Dr. Jarvey Gilbert; Former Mayor, School Board Member in Burbank

Dr. Jarvey Gilbert, a former Burbank mayor and school board member who worked as a physician for 50 years, died Tuesday. He was 82.

Gilbert was born in Minneapolis. He moved to Burbank in 1945, two years after graduating from medical school as a general practitioner. He soon married Sally Seligman and within a few years his medical offices were among the largest in Burbank.

At the time of his retirement in 1995, Gilbert’s Orange Grove Avenue practice had treated more than 400,000 patients, family members said.

“Medicine was his passion,” said Jean Seager, the oldest of Gilbert’s three daughters. “He entered politics because he thought he could do something good for the people of Burbank. Public service was always his motive.”

Gilbert was elected to the Burbank City Council in 1967 and served until 1975. After a stint as vice mayor from 1969-70, he was elected mayor, serving from 1970-71. In 1981, Gilbert was elected to the Burbank Board of Education, a post he held for four years.

At a party marking his retirement from the City Council, Gilbert said his proudest accomplishments were the establishment of the Joslyn Adult Center, the passage of a moratorium on hillside development and the elimination of billboards in Burbank’s commercial zones.

In addition to his positions in Burbank city government, Gilbert was the president of the Southern California Assn. of Governments for 1974-75.

He wrote a book, “Prescriptions for Good Living,” and contributed columns to the Burbank Leader for several years.

It was Gilbert’s work as a doctor that endeared him to generations of Burbank residents. When he closed his practice in 1995, longtime patient Gloria Applebaum called Gilbert “the last of the Dr. [Marcus] Welbys.”

“Dr. Gilbert made house calls,” Applebaum said. “And when I woke up from surgery, there was Dr. Gilbert holding my hand. I thought I was special, but I found out he did this for all his patients.”

Gilbert is survived by his wife, Sally, of Burbank; daughters Jean Seager, Deborah Ross and Laura Gilbert; and five grandchildren.

A funeral will be held at 2 p.m. today at Burbank Temple Emanu El, 1302 N. Glenoaks Blvd. Burial will be at Mount Sinai Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Friends of the Burbank Public Library, P.O. Box 702, Burbank 91503.