Arnold J. Isaacs

Born in New York on Feb. 23,1923, his family moved to L.A. when he was 6 months old and he grew up in the area now called Boyle Heights.

When World War II came, he posted in the Pacific Theater. Assigned to Special Ops, he performed intelligence and infiltration forward of the marines’ landing party with a team of 7. Among his medals, he was awarded the China-India-Burmese Medal “for outstanding service,” as well as the China War Memorial Medal, which the Chinese government awarded him “with deep appreciation.”

When he returned home, he graduated from USC, with both a Bachelors of Science and an advanced degree in Physical Therapy. He discovered, “You can’t look in a microscope without knowing there is a God.” He loved his alma mater, taking every opportunity to support USC Division of PT, and cheer for USC’s football team.

Professionally, he started Edgemont Physical Therapy, which became National Therapy Associates, the largest privately owned physical therapy company in the nation. He worked as a physical therapist until he was 86 years old.

Amiable and always ready with a joke, an easy smile, and a deep, warm laugh, he remembered everyone’s name.

He loved to travel, visiting every continent except Antarctica, listen to music, especially dixieland, eat delicious food, with spaghetti his perennial favorite, revel with friends, anywhere and anytime, and go to the theater, whether regional, the Shubert, Broadway or West End - and he did it all!

Most of all, he loved his family. Meeting and getting to know his English family was a treat beyond his imagining; ever after he remarked it was one of the best things that had happened to him, and he continued to visit and correspond with his “cousins across the pond” for the rest of his life.

But the love of his life was his wife, Geri, whom he adored for 46 years. He’d say, “I can’t believe she’s mine!” and just touch

her arm as she brought them coffee, or played a game of scrabble, as if to make sure she was really there. Their extraordinary love was united in a marriage ceremony in Agra, India, on one of their many world travels together.

He is predeceased by his parents, Mark and Nellie, his sister Millie and son Michael McCray. He is survived by his wife, Geri, his sons James and Ian, and daughters Kim (McCray) Carnazzola and Cheri’ (McCray) Olson, as well as many grandchildren in the U.S. and cousins abroad, and even more friends, all of who loved and respected him. They enjoyed living life with him, each with memories forever securing their hearts to him.

Service and burial with military honors will be held at 2:00pm on Saturday, December 1, 2013, at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks, 5600 Lindero Canyon Rd, Westlake Village, CA, 818-889-0902. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Arnold J. Isaacs, to the USC Division of Physical Therapy, 1540 Alcazar St, Bldg. CHP 155, L.A., CA 90089-9006, or online at giveto.usc.edu, with notification to Geri Isaacs, 32144 Canyon Crest Ct., Westlake Village, CA 91361.