Community Corner

Inconclusive Autopsy Leaves Friends and Colleagues Struggling to Understand Death of Prominent Surgeon

As they grapple with the news about Rossmoor resident Dr. Marianne E Cinat, friends remember her as loving and a dedicated life-saver.

Inconclusive autopsy results Monday morning did nothing to help explain why Rossmoor resident and UCI Regional Burn Center Director Dr. Marianne E. Cinat was found fully dressed in her backyard pool Saturday morning.

Friends and co-workers of the respected trauma surgeon struggled to make sense of her sudden death. The 46-year-old Michigan native had deep roots in the community.

"Marianne was a steadfast, feisty, loving, life-saving, open, honest, dedicated human being and was one of the most dedicated professional women I will ever know,” said Scott Durzo, a friend of 15 years. “Back when she was in medical school, her confidence, her passion and her desire to heal the human body was a labor of dedicated love. Marianne loved her family, her friends, her colleagues and her career.  The world has changed ever so slightly."

Find out what's happening in Los Alamitos-Seal Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

At the UCI Medical Center, colleagues were planning a memorial service in Cinat’s honor, said UCI spokesman John Murray. The hospital community is devastated by the loss, he added.

Most people who are burn survivors in Orange County knew her, said Seal Beach Police Sgt. Steve Bowles.

Find out what's happening in Los Alamitos-Seal Beachwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“Everybody who knows her, knows that she really affected a lot of people’s lives in Orange County,” he said. “This leaves such a hole – it’s such a loss for a lot of people and for future burn victims who could have benefitted from her talents.”

As of yet, Cinat’s death remains a mystery. The coroner ruled out a heart attack or cardiovascular disease, said Jim Amormino, spokesman for the sheriff-coroner's office. “No obvious signs of foul play" were discovered, he added.

A friend found Cinat in her pool just after 11 a.m. Saturday. Investigators will do more tests to determine the cause of death, Amormino said. Toxicology tests will be conducted, but the results could take several weeks, he said.

Cinat, a University of Michigan alum who lived in the 2800 block of Mainway Drive in Rossmoor, also served as a professor in the UCI medical school surgery department's division of trauma, burns and critical care, according to a UCI website.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here