By Holli LeMarr
Staff Writer
After a brush with death and approximately five months in an Arizona hospital, Dr. Fred L. Casmir returned home on Dec. 28, two days before his 75th birthday.
Casmir, former communication professor at Pepperdine, entered the Flagstaff Medical Center Aug. 13 for a routine hip replacement operation.
The operation went well, but two days later when his body began to swell and he went into septic shock, and Casmir had to undergo emergency surgery.
Doctors found that a previously undiscovered stomach ulcer had ruptured and spread septic bacteria throughout his body.
The ulcer was not cancerous, but high doses of sedatives and antibiotics were administered to fight infection and pain. According to the doctors, Casmir is lucky to be alive.
“The ulcer had eaten a hole in his stomach,” Casmir’s wife Mina said. “(The doctors) repaired the hole and kept him in an induced coma for six weeks while they were fighting the infection.”
At the end of September, Fred Casmir was brought out of the coma. He was extremely weak from lack of movement and was unable to eat solid foods. In October, he was moved to a rehabilitation center for physical therapy. Results were minimal due to his malnourishment.
Sometime in the middle of November, doctors finally found the source of the problem. Scar tissue, built up from the first surgery, was blocking food from entering his small intestine.
A third major surgery was conducted to remove the scar tissue and approximately one foot of his small intestine.
Since his release from the hospital Casmir has been building strength while undergoing intensive physical therapy at his home.
After only being home for approximately three weeks, Casmir is already able to stand and walk short distances without assistance.
“It’s been a rough trip and I still have several months before I’m functioning normally,” Casmir said. “I have to relearn all the normal activities you take for granted, but there is constant improvement daily.”
Casmir taught his first bible study class last Thursday night and intends on getting back into his normal routine as soon as possible.
“Medically he is OK,” Mina Casmir said. “His muscles and nerves just need to regenerate. That comes with a lot of time and nutrition.
We are all extremely pleased with his progress.”
Throughout all of Fred Casmir’s medical complications, he and his family have remained optimistic and grateful for all of their blessings. They are especially grateful for all of the prayers in Casmir’s behalf.
“I really very deeply appreciate that you have kept up with me and kept me connected to the university,” Casmir told the Graphic. “It has made me feel very special. Please tell all my former colleagues and students I said hello. I am deeply grateful for the prayers of hundreds of people and for Mina.”
Fighting for survival is not a new concept to Casmir. He was born in 1928 and grew up in pre-World War II Germany. Drafted into the Nazi Youth Core, he escaped conformity to Nazi ideologies by fleeing to the Danish border and converting to Christianity.
He received his Abitur degree in Germany, but then came to America and earned a bachelor’s degree in Speech and Religion from David Limpscomb College in 1950.
Throughout his life he has never let go of his devotion to Christ. He vocalized his faith by serving as a Church of Christ minister from 1950 to 1977.
Casmir began his 42-year teaching career at Pepperdine in 1957. He taught a variety of communication courses including international studies, intercultural communication and advanced communication theory.
Casmir’s teaching methods were described as powerful, demanding and brilliant. His expertise and high expectations sometimes left students feeling intimidated. “He had a gruff exterior but on the inside he was this big teddy bear,” said Dr. Milt Shatzer, chair of the Communication Division.
Casmir emphasized hard work and dedication in his classes. Despite his heavy demands, he was a teacher who would go the extra mile to help students achieve their goals if he saw effort and desire on their part. According to Kathie Kieran-Johnson, a former student of Casmir, it was not an easy process to get through Casmir’s classes, but “no pain, no gain.”
“You talk to him for two seconds and there is this deep, qualitative intelligence,” Kieran-Johnson said. “He came off as professional and expert, but once you created a relationship with him it was precious and rewarding.
“If you demonstrated to him a drive and commitment to fight for knowledge, the rewards you would reap from him and his classes were overwhelmingly wonderful,” Kieran-Johnson continued. “There are things that I learned from Fred Casmir’s communication theory class that I still apply to my life every day. He gave me amazing guidance and insight that helped me in my doctoral program and in my career.”
Until his retirement in 1999, Casmir was involved in a variety of organizations and contributions at Pepperdine, including the development of the International Studies Program and the public relations major.
“I like the idea of working with young people at an intellectual level,” Casmir said in a January 1999 Graphic article. “I enjoy the stimulation and exchange. There has always been something new to keep me involved, growing and excited.”
After his retirement, Casmir and his wife Mina moved to Arizona. They started a church in Flagstaff where he preached part time. During the last two years, his congregation has grown from eight to 35 members. Casmir has always enjoyed ministry work, but didn’t plan on starting a church after he left Pepperdine.
“I was ready to retire, but the Lord obviously had other plans for us,” Casmir said. “Nevertheless we are extremely happy with where he has taken us.”
Throughout all of Fred Casmir’s medical complications, he and his family have remained optimistic. They are especially grateful for all of the prayers in Casmir’s behalf.
“I really very deeply appreciate that you have kept up with me and kept me connected to the university,” Casmir told the Graphic.
“It has made me feel very special,” he continued. “Please tell all my former colleagues and students I said hello. I am deeply grateful for the prayers of hundreds of people and for Mina.”
Fighting for survival is not a new concept to Casmir. He was born in 1928 and grew up in pre-World War II Germany.
Drafted into the Nazi Youth Core, he escaped conformity to Nazi ideologies by fleeing to the Danish border and converting to Christianity.
Casmir began his 42-year teaching career at Pepperdine in 1957. He taught a variety of communication courses including international studies, intercultural communication and advanced communication theory.
Casmir’s teaching methods were described as powerful, demanding and brilliant. His expertise and high expectations sometimes left students feeling intimidated.
“He had a gruff exterior but on the inside he was this big teddy bear,” said Dr. Milt Shatzer, chair of the Communication Division.
Casmir emphasized hard work and dedication in his classes. Despite his heavy demands, he was a teacher who would go the extra mile to help students achieve their goals if he saw effort and desire on their part.
“You talk to him for two seconds and there is this deep, qualitative intelligence,” said Kathie Kieran-Johnson, a former student of Casmir. “He came off as professional and expert, but once you created a relationship with him it was precious and rewarding.
“If you demonstrated to him a drive and commitment to fight for knowledge, the rewards you would reap from him and his classes were overwhelmingly wonderful,” Kieran-Johnson continued.
“There are things that I learned from Fred Casmir’s communication theory class that I still apply to my life every day. “
January 24, 2002
