Remembering a Cornerstone of the Alumni Association: Dennis E. Park ’07—HON, MA

By Calvin Chuang, MBA, MSML, Executive Director

Nobody embodies the Alumni Association of the School of Medicine of Loma Linda University more than Dennis E. Park ’07—HON, MA. For 22 years, he was the Alumni Association, and the Alumni Association was him. Park loved and respected the Alumni Association’s history, mission, and, most importantly, the alumni. In doing so, he created a history of his own.

raduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from La Sierra College in 1967, Park began his career on the Loma Linda University (LLU) campus in the spring of 1970. His first job was in the LLU foundation’s trust and investment departments. He then went on to work in a variety of management positions for both LLU and Loma Linda University Medical Center.

In 1982, he earned a Master of Arts degree from the University of Redlands, and in 1988, he took on the role of director of development at the Alumni Association. It was in this role Park first discovered the way the Alumni Association supported Loma Linda University School of Medicine (LLUSM). Using his financial experience, Park was able to help the organization build up its Alumni Fund, which supported the School of Medicine’s fundraising goal to endow different chairs and funds.

In 1993, he became the executive director of the Alumni Association. It is during this phase of his career that Park’s charm and dry humor shone. He forged many wonderful relationships with alumni, which resulted in friendships outside his role as executive director.

Park loved history and cherished how his new role also allowed him to interact with many of LLU’s pillars. He would often cite memories of his encounters with LLU greats and the lessons he learned. Park also hung pictures, a handful of them behind his desk, to remind him of whom he was responsible. “The Alumni Association is the alumni’s organization,” he would often say, “They own it. We work for them.”

During his time as executive director, Park continued developing the Alumni Fund. By the late 2000s, his efforts contributed to LLUSM funding the:

Baylink Research Endowment
Olav A. Blomquist (Gastroenterology) Medical Research Endowment
Floyd S. Brauer Anesthesiology Research Endowment
Bernard D. Briggs Chair (Pharmacology)
Samuel A. Crooks Chair (Anatomy)
LLUSM General Research
Lippin Cancer Research Fund
Walter E. Macpherson Chair
Robert Mitchell G.I. Research Fund
Raymond A. Mortensen Chair (Biochemistry)
Alonzo J. Neufeld Research Fund (Orthopaedics)
Carrol S. Small Basic Science Faculty Development Fund
Chauncey L. Smith Chair (Internal Medicine)
Walter L. Stilson Fund (Radiology)
Student Loan Fund

Park also had a passion for publications and served as the managing editor of the ALUMNI JOURNAL. Working alongside the former editor Henry K. Yeo ’68. Park oversaw the production of 82 ALUMNI JOURNALS. In 2001, he compiled his first book, “From the Journal, Essays by the School of Medicine Alumni Association presidents, The CME Years” and compiled a second volume about the “Transition Years in 2002.” His love of history and publication came together in 2007 when he wrote and published “The Mound City Chronicles, a 316-page pictorial history book of Loma Linda University.”

Park’s time as the executive director did not go unnoticed. In 2006, he was awarded the Outstanding Citizen Award by the San Bernardino Medical Society. In 2007, the Alumni Association recognized him as an honorary member of the organization, and in 2011, he received the Alumni Association’s Iner Sheld-Richie Presidential Award for his commitment to the vision and mission of the organization.

In 2011, Park retired having served 17 years as executive director and a total of 22 for the Alumni Association. In his retirement address in the ALUMNI JOURNAL, he expressed that “promoting and fostering the goals and objectives of the Alumni Association has been the most rewarding experience of my working career. Serving the LLUSM students, alumni, and faculty with my fellow colleagues has been a joy beyond all measure. […] I want to emphasize that I will forever be grateful to the Alumni Association for having given me the opportunity to be a part of its rich and storied history. Without question, I have been blessed!”

However, his retirement would be short-lived, as he returned to serve as interim executive director in 2014 at the Alumni Association’s request. Getting straight back to work, Park established the Student Fund in 2015, which continues to support the work of the Alumni Association’s Student Affairs Council. It was also during this time he brought me into his office and said, “Calvin, I like retirement, so you need to take over as executive director.” I politely declined. Undeterred, Park continued to encourage me to take on the role, and in 2016 got his wish and retired once more.

Even in retirement, Park was not one to sit still. For the next six months, he would mentor me into the role of executive director. I greatly appreciated all the wisdom and encouragement he provided during this time, and the lessons I will take with me into the future. I also enjoyed his many sarcastic remarks, deadpan jokes, and technology questions.

The building of the new Loma Linda University Health hospital also stirred the historian within Park. With camera in hand and a hardhat on head, Park volunteered to take photos of the construction and share it on a website he created called DocuVision2020.com. His way with people allowed him to win over the affection of the construction crew, who took him in as one of their own and allowed him to get some unique shots of the building process.

Though retired, Park never stopped his involvement with the Alumni Association. He volunteered to be the organization’s historian, writing articles for the ALUMNI JOURNAL. His last historical article can be found in the Summer 2024 issue.

Park was a great mentor, boss, and friend. As the longest-serving executive director of the Alumni Association, his contributions to the organization, Loma Linda University, and the community at large will forever be remembered in history. Something I know would make him very happy.

Calvin Chuang, MBA, MSML, is the executive director of the Alumni Association.

Dennis Park ’07—HON, MA, chronicled the constructions of the 2020 Loma Linda University Troash Medical Center.

“My friendship with Dennis began just prior to him accepting the position as executive director of the Alumni Association of the Loma Linda University School of Medicine. He was wholeheartedly committed to the Association, and there was never any question about his integrity, honesty and fairness in matters of the Association. Every new officer and board member benefited from his wise counsel given with love and his respect for you as an individual and love for the Association.

We will miss you, Dennis. God’s speed.”

— Burton A. Briggs ’66

“Dennis was one of those people who was always around! He seemed to know everybody and all that was happening. It was my privilege to relate to him for years, from the early years of Adventist Health International to the LLUSM Alumni Association, and then for years as the official recorder of Loma Linda history. His historical articles on this place, and then the thousands of pictures taken during various construction projects from the Centennial Complex to the Troesh Medical Campus, have documented important steps in Loma Linda’s development. His affable personality and inquisitive nature made him a natural partner throughout decades of our history.”

— Richard H. Hart ’70

“Hearing of Dennis’ passing was a total shock!

For years we had weekly lunches at Oscar’s restaurant in Redlands. Dennis always wanted the handmade cheese enchiladas with onions and olives with a dab of sour cream on top. He ordered that every time, even though he often said, “I am going to order something new!” We laughed a lot.

We shared thoughts about a number of topics, including the Alumni Association and Loma Linda University. He was always working on a book of some kind, trying his best to document the history of Loma Linda University as well as its people.

Dennis was a mentor, advisor, writer, and influencer. Most of all he was my friend. I will miss him deeply.”

— Clifford A. Walters ’74

“I had the privilege of working with Dennis Park for over 22 years at the Alumni Association. For 17 of those years, he was by boss. He was not just a boss, but a mentor and a friend. His great sense of humor and love of life made it a pleasure to come to work. Working at the AA was a natural fit for him. We both set records for longevity at the Alumni Association: he as the longest-serving executive director (so far), and me as the longest serving employee (so far). Both of us thought we had retired from the Alumni Association a couple of times, but we both ended up coming back to work at various times. Obviously, it is a great place. The memory of Dennis Park will live on here at the Alumni Association. He will be missed.”

— Carolyn Wieder

Student Affairs Coordinator

“Dennis Park was a very accomplished and multitalented man.

He was a good manager as evidenced by his years running the Alumni Association. Dennis was a historian and writer with several books on the history of Loma Linda and the medical school, as well as numerous ALUMNI JOURNAL articles. In addition, he excelled with his personal hobbies of photography, bird-watching, and woodworking (a skill which he passed on to his son Steven).

I feel privileged to have been a friend of Dennis for 67 years since we attended Orangewood Academy together in Orange County, CA.

My wife and I have traveled with Dennis and his wife Pauline, to whom he has been married for 58 years. In addition, Dennis and I have taken motorcycle trips together and enjoyed visiting each other’s homes. In our later years, we were texting buddies and sent texts to each other on an almost daily basis. I always enjoyed seeing the interesting and sometimes crazy things that he would text to me.

Dennis will long be remembered around Loma Linda for his friendly persona and sense of humor. His positive attitude was contagious and he seemed to always make those around him smile.

Dennis Park will be missed by the many who knew him and regarded him as their friend.”

— Arthur N. Donaldson ’70

“It is a privilege to honor my godfather, Dennis Park, a man whose influence left a lasting impact on both my life and career. “Uncle Dennis” served not only as a pillar in my journey to becoming a physician but also as a mentor who nurtured me with the love and patience of a father. When I was first considering medical school, he was instrumental in helping me navigate the challenges of admission, ultimately paving the way for me to pursue my dream.

Throughout my years in medical school at LLU, he took me under his wing, treating me like family. I was fortunate to serve as Alumni Association student representative for the Loma Linda School of Medicine class of 2004, working closely with Uncle Dennis in his role as executive director of the Alumni Association. We spent dozens of priceless hours together at meetings, his guidance and leadership a steadying forces as we collaborated on programs like the Lending Library and the White Coat Ceremony—initiatives that continue to support our medical student community to this day.

One of Dennis’s most memorable qualities was his wit. He had a unique ability to make people feel instantly at ease, often with humor that left everyone in the room laughing. His puns were famously terrible and blatantly incorrect, yet somehow, the more he repeated them, the funnier they became. He had a gift for turning the simplest moments into lasting memories through laughter, drawing people in with a warmth that was as genuine as it was rare.

Dennis Park’s legacy lives on, not only in the love and lasting impression he left on family and friends, but also in the many projects he spearheaded to preserve the history of our medical school, university, and community. He will be sorely missed, but his spirit of kindness, humor, and dedication will be cherished always. Rest in peace, Uncle Dennis.”

— Joseph D. foley, III ’04

“I had the fortunate privilege to work with Dennis during the time I served as the Dean of the School of Medicine. I witnessed first-hand his profound commitment to the success of both the Alumni Association and the School of Medicine. His actions reflected his devotion to the members of the association and its mission.

He was steadfast to the principles of kindness and respect to those who worked in the office of the Alumni Association.

He was a good friend to all.”

— H. Roger Hadley ’74

Published in the Fall/Winter 2024 ALUMNI JOURNAL.