Deceased May 13, 2011

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In Memory

Gerald Rodman Plotkin died on May 13, 2011, at home in Newton, Mass., after a long illness. Gerry was an accomplished and caring physician and a loving and devoted husband, father and grandfather. Gerry adored Amherst College and was proud of his time there (and was known to torture his children by singing booming versions of “Lord Jeffery Amherst”).

Gerry grew up in Brookline and Newton, Mass., and came to Amherst in 1951, where he majored in biology. Gerry was a member of the Kappa Theta fraternity, was the managing editor of The Amherst Student and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. After Amherst, Gerry received his medical degree at Johns Hopkins University and did his medical training in the Boston area, including at Boston City Hospital and Beth Israel Hospital.

It was at the Beth Israel that Gerry met the love of his life, a Mount Holyoke girl, Roberta Rose, a medical social worker. They were married in 1966 and spent a long and happy life together. Gerry and Roberta had three children, Marcie, Steven and Wendy ’96, and two grandchildren, Samantha and Sawyer. Gerry made his family his priority his whole life. Roberta passed away in 2007.

Gerry spent his career as a gastroenterologist and was a founding member of Harvard Community Health Plan. He was passionate about making quality health care accessible to all people. He retired from Harvard Community after 30 years there.

The place Gerry loved most was his family’s house in York Beach, Maine. He was never happier than sitting with the ocean breeze, a mystery book in his hand and his family surrounding him. Gerry is survived by his three children, his son-in-law, his sister and his two grandchildren. There is an emptiness that he left behind. We miss him terribly.

Marcie Giannattasio
Steven Plotkin
Wendy Plotkin ’96