Neal Amsden was born on Nov. 14, 1927 to Clifford N. and Mabel H. Amsden in Los Angeles. He attended Fairfax High School in Los Angeles and went on to USC as an undergraduate and graduated from USC’s Keck School of Medicine in 1953.
Amsden was issued a California medical license on June 30, 1953. Board certified in internal medicine, he moved to Laguna Beach in 1959 with his first wife Meredith and three of his four children, Meredith, Neal Jr. and Clifford. His fourth child, Morgan, was born the same year at Hoag Hospital.
He stayed in practice in Laguna until his retirement in 1986. He was an attending physician at the former South Coast Community Hospital and served as chief of staff on two occasions, ran the pulmonary laboratory and was director of the intensive care unit. He also served on staff at Hoag Memorial Hospital and was an attending physician at USC/LA County medical center in the cardiology department.
He and his family enjoyed backpacking trips along the John Muir trail, skiing at June Mountain and a cross-country car trip to the 1964 New York World’s Fair.
After his retirement, he and his wife Lois settled in Sun Valley, Ida., with a few stops as a substitute physician in Maine. They enjoyed Nordic and cross-country skiing and riding their tandem bike, including a month-long tour of the Isles of New Zealand. All told, they rode in excess of 50,000 miles!
Amsden lost his battle with lung cancer on June 13 and passed peacefully at his home in South Laguna. He is survived by his wife Lois; her sons Doug and Keith; his children Meredith, Neal Jr. (Su), Clifford (Mary), Morgan (Pam); his sister Em (Jack); and nine grandchildren.
Rest in peace “Big D.” You are missed.
