12/11/2025
We are very sad to announce the passing of Thalians Chairman Dr Irwin Lehrhoff.
Irwin Lehrhoff, 96, of Chatsworth, California, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family after a very brief illness on the morning of December 5th, 2025. He was a cherished husband, father, grandfather, and friend, and his presence will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1929, Irwin Lehrhoff was a child of the Great Depression. Despite his family’s meager finances, he sought to distinguish himself through hard work and education, initially attending Rutgers and Princeton Universities on scholarship, and then the University of Southern California, where he received a doctorate degree in communication disorders at the young age of 24. This was followed by additional education, and a second PhD degree in Psychology from New York’s Columbia University in 1957.
Returning to Los Angeles, he began a very successful private practice in psychology and speech pathology, which ultimately grew into the largest practice of its kind in the United States. His clients included notables from the fields of entertainment, sports, finance, and government. Over his career he gave voice to thousands of young children by providing them with speech and language therapy. His work as a psychologist similarly improved the mental health of thousands of patients.
During his career he served as president, officer or director for numerous local, state, and national organizations, including the Thalians Community Mental Health Center, Los Angeles County Psychological Association, National Association of Rehabilitative Agencies, California Speech Pathologists and Audiologists in Private Practice, and California Speech and Hearing Association. He served on the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Hospital Board of Advisors. He advocated for greater patient rights, testifying for this cause in front of the US Congress on two occasions.
Dr. Lehrhoff also lent his talents to numerous charitable organizations. Closest to his heart was The Thalians, an organization that has raised tens of millions of dollars in support of mental health care, and currently supports UCLA’s Operation Mend, the only program in the nation dedicated to providing specialized surgical and psychological care for post-9/11 military veterans.
Irwin Lehrhoff was a lifelong USC Trojan fan, an avid reader, traveler, dog-lover, humorist, and storyteller. He was an extraordinary man and lived an extraordinary life.
He is survived by his loving wife of 36 years, Sherry, and their daughter, Elisha (Ryan); he also leaves behind his four children from his first marriage to the late Barbara, Terri, Debra, Howard (Nasreen), and Steven; and nine grandchildren, Melissa (Cameron), Matthew, Alexander, Nicholas (Eileen), Gregory, Andrew, Michael, Brooke and Jordan; and a large, loving extended family. He was predeceased by his parents, Esther and Carl Lehrhoff.
Services will be held on Sunday, December 21st at 10 AM at Mount Sinai Memorial Park. The address is 6150 Mt. Sinai Dr, Simi Valley, CA 93063. The family invites all who knew him to attend and share their favorite memories.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Irwin’s memory to Thalians.org
