Gary Mark Glazer
1950–2011
With great sadness we announce the passing of Gary Mark Glazer, MD, of Los Altos, CA on Oct. 16, 2011 after an eleven-year battle with prostate cancer. Born in Cleveland, OH to Miriam Glazer and the late Dr. Norman Glazer, he grew up in Cleveland Heights, OH where he graduated from Heights High School, and later was elected to the school’s Hall of Fame.
He went on to the University of Michigan where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa and met his wife, Diane. He attended Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, graduating with honors, and then spent the next five years at the University of California, San Francisco, training in radiology and joining the faculty there. In 1981 he accepted a position at the University of Michigan Radiology Department where he did early work in CT and MRI imaging related to cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Dr. Glazer became Chairman of the Department of Radiology at Stanford University in 1989. At Stanford, he influenced the practice of radiology worldwide through his own research, as well as his recruiting and nurturing of outstanding clinical and research physicians and scientists. He was awarded the Gold Medal from the Radiologic Society of North America in 2009, and the Gold Medal from the Association of University Radiologists in 2011.
Dr. Glazer was an honorary member of the German, French, and Japanese Radiologic Societies, and author of hundreds of scientific publications. Always the consummate educator and mentor, he advocated for the international exchange of ideas to improve patient care. A fund has been established in his memory to continue this vision and to support an international radiologic trainee exchange program.
Gary was a generous and kind man who had a wide range of interests in addition to his passion for radiology. He especially loved to read, travel, follow his favorite sports teams, and spend time with his family and friends.
He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Diane; son, David, of San Francisco, CA; son, Daniel, daughter-in-law, Jane, and grandchildren, Jacob and Lilah of Ann Arbor, MI; mother, Miriam, of Beachwood, OH and six siblings, Gale, Gwen, Greer, Ginger, Geoffrey, and Greg, and many other devoted relatives.
The funeral was held on Oct. 18, 2011. Donations to his memorial fund may be sent to Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford University Office of Gift Processing, P.O. Box 20466, Stanford, CA 94309-0466, with a note indicating the donation is in his memory.
Sinai Memorial Chapel
Ruth Starr
Ruth Starr was born in Tacoma, WA, on Feb. 27, 1914, the daughter of Regina and Aaron Silver. Two years later, she and her parents moved to San Francisco.
Ruth grew up in a warm and loving home. Her father was renowned for his kindness and devotion to his family, and her mother would go to her school every day to bring Ruth and her brother Samuel hot soup for lunch. When Ruth’s grandfather Hersh Isaac Stetiner immigrated to America from Warsaw, he lived with them, too.
A highlight of Ruth and Samuel’s childhood was that they appeared briefly among a group of children in a scene in the classic silent film “Greed.” It has been called the greatest movie of the silent-film era.
Ruth had a sharp intellect and excelled academically. She enjoyed a long and distinguished career working as an accountant for the IRS.
During World War II, she met Joseph Starr, a U.S. Army private from Maine. They fell in love and married on Jan. 21, 1945. They were completely devoted to each other and would remain together, happy and in love, for the next 66 years. They lived in San Francisco for more than 50 years before moving to Millbrae in 1999.
Ruth had a wonderful sense of humor and was a master joke teller. She was also a voracious reader.
Following the death of her mother in 1969, Ruth became active with American Mizrachi Women, later known as AMIT. It would become a lifelong passion for her.
Ruth and Joe organized numerous fundraisers to support their synagogue and AMIT. The bus trips to Reno, NV, that they hosted several times a year were especially popular.
Ruth and Joe traveled all over the world, including to Israel. They were also loyal San Francisco Giants fans and celebrated the team’s 2010 world championship.
Ruth passed away on Oct. 27, 2011. She was preceded in death by her parents, Aaron and Regina Silver, and by her brother and sister-in-law, Samuel and Phoebe Silver. Ruth is survived by her husband of 66 years, Joe Starr, and by her many nieces and nephews, including Stephen and Shoshana Silver and their son Samuel, and Leon and Beverly Avrech and their children and grandchildren. She also had many close friends. She will be lovingly remembered and greatly missed.
Contributions in Ruth Starr’s memory may be made to Congregation Adath Israel, 1851 Noriega St., San Francisco, CA 94122, or to AMIT Women, 817 Broadway, New York, NY 10003.