Deceased September 6, 2016
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In Memory
On Sept. 6, 2016, Bill Gamble quietly left this earth in the presence of his extensive, loving family, including his wife of 60 years, Cassie. To say Bill made his mark in life as a caring, compassionate, giving, Christian is to say he was a remarkable person.
At Amherst in the early 1950s, Bill was a member of Beta Theta Pi and known for his quiet intelligence, bright personality, smile and love for his College. After 1955 he proceeded to the University of Rochester Medical School, where he chose general surgery as his profession, retiring some 33 years later.
Bill received his surgical training at the Cleveland University Hospitals of CWRU. During that time he and Cassie (Mount Holyoke ’56) lived in a neighborhood along with Amherst classmates and fraternity brothers John Lewis ’55 and Les Nash ’55 and their spouses, Cathy and Deb. During that period they participated in a mutual babysitting pool, taking care of each other’s offspring for as long as a week or more.
Following his training, Bill and Cassie moved to Edina, Minn., where he began his surgical career. He dedicated his medical life to his patients and surgical students, teaching hundreds of medical students and surgical residents. Bill became known as “the surgeons’ surgeon.”
Bill was a committed Christian, working as a medical missionary to Honduras. After retiring, Bill and Cassie lived in Tenwek, Tanzania, where he founded the Dodoma Christian Medical Center, training locals to provide high-level, compassionate care.
We remember Bill as a bright, caring and dedicated member of our class. Comments from friends and patients to Bill’s obituary bear testimony to a life spent dedicated to human care, compassion, ethics and professionalism. For good reason, we remember Bill fondly.
Les Nash ’55
Dick Wright ’55