In Honor of Harold "Hap" Gerrish
Harold T. ‘Hap’ Gerrish, DMD, who served
on the board at Tufts-New England Medical Center for over twenty years,
died on June 29th, at his Bowerbank, Maine home on Sebec Lake. Dr.
Gerrish, 76 years old, was co-founder of the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma
Institute.
Hap was the heart and soul of Kiwanis,” said Brian Gilchrist, MD,
Pediatric Surgeon-in-Chief at the Floating Hospital for Children. “We
will be forever grateful for all of his work at the Floating Hospital
and the Kiwanis Pediatric Trauma Institute.”
Dr. Gerrish, who first joined the Kiwanis Club of Dover-Foxcroft in 1957
held a perfect attendance record for forty-nine years. He served as club
president in 1965 and led 22 Kiwanis clubs in central Maine as Lt.
Governor of the New England District in 1967. He was also a
Distinguished Governor of the New England District in 1991-1992. He
served 28 years on the Board of the Kiwanis Foundation of New England
and was President from 1981-83.
His name is displayed permanently at Kiwanis International as a
three-time recipient of the Tablet of Honor, the highest award given to
individuals who have exemplified dedicated service to Kiwanis, their
club or community. He was a life member of Kiwanis International, a
49-year member of the Legion of Honor and a George F. Hixon fellow of
the Kiwanis International Foundation.
Dr. Gerrish earned his DMD from Tufts Dental School in 1955. While
attending Tufts Dental School he played first violin with the Boston
Pops for Arthur Fiedler. In the mid 1950’s, he was a paratrooper for the
U.S. Army and ran a dental clinic at Fort Bragg, NC. He also completed
an internship at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C.
He is survived by his wife Judy, three sons and three daughters, ten
grandchildren, a sister, several nieces and nephews and many close
friends.
Tufts-Nemc News This Week
July 10-17, 2006
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