A memorial service for Dr. Alex P. Berks L.Ac., FABORM, CEFP, AAPOM is scheduled for Sunday, January 8 at 2 p.m., at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple, Irmas Campus Chapel, 11661 W Olympic Blvd., LA. Shiva will be observed Monday and Tuesday at 6 p.m. at theManhattan Beachof his parents Bill and Muriel.
Berks is survived by his wife Denise and the father of young Ethan and Noah. He is also survived by his brother, Andrew (and Deloria) Berks of New York, and sister Susan (and George) Fogelson of Redondo Beach, and many nieces and nephews. Berks was a 1982 graduate of Mira Costa High Schooland 1987 graduate of UC Santa Barbara, where he majored in anthropology.
He subsequently received a master’s degree from Emperor’sCollegeofTraditional Chinese Medicine. He practiced many healing disciplines at his clinic on theWest Side.
A Chinese Medicine practitioner, Licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist since 1997, Dr. Berks was a co-founder of the Association of Integrative Oncology and Chinese Medicine and a Fellow of the American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine. Alex was also a member of the Clinical Excellence in Fertility Program. He was also board certified in Physical Oriental Medicine. He focused his practice on relieving pain, creating reproductive health for men and women and supporting cancer patients in both Eastern and Western medicines to integrate both into his patient care.
Berks studied with Randine Lewis, author of the “Infertility Cure” and with Donald Yance, author of “Herbs Healing and Cancer.” He lectured on acupuncture and its role in obstetrics and gynecology and the role of herbal medicine in cancer patient support. He and his wife Denise focused their practice on the support of cancer patients, in all stages of treatment, to ameliorate the side-effects of conventional care.
He studied the use of acupuncture for cancer patients atMemorialSloaneKetteringCancerCenter. He also provided pain treatments for orthopedic conditions. In addition to his private practice, he taught Nutrition, Practice Management, and Shiatsu at theAmericanUniversityof Complementary Medicine and was a clinic supervisor at Emperor’sCollegeofTraditional Chinese Medicine.
A fund has been set up for the educational needs of Alex and Denise’s young sons through the nonprofit organization, Talbert Family Foundation at talbertfamilyfoundation.org/pages/AlexBerks.html.
Donations can be made online. For more informatin email Julie Talbert at julie@talbertfamilyfoundation.org.
