Dr. David G. Rimer was the middle son of one of the
first pediatricians in New York City. He grew up in the city but the
family also enjoyed summers at their small farm in Wilton, Connecticut. He
began Harvard University in 1943 but was drafted into the U.S. Army after his
freshman year. Although Dave’s unit was sent to Normandy during D-Day, the
Army gave him other stateside duties. He always regretted that he was ordered to
remain behind while his buddies participated in the Normandy Invasion.
In 1945 he began medical school at the University of Pennsylvania. Once
again, his education was interrupted for two years – this time because he
contracted tuberculosis. Part of his recovery was at the Trudeau
Sanitarium in Saranac Lake, NY. He graduated from the University of
Pennsylvania Medical School in 1951.
He began his internship at Strong Memorial Hospital at the University of
Rochester, NY. Once again his training was interrupted when he was drafted
by the Air Force. He was a Flight Surgeon and Captain for the Military Air
Transport Command, the Air Sea Rescue, and the Emergency Air Evacuation at the
Rhein-Main Air Force Base in Frankfurt, Germany. He returned to Strong
memorial to complete his internship in 1955.
As he was completing his internship, one of his colleagues told him about a new
medical school at UCLA. He decided to fly out to Los Angeles for an
interview. At that time UCLA Hospital had yet to open and was only three
stories tall. Dave initially turned down the residency but then
reconsidered and accepted UCLA’s offer. He was there for the opening of
the hospital and remembered the first patient coming through the door. He
completed his residency in 1958 and began his gastroenterology fellowship.
He was the very first fellow in UCLA’s GI Fellowship program at UCLA which began
under Dr. Sherman Mellinkoff.
Dave opened his private practice in gastroenterology in 1960. During his
44 years of private practice, he established two prominent GI consulting groups
in Santa Monica. He founded the gastrointestinal laboratory at St. John’s
Hospital in Santa Monica and was director of the GI Lab and Chief of
Gastroenterology there until 1982. He was acting Chief of Gastroenterology
at Harbor / UCLA Medical Center in 1963 and again in 1980. In 1982, he
became a Clinical Professor of medicine as well as director of the Medical
Ambulatory Care Center and the Associate Director of the General Internal
Medicine Residency Training Program at UCLA. He also served as Chief of
Gastroenterology, Director of GI training, and Chief of Medicine at Santa Monica
Hospital. After retiring in 1994, he was Director of the Endoscopy Unit at
the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center.
He was a charter member of the Southern California Society of Gastroenterology
and the Southern California Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Dave
served as President of the CURE (Center for Ulcer Research and Education)
Foundation Board for almost twenty years. He was also President of the Los
Angeles Society of Internal Medicine in 1985.
Dave was a doctor’s doctor. His colleagues referred their family and
friends to him for difficult diagnoses. An example of one such referral
comes from Dr. Sherman Mellinkoff (retired dean of UCLA Medical School) in a
condolence note to his wife, Anne, following Dave’s death: “Dave was a
rare and wonderful man – kind, generous, honorable, intelligent – and one of the
best doctors I have ever known. He cured (my wife’s) brother-in-lay of
severe ulcerative colitis without surgery, after many good doctors in Sacramento
had failed. Dave will be always be a hero in (that) house – and in ours.”
Devoted to community service, Dave was active in the Rotary Club of Santa Monica
for over 20 years and served as Vice President 2002 - 2003. He was a
member of Big Brothers of Los Angeles (his “little brother” Russ is now serving
in the U.S. Army in Korea), and also a member of the Westwood Presbyterian
Church.
As Dave was fond of saying, “I’m not finished learning yet.” He never
tired of reading. He continued to study what interested him --- classical
and jazz music, theatre, Italian language, poetry and literature. Dave was
the type of man who re-read The Odyssey in preparation for his trop to Turkey
and, more recently, read Euripides’ Hippolytus before attending the play at The
Getty Villa.
Dave was an avid outdoorsman, he played tennis and golf, and loved to hike and
ski. His greatest interest, though, was woodworking. He was
fascinated with tools and furniture making, particularly joinery. Many
pieces of furniture were designed and produced in his home workshop.
Dr. Rimer is survived by his wife, Anne Joy Rimer; his three children, Lisette,
Douglas, and Thomas Rimer; their spouses, Robert Wood, Alice and Bonita Rimer
and two grandchildren Colin and Libby Wood. He was predeceased by a third
grandson, Patrick Wood.