Loren August Gothberg, MD

February 15, 1920 - July 19, 2009

Loren August Gothberg, MD Obituary A memorial service will be held at First Covenant Church, 212 S. Division St., Spokane, WA on Saturday, July 25, 2009 for Loren A Gothberg, M.D., who died July 19, 2009. He was born February 15, 1920 on the family farm west of Yakima, Washington, the second of two children of Nathaniel, a minister, teacher, inventor, and farmer, and Elizabeth, teacher and activist. An interest in natural science led Loren to a career in entomology, but during his senior year at Whitworth College he was drawn to the field of medicine, did postgraduate study at Cornell University, and graduated from Harvard University School of Medicine in 1948. His residency years were spent at St. Lukes Hospital in Chicago, Deaconess Hospital in Spokane, and at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Loren met Eleanor while they were students at Whitworth. They were married in 1945 and shared the rest of their lives. They returned to Spokane in 1954 to open a practice in internal medicine with a special interest in the treatment of acute and chronic kidney failure. Dr. Gothberg pioneered in Spokane in the use of peritoneal dialysis, beginning in 1955, and was a cofounder with Drs. Thomas Marr and Richard Steury of the Spokane Artificial Kidney Center in 1962. Dr. Gothberg served four years in the U.S. Army during World War II and two years as a medical officer in the Far East command during the Korean conflict. He maintained a career long in enthusiasm for medical education. An Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of Washington, he was for many years on the faculties of the Spokane Family Medicine and the Spokane Internal Medicine Programs, was director of medical education at St. Lukes Hospital, and active on the continuing education committee of the Spokane County Medical Society. He was staff member and former staff president of Deaconess medical staff, staff member of Sacred Heart Hospital and St. Lukes Hospital. He was a senior consultant in medicine for the U. S. Veterans Administration. He was a twenty-six year member of the Inland Northwest Blood Center board, and past member of the board of trustees of the Spokane Medical Service Corporation. A member and past president of the Spokane Society of Internal Medicine, he also served on the board of trustees of the State Society of Internal Medicine. Dr. Gothberg was a board member of the former Citizen's Savings and Loan Bank, and when it merged with Washington Mutual Bank, continued for 25 years as an advisory board member and past board president. He was, for several years following retirement, medical director for North Coast Life Insurance Co. and a charter member of the Spokane Institutional Review Board, where he served for 24 years. He was an active supporter of the health research, and education center of WSU, Spokane, was active on the Boards of Goodwill Industries and other organizations. He was an active supporter of the Museum of Arts and Culture. He was a founding member of "The Over the Hill Gang", a Spokane based wilderness area fly fishing and exploration group. Dr. Gothberg and his wife, Eleanor were for many years members of Manito Presbyterian Church, serving as Elders and Deacon, active in adult education. In recent years they returned to the church of his childhood, First Covenant of Spokane. Both he and Eleanor have been, throughout the years active supporters of Whitworth University. He was an active supporter of the Rockwood Retirement Community Residents Foundation, as well as other organizations. Dr. Gothberg is survived by his son, John Gothberg; his daughter, Karen Yamada and husband Dan of Spokane; his foster daughter Chhany Humphry of Honolulu, HI; by seven grandchildren and by eight great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by Eleanor, his beloved wife of 56 years. Dr. Gothberg will be remembered for his humble Christian faith, for his dedication to his patients, for his enthusiasm for natural history and the wilderness, for a quirky sense of humor, the writing of prose and poetry, for one-of-a-kind toy making, sailing, and for his devotion to his wonderful family, friends, and church. Memorial suggestions are, besides your memorial of choice, First Covenant Church, 212 S. Division St., Spokane, WA 99204 or The Francis Tiley Hardwick Memorial Fund, Whitworth University, 300 W. Hawthorne, Spokane, WA 99251.