Elbert Edmund (Gil) Gilbertson
Elbert Edmund (Gil) Gilbertson
Elbert Edmund (Gil) Gilbertson passed away and joined his
loving wife Peg on July 17,2014.
A memorial celebration of his life will be held at St.
Michaels’ Cathedral at 2:00 pm on Friday, July 25, 2014 with Dean Richard
Demarest officiating. Friends, family, and cathedral members are welcomed and
casual Friday afternoon attire is fine.
A commemorative in Gil’s honor will be held separately for the entire
St. Luke’s family at a date and time to be announced by Dr. David Pate and his
staff.
Gil was born Jan. 17, 1928 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was
the only child to Elbert and Doris (Nelson) Gilbertson. His younger years were
difficult and the most memorable and important part of his life really began
when he reached young adulthood.
He served our country in both the Army and Navy in “behind
the lines” duty during WWII and the Korean War. Details are few and far between
because he felt his service, although necessary, was safe and not nearly as
important as those that served in “harms way”. He took the time on every
Memorial Day to contact all his friends and family who did risk their lives,
thanking them for their service. Gil was grateful, however, that his service
did provide G.I. benefits, which allowed him to grow and continue with his
education.
After his service to our country, he met the love of his
life, Peg. They married and Gil went on to earn a B.B.A. from St. Cloud State
and Master’s degree in Hospital Administration from the University of Minnesota
in 1957. During this period, they started a family and Peg supported all by
working a graveyard shift in nursing so she could be home with the youngsters during
the day with Gil there at night, studying for the next day at school.
Between 1956 and 1959, Gil earned his degrees and worked as
an Administrative Assistant, Minneapolis General Hospital; Instructor,
University of Minnesota Hospital Administration Program; and Staff Consultant
with James Hamilton Associates, a Hospital Consulting firm. In 1959, the life
that most of us are familiar with started here in Idaho, his home that he truly
loved.
Gil accepted the position of Assistant Administrator with
St. Luke’s Hospital and moved Peg, a son, and two daughters to Boise. In 1961,
he was named the Administrator and he and Peg had their third daughter. The
family was now complete; Kevin, Kris, Kerri, and Karla born in 1954, 1956, 1958,
and 1961 respectively, but the career had only just begun.
Gil was a wonderful husband, father and provider, but his
devotion was to St. Luke’s, quality healthcare for all, and civic duty and contribution
He was with St. Luke’s for 29 years and was instrumental in the founding of the
Mountain States Tumor Institute and was dedicated to the development of a
cardiac, neo-natal, and acute care facility second to none. It takes a team to
achieve incredible success and growth and with the help of devoted Board
members, skilled physicians and nurses, a hard working executive staff, and
every caring employee of St. Luke’s, the relatively small town hospital had
become a nationally recognized regional medical center. Gil was nominated and
went on to serve as Chairman of the American Hospital Association became a
member of national healthcare executive associations too numerous to list. In
1988, Gil received the Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Hospital Management
from the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Distinguished
Service Award from the American Hospital Association.
In an effort to fulfill what Gil believed was his civic and
humanitarian duty, a partial list of organizations in which he was a member,
president, or board member follows. St. Michael’s Cathedral, Boise Rotary Club,
Idaho Hospital Association, Blue Cross of Idaho, American Red Cross, Boise
State University Practical Nursing Committee, Bronco Athletic Association,
YMCA, Greater Boise Chamber of Commerce, Idaho Botanical Gardens, Idaho
Discovery Center, Salvation Army, Boise Philharmonic, and the Governor’s
Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse for the State of Idaho.
Away from the office and meeting rooms, Gil loved spending
time with his family and friends at the cabin on Lake Cascade, traveling the
world with Peg and friends, flyfishing, golf, photography, the Philharmonic,
music and musicals, theater, cheering for the Broncos, or simply petting man’s
best friend.
Gil’s now with his love, Peg, who passed away in 2007 and
he’s survived by his son, Kevin Gilbertson; daughter Kris Smith; daughter Kerri
Carruthers and her husband Dan; daughter Karla Blessing; and grandchildren
Tyler, Rebecca, Andy, Ben, Rob, Hannah, and Shianne.
The family asks that condolences be sent to the Gilbertson
Family c/o Alden Waggoner Funeral Chapel, 5400 Fairview Avenue, Boise, Idaho
83706. The family also suggests that in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to
the E.E. Gilbertson Scholarship Foundation or St. Luke’s Health Foundation.
In closing, included is an excerpt from a poem Gil found
very fitting. “If you must bury something, let it be my faults, my weaknesses
and all prejudice against my fellow man. Give my sins to the devil. Give my
soul to God. If, by chance, you wish to remember me, do it with a kind deed or
word to someone who needs you. If you do all I have asked, I will live
forever.”
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Elbert Edmund (Gil) Gilbertson, please visit our flower store.
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