By Pamela Hale-Burns
Described as a man who inspired change, Dr. Matthew Owen Locks was proud to see the possible presidential nomination of an African- American or of a woman.
But he wouldn’t get to witness it. The 89-year-old died of heart failure only hours before the Democratic nomination was apparently sewn up by Sen. Barack Obama on June 3.
“We were watching the results on the television in his hospital room,” said his daughter, Wendy Locks.
Born and raised in New York City, he received his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in 1940 and went on to graduate at the top of his class from Cornell University Medical College in 1943.
After his residency, he began a private medical practice in internal medicine in Westport, Conn.
In 1959 he gave up his private practice and moved his family to California to pursue a specialty in pulmonary medicine at the the Long Beach Veteran’s Administration Medical Center.
“He had a very lucrative practice, but he cared about helping people,” his daughter said. “For him it was more important to help people than to make money. He always worked in public institutions after moving here.”
As a clinician, professor and administrator, Locks contributed significantly to the pulmonary medicine field.
Throughout his 65-year career, he held many positions at several medical institutions in Southern California. He also published articles on pulmonary disease and consulted for many institutions.
In 1985 he won the Renteln Award, California’s highest honor for contributions to tuberculosis control.
“I thought he was a wonderful man,” said Dr. Helene Calvet, city health officer at Long Beach Health and Human Services who worked with Locks at the TB clinic. “Even until his last days, he had a hunger for learning things.”
Even after retiring as the medical director of Rancho Los Amigos Medical Center in 1988 at the age of 70, Locks remained active in his field.
“He was still working as a licensed physician and consultant when he passed away,” Wendy said. “He had a fascination for science and caring for human beings.”
He served as an expert reviewer and consultant for the Medical Board of California, as an expert witness for plaintiffs in medical malpractice cases, and as a clinician on mobile units for the homeless TB screening in Los Angeles County.
“When I had difficult cases, I would collect those cases and call him, and he would come in and look at chest X-rays and discuss what to do,” Calvet said.
Locks also served as treasurer of the Long Beach Area Chapter of League of Women Voters for seven years.
“He encouraged women to get education and have a career,” said daughter Nancy Locks. “He treated women with respect.”
Not only did he respect women, Locks taught his children to love and respect all mankind.
“From our childhood we learned to love all cultures and to love people,” Wendy said.
“I learned to treat people justly and to never judge people by their religion or their skin color,” Nancy said. “He taught us basic humanity and how to treat people on the basis of what kind of people they were. I think that was really important.”
When he wasn’t caring for people, Morty, as he was affectionately known, loved music and doing crossword puzzles.
“I’ll miss his company,” Nancy said. “We did crossword puzzles every Sunday and I will miss his companionship.”
Lock and his high school sweetheart, Florence, loved music and the theater. “He and my mother loved going to the theater and the Long Beach Symphony,” Wendy said.
His wife of 64 years died in 2006.
With his many contributions to medicine, Locks’ colleagues are hoping plans will be approved to name the Long Beach Health and Human Services Tuberculosis Clinic after him.
“He was not only a wonderful doctor and a wonderful person, he was a wonderful citizen,” Calvet said. “He always wanted to give back to the community.”
According to his family, Locks, at 89, was attending the Osher Lifelong Learning Center at CSULB, where he was taking digital photography, Photoshop and Shakespeare classes.
He missed his last two classes due to his illness.
“He was completely sharp up until the end,” Calvet said. “He never mentally slowed down.”
He also is survived by another daughter, Amy, his brother, Richard, and seven grandchildren.
The family asks that donations be made to CTCA Scholarship Fund, indicating the Matthew Locks Memorial Scholarship, to the California TB Controllers Association, to Friends of the Long Beach Public Library Memorial Books or to the Osher Lifelong Learning Center at CSULB.
[email protected], 562-499-1476
(c) 2008 Press-Telegram Long Beach, CA.. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
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