Remembering
Melinda Chérie Myzak
July 12, 1979 – May 15, 2020
Melinda (Mindy) Chérie Myzak was born on July 12, 1979 in Portland, Oregon to I. Terri and Gerald Myzak and passed away on May 15, 2020 in San Francisco, California. She is survived by her parents, brother Matthew Myzak, and a large extended family of loving aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
Mindy was an avid learner, brilliant doctor and talented scientist. She obtained a B.A. from Scripps College in 2001, followed by a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Oregon State University in 2005. Mindy was recognized as a graduate fellow at the Linus Pauling Institute, published extensively, and was awarded several young investigator awards for her impactful research. Most notably, she discovered a novel mechanism for the cancer chemoprotective effects of sulforaphane. In 2010, Mindy graduated from the University of Vermont with a M.D. and completed her Internal Medicine residency at Oregon Health & Science University. When not in the laboratory or the hospital, Mindy could often be found leading study sessions for her medical school colleagues. Following a fellowship in Oncology at Johns Hopkins University in 2016, Mindy completed an advanced fellowship with the Mayo Clinic in 2017. Mindy further pursued work researching cancer medications and treatment at AbbVie in Chicago and San Francisco. Mindy had a lifelong passion for the fight against cancer, spurred by the passing of her grandmother in her youth. She was dedicated to her patients, who she considered family, while at the same time working hard to translate new scientific discoveries into patient care.
In addition to all her scientific and medical accomplishments, Mindy was equally passionate about nature and animals. She enjoyed camping and hiking at Elk Lake in Oregon, biking and snowshoeing through the Green Mountains, and relaxing on the beaches of Lake Champlain. While loving of all animals, Mindy had a special place in her heart for cats, in particular her two companions Abigail and Julius.
Mindy was adventurous, with France being one of her favorite travel locations. Fluent in French, she enjoyed exploring the city and speaking at ease with the locals. Passionate about photography, Mindy curated photos she took on her many trips. Mindy made friends wherever she went, with those close to her remembering her love for cooking, selfless care for others, and overall generosity.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Mindy’s memory to one of the following:
Oregon Humane Society (where Abigail and Julius were adopted from): https://www.oregonhumane.org/
Wildlife Companions Tiger Retirement and Rescue Center has been a home for retired lions and tigers who performed at Marine World, Africa USA since our first retired lion in 1986. Built on the understanding that every animal that performed at the park deserved a long and quiet retirement, the sanctuary has always focused on the health and well being of every animal. Once they set paw on the ground here, it was their home for life.
In 2016, we looked back at 30 years of animal care and what it would take to begin our next 30. Since then, we have been working on renovation of our facilities in order to give more animals the opportunity to have a wonderful life in the rolling Montezuma hills.
The project that we wish to dedicate to Melinda’s memory is the renovation and reopening of our large central “run”, a 50’x100’ exercise yard for our most recent rescue and youngest tiger, Alsatia. Al is an active cat in need of this large area to meet her desire to run and jump.
As a part of this project, we are working with the Endless Pools company. They have created current pools for polar bears and manatees, but our tiger current pool will be the first of its kind in the world, giving us the ability to let tigers exercise their love of water and swimming.
A granite plaque will be placed on the outside of this project as an enduring memorial to Melinda’s love for animals.
