Gary Gitnick, M.D. (I ’68, GI ’69)

1939 – 2021 It is with great sadness that the family of Dr. Gary Gitnick of Encino, CA announce his passing at UCLA Medical Center on November 4, 2021 after a long illness at the age of 82.He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 57 years, Cherna; children, Neil Gitnick (Anita), Kim Gitnick, Jill Steinberg (Seth), and Tracy Gitnick Herriott (Stuart); grandchildren, Thomas, River, Sydney, Charles, Dani, Chloe and Charlie; and numerous other family members and friends. Gitnick will be remembered as a man who changed lives both as a medical professional and philanthropist. He directly helped thousands upon thousands of children find a pathway to college and beyond when it otherwise would not have been possible, and in doing so, inspired those around him to do the same through the work of his foundation, the Fulfillment Fund. His impact on the community will be felt for generations to come as those he helped and inspired continue to pay it forward.He was born in Omaha, NE in 1939 to Nathan and Ann and earned his Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Chicago and MD at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. He worked at Johns Hopkins University Hospital, the Mayo Clinic and the National Institutes of Health before joining the UCLA faculty in 1969. He would become chief of staff of the UCLA Medical Center, medical director of the UCLA Health Care Programs and, starting in 1993, chief of the division of digestive diseases which became the largest gastroenterology division in the world. Dr. Gitnick also served as President of the Medical Board of California.His greatest passion involved his work as founder and chairman of the board of The Fulfillment Fund, a nonprofit organization he started with his wife in 1977 which provides college-access programs, mentoring, and college scholarships to more than 2,000 students each year from educationally and economically under-resourced communities. Noticing a troubling trend in Los Angeles of students from low-income communities not making it to college or even graduating from high school, Gitnick recalled his own youth and the impact a mentor had on his future. Today, the Fulfillment Fund’s mission to empower students to graduate from high school, get into college, and earn their degree continues to change lives. With a large majority of Fulfillment Fund students being the first in their family to graduate college, Dr. Gitnick proved that one passionate and committed individual can change the course for deserving students and their families.Memorial donations in his honor may be made to The Fulfillment Fund, 6100 Wilshire Blvd # 600, Los Angeles, CA 90048. https://fulfillment.org/