CHARLES M. GAITZ M.D.

CHARLES M. GAITZ, M.D. passed away peacefully on February 19, 2010. He was born in Victoria, TX on May 7, 1922, son of the late Jacob Gaitz and Evelyn Gaitz Weiner. He graduated salutatorian of his class from Patty Welder High School in Victoria. He graduated from Rice Institute and received his medical degree from UTMB. He served in the U.S. Army from 1942 through 1949. Dr. Gaitz completed his internship at the University of Chicago Hospitals and his residency in psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins Hospitals. He was in the private practice of psychiatry from 1953 until his retirement from medical practice in 2002.During his long and distinguished medical career, Dr. Gaitz served as Head, Clinical and Sociological Research Division, Texas Research Institute of Mental Sciences (TRIMS) in Houston. He was appointed Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine in 1963 and served in that capacity until his elevation to Emeritus status in recent years. During his tenure at Baylor, he was the Director of the Residency Training Program in Psychiatry from 1963-1965. Dr. Gaitz was a lifetime fellow of the American College of Psychiatry. He was also President of the Gerontological Society of America from 1975-1976. He served as psychiatric consultant to the Jewish Home for the Aged and the Houston V.A. Medical Center for over thirty-five years. Dr. Gaitz received numerous national awards for his contributions to geriatric psychiatry. He was an attending psychiatrist at multiple hospitals in the Houston area. He authored and co-authored many scholarly publications and was an international lecturer on the subject of geriatric psychiatry.Dr. Gaitz and his late wife, Celia, were founding members of Congregation Brith Shalom in Houston, TX in 1955. He served as the first President of the Congregation and continued his involvement as an active member and contributor for over fifty years. He also served on the board of the Jewish Community Center for several years. He was an ardent supporter of many Jewish philanthropies and organizations.Charles was a world traveler. Well-read and a lover of the arts, he was blessed with a fantastic memory, keen sense of humor, and a wonderful curiosity about all aspects of life. Generous without limit, Charlie never found a charity he would not support. He was deeply involved with and cherished all the immediate and extended members of his family. No matter the circumstances, he was always available to offer wise counsel to his family, friends, and the community. Those whose lives he touched will always remember his patience, encouragement and compassion. He has left a legacy, personally and professionally, that will endure.Preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Celia Speer Gaitz, and his sister, Ethel Gaitz Kamin, he is survived by his wife, Arlene Gaitz, his children Jeffrey (Fara) Gaitz, Ronnie (Mayra) Gaitz, Debra (Steven)Cohen, step-children Milan Polacek, Eric (Amy) Polacek, Julie (Stanley) Bronstein, and Susan Polacek, grandchildren Simone, Zachary, Ethan, Celia, and Mollie Gaitz, Courtney and Hilary Cohen, and Adam, David, and Carly Polacek. Other survivors include members of the Speer, Weiner, Kamin, and Gerson families. Special thanks to his devoted caregivers, Eugenio Mandaca, Antonio Chan, Ricardo Majano, and Jose Ramirez. Funeral services will be held at Congregation Beth Yeshurun, 4525 Beechnut, at 11:00 A.M. on Sunday, February 21, 2010. Interment will follow at Congregation Beth Yeshurun Cemetery, 1037 N. Post Oak Ln. Contributions in Charles' memory may be made to Jewish Family Service (Senior Services), Seven Acres Jewish Geriatric Center, or charity of choice.