Johannes "John" Reinhard Sack

Johannes Reinhard Sack (“John” to most of us) was born in Zschorlau, East Germany in 1948. After fleeing the communist East German government in 1952 with his family - escaping across the Iron Curtain - he came to the United States as a political refugee and settled with his family in Los Angeles, California. After only three years in high school, he was admitted a year early to the University of Southern California (USC). He majored in both philosophy and mathematics, graduating magna cum laude in 1969. He met the woman that would become his first wife, Phyllis, at USC.

In the early 1970s, John served in the Peace Corps in rural Jamaica teaching mathematics and physics to underprivileged children in the small town of Savanna la Mar. John and Phyllis were married in Jamaica.

After returning to the U.S., he attended classes at Cal State Los Angeles in order to apply to medical school because the healing arts were important to him, and because he thought it “might be a challenge” in his words.

He received his Doctorate of Medicine as part of the first graduating class at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa in 1978. He completed his internship at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, and his residency and chief residency at Brown University in Rhode Island.

He was a National Merit Scholar, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and received the Merck Award for Outstanding Achievement in Medical School. He was a Diplomate of the National Board of Medical Examiners (1979), the American Board of Internal Medicine (1982), and was certified by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) (1986).

He had a lengthy career in internal and addiction medicine, both as a primary care physician and also helping thousands of patients recover from their addictions. He was a member of multiple committees, a lecturer on addiction medicine, and a faculty member and instructor at multiple institutions in the San Diego area.

He was a staff physician at Scripps Memorial McDonald Center for Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Treatment in La Jolla, CA, for 25 years. He was also a staff physician at multiple chemical dependency programs throughout San Diego. He was medical director of multiple programs dealing with addiction and eating disorders, and a member of the Certification Council of ASAM from 1987-1989. He also maintained a private practice in La Jolla for many years.

He was a member of the California Medical Association (CMA), San Diego County Medical Society (SDCMS), American Society of Internal Medicine (ASIM), ASAM, and the California Society of Addiction Medicine (CSAM).

He married again in 1996, to Victoria. He maintained close relationships with Phyllis and Victoria throughout his life. He is survived by his mother (Hanna), sisters (Adelheid, Ursula, Liz) and their families, ex-wives (Phyllis, Victoria) and their families, four children (Daniel, Leila, Dylan, Ellie) and their families, four grandchildren (Rose, Ana, Jake, Charlie), and a multitude of close family and friends, all of whom he cherished.

He loved the outdoors; the ocean, the canyons and deserts of Southern California, the Sierra Nevada mountains, and the lush country of Hawaii. He was a freethinker, an essayist, poet, violinist, pilot, SCUBA diver and skydiver, and a ranked bridge player, among other accomplishments too numerous to list.

He cared deeply for his patients, colleagues, friends, and family. He was always willing to go the extra mile to help others in a professional and personal capacity. He will be sorely missed, and his wisdom, love, and compassion continue to inform us all.

In loving memory of John Sack, please join us for his memorial service.

Monday, April 26

1 PM - 4 PM

Chapel of the Bells

El Camino Memorial Park

(Sorrento Valley)

5600 Carroll Canyon Rd

San Diego, CA 92121

All are welcome to come and pay their respects, meet with family and friends, and see a slideshow of pictures of John's life anytime from 1PM-4PM. There will be a short service and comments by family and friends at 2PM.

There is a park immediately adjacent to the service where we can spread out, and if you'd like to relax there, please consider bringing a blanket to sit on the grass prior to or after the speaking portion of the service.

The service is outdoors. The Chapel of the Bells is situated on a hill and often receives an ocean breeze. Please consider the weather when choosing your attire.

If you wish to send flowers, they can be sent through the El Camino Memorial Park florist (858-458-1200) or outside flowers can be sent directly to Chapel of the Bells, El Camino Memorial Park, 5600 Carroll Canyon Rd, San Diego, CA 92121 (please include his name).

If you wish to join the service remotely, please contact leilacurrah@gmail.com to receive a link to connect via Zoom.

In lieu of flowers, charitable donations in John’s honor can be made to the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.

themmrf.org/get-involved/ways-to-donate/

Donations can also be made to the AKAL Institute which offers healing pathways for substance abuse, injured athletes, and PTSD/trauma.

https://akalinstitute.org

Donate here:

https://www.nfggive.com/guidestar/54-1511748