Passings
Margaret (Peggy) Perry Gettle was born in Pontiac, Michigan on September 1, 919. She died peacefully in her home in Westwood surrounded by loved ones on May 22, 2008.
Peggy raised three daughters in Brentwood with her first husband, William Fritz. They were well known as the owners of Brentwood Stationers on San Vicente from 1955 to 1969, at the time of her husband’s death.
Dr. Murray E. Jarvik 1923-2008 died in his home in Santa Monica May 8. He was 84. Jarvik was the UCLA pharmacologist that discovered that nicotine was the addictive element in cigarettes. He invented the nicotine patch for people trying to quit. Jarvik grew up in New York. His father died when he was 11 and he suffered rheumatic fever at 12, creating lifelong heart problems. With his fatherless family on relief, Jarvik worked while he attended City College of New York. The Rockefeller Institute employed him and he was inspired there to become a researcher. He attended graduate school at UCLA, and received a Masters in psychology in one year. He enrolled in medical school at UC San Francisco. He received his medical degree in 1951 and a doctorate in psychology from UC Berkeley in 1952. During the 1960’s Jarvik taught monkeys to smoke and conducted research to link addiction and nicotine. Jarvik conducted LSD research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, and was acquainted with Timothy Leary of Harvard. Dr. Lissy Jarvik of UCLA, Jarvik’s wife of 53 years, his sons Jeffrey (of Seattle) and Laurence (of Washington, D.C.) and his three grandchildren survive him. His nephew was Dr. Robert Jarvik who developed the Jarvik-7 artificial heart.
Charles Meyer Goldstein, 1921-2008, died May 11 at his home in Brentwood. He was 87. Goldstein was a dentist and a USC faculty member who organized free dental clinics that treated thousands of people annually. Goldstein was appointed the director of the mobile clinic in 1970. His efforts to mobilize dental school students and to promote community outreach from USC were legendary. Goldstein was dedicated to public service. He provided free service to the most needy at Synanon in Santa Monica, the L.A. Free Clinic, the Union Rescue Mission on skid row, to Native Americans at to Palestinian children in the 1970’s. His most recent project was to create a $4 million endowment to fun the USC Mobile Clinic. Goldstein, a widower, is survived by his sons Jeffrey Goldstein of Denver, Colorado; Jonathan Goldstein of Atascadero, California; and Joel Goldstein of La Grande, Ore.; Daughter Judith Walter of Agoura Hills; brother Mort Goldstein of Prescott AZ; sister Clara Shapiro of Hollywood Hills; eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Donations may be made to the USC Mobile Clinic Gift Fund and sent to the USC School of Dentistry. Goldstein was honored by the California Dental Assn. Foundation with a humanitarian award the day before his death. “Goldstein’s endless compassion will live on through the lives he has touched,†said CDAF Chairman, Dr. Bruce Troy.
Marvin Paul Gussman, 1938-2008, died May 10 at his home in Beverly Hills, of pancreatic cancer. He was 70. Gussman graduated from Venice High School and married his high school sweetheart Madeline Joy Manning. They were married 50 years when he passed away. Gussman founded the Marvin Group with one company, Marvin Engineering Co., in 1963. The Marvin Group now also includes Aerospace Dynamics International, Geotest – Marvin Test Systems, Marvin Land Systems and Flyer Defense, LLC and has 900 employees throughout Southern California. Gussman believed in giving back to the community and he contributed his time and efforts to many charities throughout the southland, including Pediatric Surgical Services at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Save A Heart Foundation, Vista Del Mar Child & Family Services and Children’s Burn Foundation. He is survived by his wife Madeline Gussman; his mother Mae Heifetz; sons David and Howard Gussman; daughter Cheryl Gussman, Michelle Crandell and Lisa Zairi; and thirteen grandchildren.
Celebrations
Edith Rosenberg was born June 11, 1908, and will be celebrating her 100th birthday at the home of daughter Eileen and son-in-law Martin Greene of Brentwood. The couple will also be celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary on June 15.
Six years ago the Brentwood News recognized Eileen Greene and her granddaughter, Chiara Greene, who share the date for their birthdays and in 2002, they also shared the date for their Bat Mitzvah.
For her 100th birthday Edith will be celebrating with her 7 grandchildren and 10 of her 11 great-grandchildren among her family and friends.
