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VERO BEACH, FL – Meredith C. Walgren, M.D., Ph.D., of Vero Beach, Florida, passed away suddenly on September 28, 2026, at the age of 70. She was born in New Haven, Connecticut.
A physician, psychiatrist, researcher, and scholar, Meredith devoted much of her professional life to medicine and the care of others. She graduated from Amity High School, Class of 1974, and magna cum laude from Mount Holyoke College with a B.A. in Psychobiology. She went on to earn an M.S. in Psychology from Yale University and a Ph.D. in Psychology from Purdue University. Her early research included work at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Hospital, and she authored scientific publications in physiology and metabolism. She subsequently earned her M.D. from the University of Miami School of Medicine.
Meredith completed her psychiatry training at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, where she served as Associate Chief Resident and Senior Clinical Associate in Psychiatry. During her final year of training, she was recognized as a distinguished Laughlin Fellow of the American College of Psychiatrists. She was board certified in both general psychiatry and geriatric psychiatry.
Meredith’s career included private practice and leadership positions in psychiatry, including service as Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Medical Director of Psychiatry at Florida Medical Center. As she entered the peak of her career, she was recognized by Miami Metro Magazine as one of its “Top Doctors in South Florida.” She later practiced as a geriatric psychiatrist at Marquette General Hospital in Michigan.
Beyond medicine, Meredith had many passions. She was a loyal fan of the Florida Panthers and had the joy of watching them hoist two Stanley Cups. She faithfully rooted for the Boston Red Sox, always hoping their season would carry deep into October. She loved skiing at Okemo Mountain in Vermont, watching tennis, with Rafael Nadal as her favorite player. She also loved reading, classical music, and spending time in the Florida sunshine.
Meredith is survived by her husband of 35 years, Wayne J. English, M.D., whom she met while they were both medical students; their daughters, Christina and Alexandra; her sisters, Andrea Walgren Galligan and Karin Walgren-Meoli, and their husbands, Christopher Galligan and Paul Meoli; and many cousins, nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, Paul R. and Sandra Clark Walgren.
In accordance with Meredith’s wishes, she was cremated. Celebrations of her life are being planned in New Haven, Connecticut, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with dates and details to be announced. A private family gathering is also planned for Key West, Florida, in July 2027. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), in recognition of Meredith’s lifelong commitment to caring for those affected by mental illness.