Eric Gold

Gold, Eric Nelson. July 7, 1947-January 1, 2005

We have lost a great man; a loving husband and father, a consummate physician, and the truest friend.  Eric Nelson Gold died New Year's Eve after a week of vacationing with his wife and daughters, and a final day where he won a tennis tournament and danced, as only Eric could dance, until after midnight.  He died as he lived – at full throttle.  He was a force of nature, and he will live on as a force to celebrate life in everyone who knew him.

Eric was also a serious, sensitive, and intuitive man. He was determined to not be slowed down by medical issues and he indulged his passions for his family and friends, his work, his play, and his athletics.  He did everything with such genuine sweetness and charm, yet he had a fierce competitiveness and intensity.  He was also truly modest, never seeking honors, and never having any pretension. 

Born and raised in Montreal, Canada, he attended McGill College and Medical School and did his training in Endocrinology and Metabolism at The University of Michigan.  He came to San Diego in 1979.  As a physician, Eric combined an insatiable thirst to learn medicine with his love of people.

His patients knew he was really curious about them, really interested in the smallest details of their lives, and genuinely non-judgmental. He was a scholar who devoured and critically evaluated every journal and every lecture available.  Part of his having fun on vacation was catching up on dozens of journals and creating teaching slides for his lectures.  He was truly an academic clinician.           
Eric elevated friendship to a high art.  As a friend, he made you feel cared about, understood, completely accepted.  He was a man of absolute integrity with an infectious, always good-natured character. To be his friend was to be blessed; he forced you to think and feel more openly because he was so open.  He was always ready to come out to play. 

His greatest love was of his family.  He was proud to have married and raised such strong women and took comfort in their closeness that grew even stronger with age. He is survived by his wife, Ruthie, his daughters, Renee and Elana, his sister, Linda Glick of Montreal, his mother, Estelle of Montreal, and his mother in law, Margot Swicar of Toronto.  Eric was 57 years young.

Donations in his honor may be made to the American Diabetes Association, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Congregation Beth El in La Jolla, or Friends of the IDF.  Funeral services are Thursday, January 6, at Congregation Beth El, 8660 Gilman Drive, La Jolla.