On weekends, pediatrician Dr. James L. Mertz, father of nine, would go to Kapiolani hospital to visit his newborn patients. His wife, Elizabeth, recalls he "took along any assorted Mertz children who wanted to go with Dad and see the babies!"

Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children was a place he loved. Mertz was a man who didn’t put up a barrier between his career and his home life. If one of his patients needed him, he’d answer their phone call at home at any hour of the night, and if he had babies to see at Kapiolani, his own family would happily tag along. His love of life was big enough to fit in everyone who needed him.

"In all Jim’s many years tending patients at Kapiolani, he had nothing but praise for the high quality care they received," Elizabeth said. "Many, many times Jim told me how much he loved to go to work! I don’t think he ever missed the weekly noon lunch meeting at the hospital and always attended grand rounds."

Mertz reluctantly retired from his Kailua practice in 2002 at age 74, sad to leave his patients but excited about having more time to spend with his grandchildren. He shunned all attempts to throw him a retirement party, but the Windward community gave him one anyway. Hundreds of people — former patients and their families — came to a huge "aloha" party for him at Kailua Beach Park.

"I remember talking to multiple generations of families who were cared for by my Dad," daughter Sara Mertz said. "In one case, a great-grandmother with four generations of children who had all been cared for at one time or another came by. So many leis were put around his neck that he had to sit down, and even then flowers were laid all about him. One by one, former patients and parents of current patients came over to tell him how important he had been in their lives. I don’t think his eyes were ever dry! As his patients cried about his retirement, he cried right along with them. There was just so much love at the beach that day."

After retiring, the Mertzes moved to Lincoln, Calif., to be near his son Bob, a neonatologist. He died on Feb. 17, 2007, at age 78. He didn’t want a permanent burial spot, and in the five years since his passing, his family has thought about how to remember him in a way that would both honor his wishes and reflect his life’s work. They decided on establishing a fund in his name at Kapiolani.

"The fund is for the benefit of the ‘women and children of Hawaii,’ and Dad devoted the majority of his career to that particular community," daughter Amy said.

"Kapiolani seemed like the best fit with all their new goals to totally rebuild the hospital, and it was the opportunity to make Dad a permanent part of those plans," son David said.

On the online donation page, all of Mertz’s children kicked off the fundraising effort by making pledges under the names "Mertz #1" through "Mertz #9."

Though it’s been five years since his passing, Mertz’s influence is still felt in his community. He was the calm and gentle healer scared parents trusted with their sick children. He was the one who reminded them that, above all, a parent’s job is to love and enjoy their time with their kids.

"I still get Christmas cards from several of Dad’s patients," wife Elizabeth said. "One of the ‘problems’ Dad had was getting his grown-up patients to leave! Several actually refused and continued to schedule appointments long after they should have moved on to ‘big people’ physicians."

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Reach Lee Cataluna at lcataluna@staradvertiser.com.