Dr. Thomas Michael Heric, Ph.d, longtime Malibu resident, esteemed Neurologist, Medical Execu-tive, Theater Artist and Author has died, July 21, 2018, he was 81. Dr. Heric was born in North Hollywood, CA November 3,1936 to a Hollywood movie grip and vaudeville actress, Austin and Marion Heric. Known for his eclectic style and various interests, he began tinkering with crystal AM radios at an early age, finding pushback from his father when he installed six foot circular an-tennas in an attempt to reach outer space contacts. Builder of small computers for neighborhood communications other than telephones, he repaired televisions and collected parakeets in what would become the first attempt of many at creating an aviary. Dr. Heric received his pilot license prior to his drivers license. A graduate of Hollywood High School, he attended the University of Berkeley where he participated in civil rights campaigns which took him on the Freedom Trail in the Deep South, working to help people register to vote. Dr. Heric served as a Sergeant in the Unit-ed States Army from 1956-1959, graduating from the U.S. Army Radar & Electronic School in Fort Bliss, Texas. He went on to attend University of South California, Los Angeles for additional Un-dergraduate work, continuing as a Graduate Student in Anatomy and Neurophysiology as part of the Brain Research Institute in 1961. He completed his medical training at UCLA in 1964 and his Internship and Residency with both UCLA and the Veteran’s Administration Hospital Department of Neurology in June 1971. Dr. Heric achieved his PH.D during this time based on his study of both reptile and porpoise brains. His first published works included thesis papers entitled: "Electri-cal Response to Light in the Optic Tectum of a Reptile” (with Lawrence Kruger). Anat. Rec., 145:239 (1963); "Organization of the Visual Projection upon the Optic Tectum of a Reptile (Alliga-tor Mississippiensis)" (with Lawrence Kruger). J. Comp. Neur., 124:101‑112 (1965); "The Electri-cal Response Evoked in the Reptilian Optic Tectum by Afferent Stimulation" (with Lawrence
Kruger). Brain Res. 2:187‑199 (1966).
Dr. Heric’s first post as an Assistant House Physician took him to National Hospital for Nervous and Mental Diseases in Queen Square London, England. It was here that he developed a life long passion for the Victorian-era theatrical partnership of Gilbert & Sullivan who collaborated on four-teen British comic operas between 1871-1896. During this time, Dr. Heric formed his close associa-tion with the famous bass-baritone English opera singer, Donald Adams, a friendship that would begin with Savoy operas and last the duration of their lives.
Upon his return to Los Angeles, and establishment of Neurology practice at Saint John’s Hospital in Santa Monica which would last for twenty years, Dr. Heric turned his creative interests to the cura-tion of the local theater scene in Los Angeles and the West Side through partnerships with Milt Larsen and John Shrum that included the Variety Arts Center in DTLA, establishing and running the Mayfair Music Hall, British Pub Style Theater near Third Street Promenade, and assisting with the art direction and construction of The Magic Castle in Hollywood. Dr. Heric was instrumental in the creation of the Harry Houdini Seance Room where he put his computer engineering skills to use adapting his Atari computer to manage the execution. During this time, Dr. Heric reached out to Steve Jobs, and was provided feedback. Dr. Heric also produced a critically acclaimed production of “Victory Canteen”at the Ivar Theater in 1971.
Dr. Heric went on to serve as Chief of Neurology at Sant John’s Hospital, where he also functioned as Senior Vice President of the Hospital in 1991. Dr. Heric was active as a volunteer physician in the community: operating as sole volunteer doctor to an orphanage in Southern Mexico treating tu-berculosis in over 1500 children, non-paid commissioner for the City of Los Angeles developing protocols for the safe handling of prisoners acutely intoxicated with PCP, and setting up a Spanish-language help line at the county hospital in Los Angeles for young Hispanic mothers with new-borns. Dr. Heric served on the Admissions committee to the UCLA medical school and helped de-velop an inter-racial recruitment program which included personally speaking to students at high schools in the inner city. Dr. Heric was on the California Board of Medical Quality Assurance (now the California Medical Board) for nine years, and conducted over sixty appellate hearings for doc-tors asking to have their licenses reinstated. He served on the bioterrorism Preparedness Committee for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the game football doctor for two nearby high schools. Governor Jerry Brown appointed him to the State Medical Board.
Dr. Heric was an accomplished television screenwriter and author. He served as a consultant to Steven Bochco for “Doogie Houser” and for David E. Kelley for “Picket Fences” and “Chicago Hope”, writing multiple episodes of “Chicago Hope” from 1994-96, most notably the episode enti-tled “Last One Out, Turn Off the Lights” in March, 1996. Dr. Heric’s publications included weekly columns for the Beverly Hills Post and Beverly Hills News, museum quarterlies for the Los Angeles Natural History Museum based on Los Angeles history and fossils, medical journals featuring top-ics on Neurology, several publications detailed topics on Gilbert & Sullivan for Savoyard, and fi-nally, publishing of his novel in 2009, “The Healers”, which envisions a medical dystopian world on the Island of Cos.
Dr. Heric established the Neurodiagnostic Laboratory at Saint John’s Hospital and Health Center in 1975 which established standardized testing for EEG. BAER, VER, Polysomnography, ENG, VENG, SEP, EMG and NCV. Over his career he supervised or established more than a dozen neu-rodiagnostic laboratories, training technicians, establishing lab standards and normative values, as well as calibration procedures, reporting formats and quality assurance. He would also serve as medical director of numerous medical groups and associations.
Dr. Tom Heric is predeceased by his wife, Carol Christine Hansen Heric in 1993, is survived by his wife, Paris Tasker Heric, and five Children: Michael Heric (wife Sarah Heric and grandsons Austin and Declan Heric), Victoria Heric, William Heric (wife Samantha Wan Heric and grandson Oliver Heric), Alexandra Heric and Andrew Heric and his beloved parrot companion, Louie.
My father died a doctor.
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