Armentrout, Steven Alexander, Ph. D., M.D.
Steven Alexander Armentrout, M.D. was born on August 22, 1933 in Morgantown, West Virginia to Walter and Dorothy (Gasch) Armentrout, and died at his home on November 10, 2017. He is survived by his four children, Marc A. Armentrout, Susan M. Stein, Sandra L. Munson and Nancy C. Reagan, and also survived by his only sister, Sally Waddle of Woodbridge, Virginia. He also leaves behind many beloved grandchildren and loved ones. He will be greatly missed.
He grew up in West Virginia where he attended Morgantown High School, but spent his college years in Illinois, where he attended the University of Chicago for both undergraduate and graduate work as well as medical school. He received his bachelor's degree in 1953, a Ph. D. in Biochemistry in 1959 and his medical degree, the same year, from University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. He completed his residency work in internal medicine in 1963 at the University Hospital Cleveland and a fellowship in medicine the same year at Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. From 1963-1965, he completed his military service with the United States Public Health Service at the National Institute of Health.
Dr. Armentrout had been in practice in Orange County for more than 20 years, with a specialty in hematology, which focuses on diseases of the blood, spleen and lymph glands, treating such conditions as anemia, clotting disorders, sickle cell disease, hemophilia, leukemia and lymphoma. He moved to California in 1971 to join the faculty of the University of California Irvine, College of Medicine, where he held various positions, including seven years as Associate Professor of Medicine (1971-1978), ten years as Chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology (1978-1988), and eight years as a Professor of Medicine, prior to becoming an Emeritus Professor. He was an active member of the American Medical Association, California Medical Association, and Orange County Medical Association, as well as many sub-specialty and research societies, of which he committed many hours of volunteer time to both community and public service on both a state and national level. He also published numerous articles in medical journals and dedicated his time as an Assistant Editor for the Journal of Infusional Chemotherapy, and a Reviewer for both the Journal of Medical and Pediatric Oncology and the Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine.
He enjoyed playing tennis and golf, he was a fan of the opera, theater and fine arts, he was an avid reader, and was a seasoned sailor who raced in many regattas promoted by the Balboa Yacht Club. He had a good sense of humor and was proud of his German heritage, and even owned his own pair of lederhosen, which he wore for several years to the Oktoberfest at the Phoenix Club in Anaheim. Recently, he developed a love for the culinary arts and prided himself on his cooking skills and his coffee roasting. He enjoyed travel and had recently gone on a trip with his companion, Marilyn Rollins, to Spain, France, Italy and Croatia.
The family has scheduled a memorial service to celebrate Dr. Armentrout's life on December 1, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at Pacific View Memorial Park located at 3500 Pacific View Drive in Corona Del Mar. All are invited to attend.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to UC Irvine Health (www.ucirvinehealth.org/giving).