Louis Wonill Kang

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I was born in Los Angeles on October 10, 1935. My mother was a nurse, and as far back as I can remember I have always wanted to be a doctor. I graduated from La Sierra University in 1956 where my main goals were to fulfill all the pre-med requirements and to keep out of trouble. I was at the Los Angeles County Hospital from 1960 to 1965 completing a rotating internship and orthopedics residency. While there I did and saw things that I would not care to do or see again. I was married to Linda Lawler from 1965 to 1981, and we have two children. Our son, Lawler, has an MBA from Wharton, two children, and lives in Manchester-by-the-sea in Massachusetts. Our daughter Cambria practices obstetrics and gynecology in Irvine, California. Since 1982 I have been married to Diane Husted. Her son, Roger, is an ophthalmologist practicing in Red Hook, New York. He and his wife have two children.

I was in private practice for orthopedic surgery in Whittier, California, for 40 years to the day (1965-2005). While a resident from 1963 to 1965 I taught third-year medical students orthopedic surgery at LACH. From 1965 to 1972 I was a Loma Linda University faculty member and was an attending physician at the White Memorial Hospital where I was privileged to work with Alonzo Neufeld ’35. During that time I was in charge of the pediatric orthopedic clinic. During my time in private practice at Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital in Whittier, I served as chief of orthopedics, chief of surgery, and medical staff president. In 1982, I helped organize the first PPO in California and was also involved in building an outpatient surgery center, an imaging center, and an outpatient lab and pharmacy. Over the years, I was involved as president with several medical organizations, including the Far Western Medical Association, the Society of Graduate Orthopedic Surgeons (LACH/USC) and the Whittier Academy of Medicine. My non-medical interest included serving as director and founder of the National Bank of Long Beach, and vice president/president of Conley and Associates, a petroleum exploration and development company.

My other major outside interest has been music. I sang professionally with the Mitzelfelt Chorale, the Roger Wagner Chorale, and the Los Angeles Master Chorale. Their performances included singing at the Dorothy Chandler Concert Hall, and at the Hollywood Bowl with the LA Philharmonic Orchestra and the Sinfonia Orchestra. I also served as a director of the Los Angeles Music Center and the Master Chorale.

When I retired in 2005, we moved to Laguna Niguel and I am enjoying golf, skiing, and traveling. I still enjoy singing and playing the clarinet and piano. Recent books I have been reading include “City of Thieves,” “Wisdom of our Fathers,” and “Culture of Corruption.” Our traveling includes ski trips to Vail twice yearly and trips to Red Hook to watch our grandchildren grow up.