Viola B Mecke

age of 95.

Viola was born and raised in Tallmadge, Ohio, and was one of 8 children, and was the last

one left in her family. Born to parents who were both Swedish, hard-working and family-oriented,

she was raised with deep family bonds. She left home for her higher education,

which culminated in a Ph.D. in Psychology from Case Western Reserve, and with top

educational honors along the way. She obtained many post doctorate certifications,

fellowships and board certifications in the field of psychology, and had published many

articles in professional journals throughout her career.

Her education, career and her own sense of adventure lead her on travels all over the United

States, Europe, the Middle East, Japan and the South Pacific. She was a trailblazer as not

many women in that Jme traveled so extensively or sought higher degrees. A few weeks

before she passed, she told a niece that she regretted never having gone to Antarctica!

It was on one of her trips to Germany she met her husband, Gunter Mecke, also a

psychologist, as well as a linguist. He moved to the U.S. to be with her, and while they lived

in several states, most of their happily married life was in Northern California where they

both were university professors and in private practice. Her husband pre-deceased by 25

years. They had no children, but Gunter had two children from a previous marriage.

Viola’s career was divided between teaching psychology at many different universities and

private practice as a psychoanalyst, primarily with children. In her last decade of work, she

was also hired at Stanford University School of Medicine as a Clinical Professor in the

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences where she advised doctoral and postdoctoral

students. When she retired, she started writing psychology-themed books and has

published 4 books in the last 20 years. She survived Stage 4 cancer 25 years ago that the

doctors told her she could not survive. She continued her world travels for pleasure with

friends and family. AGer leaving the Bay Area of California, she lived for many years with her

brother and sister-in-law in Santa Barbara, CA, followed by 5 years in Florida to be near her

younger sister, and her last months were spent in Northern Ohio where she wanted to be

near her extended family.

Viola is survived by 10 nieces and nephews, over a dozen great nieces and nephews, and

more great, great and great, great, great nieces and nephews. She strived to maintain family

Jes and always insisted on the importance of family connections. She also maintained close

contact with friends of many years, one of whom was with her the last few weeks of her life.

Up unJl a few weeks before she died, she still lived independently, drove a car, and handled

all of her own affairs, including writing new books. She was fiercely independent. She was

kind-hearted and sensitive. She was intelligent and continued to be fascinated by human

behavior. She made anyone in her presence feel heard and seen. She will be missed.

There will be no public service, but a private family service in honor of her.