John Andrew Gastaldo, MD, 66, of Lititz, passed away suddenly at his home on November 5, 2013. He was the devoted husband to Helen (Nimick Welsh) Gastaldo with whom he shared 9 years of marriage.

He recently retired from active medical practice in neurosurgical care after more than 35 years of work that included private practice for 12 years, followed by the remaining years with Lancaster Neuroscience & Spine Associates.

He is a graduate of Stuyvesant High School and Hofstra University; and earned his medical degree from Hahnemann Medical College, where he also completed a medical internship. He then completed a general surgery residency at Hahnemann followed by a neurosurgery residency at Temple University Hospital.

Throughout his medical career, he was a member of multiple medical societies and organizations, including very active roles as president of the Lancaster County Medical Society (1989-1990) and president of the Pennsylvania Neurosurgical Society (2000-2001). For many years, he also was a judge of the Lancaster Newspapers Science and Engineering Fair.

He also served as the board chairman of the Central Pennsylvania Physicians Risk Retention Group (a physician-focused medical professional liability company) since its inception in 2003, and recently stepped down from that role just a few months ago. He planned to continue to work with that organization in the role of an advisor, continuing his dedication to helping physicians obtain stable insurance and enhance their success in patient care, as he recognized the new and different stressors and issues facing physicians in today's healthcare environment. He was passionate about doing so.

His interests were diverse, including walking, cooking, jigsaw puzzles, model airplanes, flying his own plane, and being a fan of Star Trek.

He was the son of Joseph and Lydia. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughters Cheryl of Bellefonte (and her fiancé Bill Burns) and Lauren and son John Andrew; stepdaughters Heather Hoffman (married to Seth) and Kristine Eves (married to Joshua); 4 grandchildren (Sean, Ellis, Julian, and Asher); a brother Robert of Flushing, NY; sister-in-law Carol Eberly, brother-in-law Ed Nimick, Jr., and in-laws Eleanor and Edmund Nimick. He also had a special bond with his 2 young pugs Frankie and Emma.

Friends will be received on Monday, November 11, 2013, from 12:30-200 PM at the Charles F. Snyder Jr. Funeral Home & Crematory, 3110 Lititz Pike, Lititz, PA, with the Memorial Service to follow at 200 PM, the Rev. Dana Statler officiating. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions in John's memory to Doctors Without Borders, Box 5030, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5030.