Donald Gaver, who had been a distinguished professor of operations research at the Naval Postgraduate School, died Feb. 11, 2018, at home in Monterey, Calif., at the age of 91.

Gaver served in the Navy as an electronics mate from 1944 to 1946, and trained on the Monterey Peninsula (at the current site of the Naval Postgraduate School). After the war, he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1950 and a master’s degree in mathematics from MIT in 1951 .

He then worked at the Navy’s Operations Evaluation Group in Washington, D.C. In 1956, Gaver earned a Ph.D. in mathematics from Princeton. Early in his career, he worked at Westinghouse Research Labs and taught at Carnegie Mellon University, after which he became professor of operations research at the Naval Postgraduate School in 1970 and settled in southern California.

In 1983 Gaver became a distinguished professor. He was an internationally noted mathematician, specializing in statistics and operations research. Among his many professional honors was the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Medal. He was particularly proud of his election to the National Academy of Engineering.

Gaver is survived by his wife, Frances, whom he married in 1953; three children (including William ’81); and five grandchildren.

Graduate memorials are written by the APGA.