Frederick Kasch
April 16, 1913 - April 8, 2008
As published in The San Diego Union Tribune (www.signonsandiego.com)
OBITUARY
Frederick Kasch; physiologist was health and fitness pioneer; 94
By Blanca Gonzalez STAFF WRITER
April 26, 2008
When Frederick Kasch arrived in San Diego in 1948, health clubs were few,
and workouts were reserved for athletes. Heart attack victims and other
recovering patients were advised to refrain from physical activity as long
as possible.
Dr. Kasch disagreed with the prevailing wisdom that anyone older than 35
should cut down on exercise. Dr. Kasch, who jogged regularly long before it
was popular, became a pioneer in the health and fitness field.
Whether canoeing on the Wisconsin River at age 71 or hiking Germany's
Black Forest to celebrate his 85th birthday, Dr. Kasch showed that exercise
was indeed the key to good health.
He remained active and healthy until a few weeks ago, when he suffered a
cerebral hemorrhage. Dr. Kasch died April 8 at a San Diego hospital. He was
94, about a week shy of his 95th birthday.
In 1948, Dr. Kasch became an assistant professor in physical education at
what was then San Diego State College. He also coached gymnastics and
baseball. In 1958, Dr. Kasch started one of the first adult-fitness programs
in the nation. He pioneered long-term studies documenting the effect of
exercise on the aging cardiovascular system.
“He was one of the first internationally recognized physiologists,” said
John “Jack” Boyer, a physician and medical adviser to Dr. Kasch's
adult-fitness class.
The program started as a class for men between the ages of 35 and 60 who
were healthy and wanted to stay that way. It also included some men with
health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes or who had suffered
heart attacks.
Boyer said he and Dr. Kasch were openly criticized for their work in the
early years.
“People thought when someone had a heart attack they should be still.
People didn't realize that movement is important to the recovery of almost
all diseases,” Boyer said.
Joyce Gattas, dean of San Diego State's College of Professional Studies
and Fine Arts, said Dr. Kasch made a real difference in the lives of
thousands through his research and the Adult Fitness Clinic he established
on campus.
“He was a man before his time,” Gattas said. “There weren't all these
gyms 50 years ago like there are now. He was probably a lone voice out there
talking about the importance of exercise.”
The university named its exercise lab in his honor in 1990 and in 1999
established an endowment in his name.
Frederick W. Kasch was born April 16, 1913, in Chicago. He was the third
of four children born to Helen Louise DeWald Kasch and Frederick Moritz
Kasch. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of
Illinois in Champaign, where he played on the baseball team. In 1934, the
team won the Big Ten Championship. He earned a doctorate each from New York
University in 1956 and from Walden University in 1982.
Dr. Kasch met his first wife, Katherine “Taffy” McLaren, in Chicago. They
married in 1939 and were together until her death in 1976. The couple had
four children, including a son, Freddie, who served as a Navy pilot during
the Vietnam War. Lt. Kasch died in 1967 during a bombing mission near Hanoi.
Dr. Kasch published many research papers and articles and received
several honors, including the President's Council on Physical Fitness award.
He was a member of New York Academy of Sciences and the San Diego County
Heart Association and a board member of the American College of Sports
Medicine, among other professional societies.
When he retired in 1980, he had more time to devote to skiing, hiking and
longbow hunting. He loved working with wood and always made his own bows. In
2004, he went on a hunting trip in South Africa, which he called a high
point in his life.
During a trip to one of his favorite places, Lake Geneva, Wis., Dr. Kasch
met his second wife, Theodora “Teddie” Lottig. The two married in 1992 and
would spend half the year in San Diego and the other half in Lake Geneva.
Dr. Kasch is survived by his wife, Teddie; his daughters, Katie Walter of
Glen Ellyn, Ill., Margo Kasch of San Diego, and Helen “Honey” Swinford of
Wheaton, Ill.; a sister, Emily Kasch of Elmhurst, Ill.; four stepchildren;
two grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
A private family service has been held. Dr. Kasch's remains were
cremated, and ashes will be scattered off the coast of Point Loma. A
memorial service will be held May 4 in Lake Geneva and a memorial is being
planned for this summer at San Diego State.
The family requests donations to The Campanile Foundation, Frederick W.
Kasch Endowment, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San
Diego, CA 92182-8035.
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