In Memoriam: John Viljoen, 75
John (Jack) Viljoen, who served as chair of the LAC+USC Medical Center Department of Anesthesiology from 1982 to 1992, died Nov. 27 of complications following a surgical procedure. He was 75.
Viljoen was living in his hometown of Cape Town, South Africa, where he completed medical school and received anesthesia specialty certification from the University of Cape Town.
Viljoen moved to the United Kingdom and received additional training as a senior registrar in anesthetics, and subsequently emigrated to the United States, where he joined the Cleveland Clinic Foundation as a cardiac anesthesia fellow.
He became director of the clinic’s cardiac anesthesia division prior to accepting the position at USC and moving to Los Angeles. He was an early investigator of the role and perioperative use of beta blockers in cardiac anesthesia.
The memorial will be held Jan. 8 at 11 a.m. at St. Rita Parish, located at 50 E. Alegria Ave. in Sierra Madre.
Because Viljoen had a deep love for animals, in lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to either: the SPCA, Los Angeles, 5026 West Jefferson Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90016 or PETA, 501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510.