Anthony Foster Gittes ’58

Anthony Foster Gittes ’58, a man of many accomplishments, died on July 21 just three weeks after learning he had advanced malignant melanoma. “He was a grand tree felled unexpectedly by a terrible force of nature,” said his eldest daughter Deborah, who was on the verge of opening a new business with him. Fraternity brothers, friends and family have helped piece together some details of his multi-faceted, far-flung life. Tony came from Mallorca, son of a painter, and grew up knowing Ezra Pound and other artists there. He came to Dartmouth from Melrose, Massachusetts, high school, where he reportedly became national yo-yo champion. In Hanover he majored in Romance languages, captained the soccer team, played hockey and was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and Sphinx. Air Force ROTC led to several years as an intelligence officer in Germany. He got an M.B.A. from Harvard and joined W.R. Grace, a conglomerate with vast Latin American interests; his specialty was acquiring businesses and making investments in Ecuador, Peru and other South American countries. An accomplished golfer, Tony represented Ecuador in the South American Open and World Cup tournament in Argentina. In the early 1980s he gave up golf to become Ecuador’s first hang glider, gaining fame “El Hombre Pajaro (the birdman).” An international hang gliding championship to be held there in November will be dedicated to Tony. He and his wife, Carol, living many years in Quito, Ecuador, produced four children—Deborah, Stephanie, Mark and Jennifer.