Sumner Marshall, MD

February 2, 1933 - October 26, 2020

We have lost an amazing man. Sumner Marshall was a beloved father, grandfather, husband, physician, and teacher, whose spirit radiated warmth, compassion, and humor to all he encountered.

Sumner was born and raised in Gloucester, MA, and graduated from Harvard College and Cornell Medical School. In 1961 he traveled to California with his wife, Hermine, to complete his Urology residency at University of California, San Francisco. While helping to raise three sons, Sumner practiced urology in Berkeley for the next 35 years, where he set his pediatric patients at ease by telling them he was “The Cookie Doctor” because he gives cookies instead of shots. He was a talented surgeon with an inventive flair who published countless papers on clinical aspects of urology. For over 50 years, he was also a dedicated and beloved teacher to medical students at UCSF, where he received many teaching awards.

After Sumner retired, he traveled the world with Hermine, and he loved capturing the essence of his experiences in detailed journal entries. Always an optimist, Sumner lived by his favorite maxim “It’s the best of all possible worlds.” One of his greatest delights was telling stories to his grandchildren, especially creating wild and varied adventures of Curious George that always seemed to include chocolate bananas. Although he missed seeing his first great- grandchild by a month, his multigenerational love remains in our hearts.

Sumner was a beacon of effervescence, fun and whimsy, and treasured interpersonal connection. Predeceased by Hermine by 6 weeks, he will be deeply missed by his sons Randy, Gregg, and Brad, his three daughters- in- law, brother David, eight grandchildren, numerous relatives, friends, and colleagues, and a myriad of former patients and students.

A memorial will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be sent to The Nature Conservancy or Doctors Without Borders.