved to their home in Palm Springs, where he opened his office at 1111 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way. He and Marilynn returned to playing tennis, their first dating activity at Stanford, and made many dear friends after joining the Palm Springs Tennis Club. Dr. Lunde received many honors and awards throughout his life, but he often commented that his proudest achievement and greatest joy were his five sons and their families. His last gift to the wife he adored was a magnificent surprise dinner dance at Spencer's last December for her 70th birthday that included her friends from first grade to the present. He was loved and will be missed by many. There will be a private burial at Riverside National Cemetery to be followed by a memorial service March 1, 2008, the eve of his birthday. Forest Lawn Cathedral City is in charge of arrangements.

 

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Published in The Desert Sun on Dec. 18, 2007.

https://obituaries.desertsun.com/obituaries/thedesertsun/obituary.aspx?n=donald-t-lunde&pid=99783993