Gasster.com
Black-and-white portrait of Marvin Gasster, MD, in a checked jacket with arms crossed, standing in front of shelves of medical books.

In Loving Memory

Marvin Gasster, MD

1922 – 2002

Former Assistant Medical Director, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

Physician  ·  Teacher  ·  B-24 Pilot  ·  Husband, Father & Grandfather

Beloved husband, father and grandfather, Marvin passed away October 2, 2002, at the age of 79, after a long illness, in Torrance, CA.

Born in Washington Heights, NY, on October 13, 1922, Marvin moved to Brookline, MA where he attended Brookline High School. He was a 1st Lieutenant from 1942–1945 in the US Army Air Force, 8th Air Force, 2nd Air Division, 445th Bomb Group, 702nd Bomb Squadron. He piloted a B-24, and was stationed in Tibenham, Norfolk, England during WWII.

After the war he returned to college at Tufts University. Marvin received his MD from Tufts University Medical School in 1950, and performed his residency in Gastroenterology at Boston City Hospital and the Wadsworth VA Hospital in Westwood, CA. From 1955–1967 he was in private practice, then accepted the position of Assistant Medical Director at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center until his retirement in 1984. In addition to his duties as Assistant Medical Director, he was an Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine at UCLA. He was a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and was certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Marvin was passionate about the practice of clinical medicine, especially patient care and dedicated to the education of medical residents. His real joy as an MD was to care for his patients with compassion and dignity. Marvin’s community involvement included working at the Free Clinic, consulting for the County Youth Clinic and contributing to many charities.

Marvin had a lifelong love of gardening and a special fondness for gladiolus, cacti and vegetables. He enjoyed music, fishing and spending time with his family and grandchildren. He also loved sports, having been an avid tennis player and was a strong supporter of the UCLA Basketball program.

Survived by his devoted wife Evelyn, his four children; Deborah, Samuel (Diane), Mark (Jill) and Lisa, and four grandchildren; Bryan, Jamie, David and Emily; his sisters Frances Nash (d. 2004) and Ruth Gasster (d. 2004), and nieces and nephews.

Crew of Marvin’s Mad House

B-24, 445th Bomb Group, 702nd Bomb Squadron, Tibenham, England.

Group portrait of the ten-man crew of the B-24 Marvin's Mad House in dress uniforms, four officers seated in front and six crewmen standing behind, each numbered one through ten.
  1. Lt. Marvin Gasster, Pilot
  2. Lt. Frank Framer, Co-Pilot
  3. Flt. Officer Robert Leonard, Bombardier
  4. Lt. Manual Panosion, Navigator
  5. Richard Ramp, Upper Turret Gunner
  6. Edward Gifft, Nose Turret Gunner
  7. Ted Manville, Ball Turret Gunner
  8. Glen Sabowin, Radio Operator
  9. William Gillett, Tail Turret Gunner
  10. Samuel B. Sampson, Engineer

Publications of Marvin Gasster, MD

15 publications, 1954–1963

  1. J. D. Briggs, M. Gasster, and J. A. Halsted. Nutritional problems after total gastrectomy. New York State Journal of Medicine, 57(2):223 (1957).
  2. M. Gasster. Chronic constipation. Medical Times, 86(11):1403–1406 (November 1958).
  3. M. Gasster. Clinical experience with L-Glutavite in aged patients with behavior problems and memory defects. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 9(5):370 (May 1961).
  4. M. Gasster. The banana in geriatric and low-calorie diets. Geriatrics, 18:782–786 (October 1963).
  5. M. Gasster, R. Golden, D. Will, and S. M. Mellinkoff. Xanthomatosis involving the colon and small intestine. American Journal of Digestive Diseases, 6(4):312–321 (1961). DOI: 10.1007/BF02239322
  6. M. Gasster, J. Westwater, and W. Molle. Use of a defoaming agent in gastroscopy. Gastroenterology, 27(5):652 (1954).
  7. J. A. Halsted, M. Gasster, and E. J. Drenick. Absorption of radioactive vitamin B12 after total gastrectomy: Relation to macrocytic anemia and to the site of origin of Castle’s intrinsic factor. New England Journal of Medicine, 251(5):161–168 (1954). DOI: 10.1056/NEJM195407292510501
  8. J. A. Halsted, P. Lewis, and M. Gasster. Absorption of radioactive vitamin B12 in the syndrome of megaloblastic anemia associated with intestinal stricture or anastomosis. American Journal of Medicine, 20(1):42–52 (1956).
  9. J. A. Halsted, P. Lewis, E. Hvolboll, M. Gasster, and M. Swendseid. An evaluation of the fecal recovery method for determining intestinal absorption of cobalt-60-labeled vitamin B12. Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine, 48(1):92 (1956).
  10. J. A. Halsted, M. Swendseid, M. Gasster, and P. Lewis. Absorption of radioactive vitamin B12 in patients with disease of the small intestine: Relation to macrocytic anemia. Transactions of the American Clinical and Climatological Association, 66:18 (1955).
  11. J. A. Halsted, M. Swendseid, M. Gasster, and P. Lewis. Effect of antibiotics on intestinal absorption of vitamin B12 in disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. American Journal of Medicine, 19(2):297–298 (1955).
  12. J. A. Halsted, M. Swendseid, P. Lewis, and M. Gasster. Mechanisms involved in the development of vitamin B12 deficiency. Gastroenterology, 30(1):21 (1956).
  13. N. Hastings, J. A. Halsted, E. R. Woodward, M. Gasster, and E. A. Hiscock. Subtotal gastric resection for benign peptic ulcer: A follow-up study of three hundred fifty-three patients. AMA Archives of Surgery, 76(1):74–80 (1958). DOI: 10.1001/archsurg.1958.01280190076014
  14. M. E. Swendseid, M. Gasster, and J. A. Halsted. Limits of absorption of orally administered vitamin B12: Effect of intrinsic factor sources. Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, 86(4):834–836 (1954). DOI: 10.3181/00379727-86-21246
  15. E. R. Woodward, P. Desser, and M. Gasster. Surgical treatment of the postgastrectomy dumping syndrome. Western Journal of Surgery, Obstetrics, and Gynecology, 63(9):567 (1955).

This page is dedicated to the loving memory of my father.