William Gardner 'Bill' Gamble, M.D.

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Gamble, William 'Bill' Gardner M.D. age 82 died peacefully in his home on Tuesday, September 6 with loving family at his side. Bill was born in Batavia, NY. He completed his undergraduate degree from Amherst College and his medical degree from the University of Rochester in NY. He married Katherine 'Cassie' Cleves Rothrock in 1956. In 1960, they moved to Cleveland for his surgical residency, interrupted by two years in the Air Force in CA. After Bill completed surgical training at Case Western Reserve University, he and Cassie moved to Edina, MN where he began his surgical career at the St. Louis Park Medical Center, now Park Nicollet Medical Center. Bill's greatest pleasures were his faith, his family, and his profession. In his profession, he most enjoyed his patients, building his clinical practice and surgery group, and teaching. Bill taught residents from the University of Minnesota surgical residency for over 30 years, finding great pleasure and professional satisfaction in sharing his experience and his love of the work. After retiring from 33 years of clinical practice in 1999, Bill increased his activity at the University of Minnesota Medical School, teaching students and residents in surgical ethics and surgical technique for over 15 years. He also contributed as an active member of the medical school admissions committee. With a sum of over 47 years of clinical teaching, he influenced countless hundreds of students and surgical residents now practicing around the country. Bill was also thankful that his profession enabled him to contribute in international medical work. He participated for many years with Cassie and all his children in medical missions in Honduras. Later, he and Cassie lived in Tenwek, Kenya for six months, where he practiced surgery. He was a founding member of the Dodoma Tanzania Health Development (DTHD) organization and the Dodoma Christian Medical Center, in Dodoma, Tanzania. The mission of this organization is to provide high-quality, compassionate, Tanzanian-led healthcare for the people of central Tanzania. He remained on the DTHD Board until September 2016. Bill enjoyed good health until the last few months of his life, for which he was always grateful. In the last weeks of his life, Bill and Cassie were able to celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary, reminiscing about the ceremony and their honeymoon together. They were surrounded by their local family; there was much laughter and love. Bill is preceded in death by his son, David Gamble, and his brother, Richard Gamble. He is survived by Cassie, his loving wife of 60 years, his children Tom (Anne), Kay (David), and Anne (Jim). He is survived by eleven grandchildren Mandy (Jason), John, Alex, Lucy, Katie, Joseph, Ellie, Robert, Grace, Jacob, and Rose; and two great-grandchildren Madi and Blake. Memorials in lieu of flowers to Park Nicollet Medical Center-Frauenshuh Cancer Center (6500 Excelsior Blvd, St Louis Park, MN 55426), Dodoma Tanzania Health Development, (8085 Wayzata Blvd, Suite 203, Minneapolis, MN 55426) and the Dr. William G. and Katherine R. Gamble Surgical Education Professorship at the University of Minnesota Foundation (200 Oak St SE, Suite 500, Minneapolis, MN 55455). Visitation at Woodddale Church, 6630 Shady Oak Rd, Eden Prairie on Saturday, September 10 at 9:30 AM. Memorial service at 10:30 AM with luncheon to follow.

Published on September 8, 2016