Dr. Mengke Kou, 62, passed away November 7th, 2016, with his family by his side in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Kou was born October 13, 1954 in Chengdu, China. He was the fifth of six children and also the fifth generation Chinese Medicine practitioner in his family. He started his education in medicine at an early age from his father, and completed eight years of formal training in integrative medicine at the Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. After graduating, Mengke spent four years as chief resident physician in the department of internal medicine at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Zigong. He then returned to his alma mater to take a staff position and spent many years as chief physician and director of the internal medicine department in the teaching hospital of the Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

In 1997, Mengke accepted a position as one of the earliest core faculty members in the College of Classical Chinese Medicine at the National University of Natural Medicine. He later also taught in the doctoral program at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine and opened a private practice specializing in difficult and recalcitrant diseases in 2004.

Dr. Kou was also a noted researcher who has edited several texts in Chinese, including TCM Emergency Medicine and TCM Internal Medicine in Clinical Practice. His published articles focus on autoimmune disorders, blood disorders, cancer, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia. He has served on national research panels on blood disorders, hypertension, digestive dysfunction, and asthma in China, and has received many awards for his contributions to the field of Chinese Medicine.

Mengke is survived by his wife Jianchun, daughter Yuqing, son-in-law Jasper as well as his siblings. Dr. Kou was very proud to have Yuqing follow in his footsteps by taking over his clinical practice and carrying on the family lineage of Chinese Medicine. She hopes to continue his legacy of helping and healing those in need with the help of her mother. His colleagues and students at all three institutions, as well as his patients remember him with tremendous respect and fondness, and will miss him dearly.

There will be a memorial service on Saturday December 17th beginning at 10 AM at Omega Funeral and Cremation at 223 SE 122nd Ave, Portland, OR 97233. A memorial website has also been created at www.youcaring.com/drmengkekou. Please feel free to share your thoughts and memories of Dr. Kou on this site.