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Home » Campus News Latest » Obituaries » David Paul Michener ’48

David Michener passed on January 17, 2022, in the company of his wife of 48 years, Dorothy Berndt. 
David was born March 24, 1923, in Madison County, Iowa to Howard Paul Michener and Margaret Hoover Michener, both Iowa natives. He spent his childhood in Iowa, Jamaica and Newberg, Oregon. As a young man, he stood by a long held Quaker family principles of non-violence, by refusing military service. He was assigned instead to two years of non-combat duty in a clinical laboratory, providing x-ray services at a two thousand bed Virginia state mental hospital. 

David earned a PhD in medicine beginning his higher education at Antioch College, then Harvard Medical School and Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. He served in the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) for 22 years with extended assignments in Lexington, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Bethesda, Denver, and Boston. 

After leaving the USPHS, David served as a psychiatrist at the California Department of Mental Health and later directed Mental Health services in Placer and Nevada Counties. He concluded his medical career after an additional 11 years of professional service at the Department of Psychiatry, Kaiser-Permanente, Sacramento. 

David’s first marriage was to Jean Martin in 1944. They had three children: Thomas, Marian and Joan. David’s second marriage was to Dolores Bartuska in 1962 they have two children, Douglas and Kirsten. 

In 1974, David and Dorothy married and lived in Auburn, California. Moving closer to their work, they built a home in Fair Oaks. In 1990 they retired to Point Richmond overlooking the San Francisco Bay. David enjoyed the beauty of the city skyline and opportunities to live out his passion for sailing. Family gatherings were very important to David and Dorothy. The extended family were always welcome to share in annual vacations to Pajaro Dunes as well as holiday festivities at their home. During retirement, David recorded his smooth bass voice reading for the California State Braille & Talking Book Library. In 2011, they moved to Spring Lake Village, Santa Rosa, California, where David spent his remaining years. 

David is survived by his wife Dorothy Berndt; his children Douglas and Kirsten Michener; grandchildren Dimitri, Olivia and Quill Michener; his brother, Carroll Michener; sister, Miriam Patterson; stepchildren, Karen, Steven and Brian Berndt; and step-grandchildren, Ryan, Eric, Christopher and Kelly Berndt. 

David willed his body to the UCSF Medical School for the advancement of science and the education of medical students. David indicated his preference for no formal memorial service.

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