Dr. L. Douglas Lenkoski, M.D.

DR. L. DOUGLAS LENKOSKI, M.D., retired member of the faculty in Psychiatry at CWRU Medical School, and Chief of Staff at University Hospitals, passed away March 10, 2017, aged 91 years, beloved husband for 64 years to Jeannette (nee Teare), loving father of Jan Lenkoski-Mueller (Sandy Hook, CT), Mark (Sarasota, FL), Lisa Koblenz (Seattle, WA) and Jody Schiliro (Santa Fe, NM), cherished grandfather of Hallie Mueller, Emma Fedor, Benjamin Koblenz and Kate Schiliro,devoted brother of Ruth Adams (Boston, MA).

Dr. L. Douglas Lenkoski, M.D., longtime Clevelander and pioneer in community psychiatry, died on March 10, 2017 in his home. He was two months shy of his 92^nd birthday.

Doug Lenkoski was born on May 13, 1925 in Northampton MA to Leo and Mary Lenkoski. He grew up in Springfield, MA and was the valedictorian of his high school class. In 1941, at age 16, he was awarded a scholarship to Harvard College and played goalie on Harvard’s hockey team.

In 1943, Doug enlisted in the Army Air Force during WWII. He became a lieutenant and was stationed outside of Foggia, Italy. As a navigator, he flew dozens of successful missions with his B-17 Flying Fortress Bomber crew. After the war, Douglas returned to Harvard, where he met his future wife, Jeannette Teare (Lenkoski). As lab partners, Jeannette and Doug shared a microscope in biology class. After graduating from Harvard with an A.B. in Biology in 1948, Doug moved to Cleveland to pursue his medical degree at the Western Reserve School of Medicine. He married Jeannette Teare on July 12, 1952 and graduated from medical school in 1953. Dr. Lenkoski interned at University Hospitals of Cleveland from 1953-1954. He went on to serve as Assistant Resident in Psychiatry at Yale/Grace New Haven Hospital and University Hospitals from 1956 to 1957. He then became Chief Resident at University Hospitals of Cleveland from 1957-1958.

As a member of the faculty in Psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) from 1960 until his retirement in 1992, Dr. Lenkoski held numerous positions including Chairman, Department of Psychiatry and Chief of Staff, University Hospitals of Cleveland. He also founded and directed the Department of Psychiatry at MetroHealth. During his years at University Hospitals, Dr. Lenkoski built and nurtured a psychiatry department nationally recognized for its excellence in treatment of the mentally ill, research in the neurosciences, and in the education of medical students, residents and other mental health professionals. In 1992, he was appointed Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry at CWRU.

Throughout his career, Dr. Lenkoski was tireless in his efforts to help the mentally ill. He served on scores of mental health boards and agencies throughout the community. Dr. Lenkoski dedicated much of his later years to helping develop Hopewell – a residential, therapeutic farm community in Middlefield, Ohio where adults with serious mental illness live and work with staff and their families.

In 2003, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine established the L. Douglas Lenkoski Professorship in Psychiatry.

For those looking for a way to remember Doug, both CWRU School of Medicine – Department of Psychiatry and Hopewell were dear to his heart.

Memorial services Monday, March 27, 2017, at Case Western Reserve Amasa Stone Chapel, 10940 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH (44106) at 5 PM. Burial will be private.