Dearest Jerry, you were one of the first people I met back in 2017. You came to the SRHD with me (and a room full of medical providers) when we stood up for MMR vaccines. I'm so grateful for you and your steady work to shine a light on the truth. I'm extra grateful to be your friend and hang out with you during the Lisa Brown campaign for Congress all the way through to Tesla Tuesdays. You are a beacon of light and goodness Jerry. And just when I thought I couldn't love and admire you more I find out that you're a SWIFTIE! That's the best!!! You have made a huge difference in the lives of so many of us. Side note - my name basically means "Pebbles", so I had to chuckle at your title today. You're a Spokane Legend Pal. I love you and will forever hold you in my heart.
I met Jerry LeClaire in 1986, 40 years ago, when he was a brand new retinal specialist brought to the Spokane Eye Clinic from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (the most prestigious fellowship in the country) by Bruce and Don Ellingsen. I had been hired to manage and give anesthesia for the Eye Clinic’s new facility, the Spokane Eye Surgery Center.
As I tried to be for all of my surgeons who worked so hard on our new venture, I was Samwise Gamgee to his Frodo Baggins. Our quest for the One Ring - highest quality ophthalmic surgery for the people of Spokane - brought us many adventures and the satisfaction of seeing the smiling faces of grateful patients.
For those of you who are knowledgeable in ophthalmology, I can say that Jerry brought vitrectomy to Spokane. In my mind, it was a feat to rival open heart surgery in its ability to improve the lives of patients. But he faced a problem: how to get the procedure out of the hospital and into our Surgery Center, where he could avoid the perpetual delays in these emergency surgeries as other even more urgent cases (C-sections, life-threatening trauma) were added before his.
Under his guidance, we bought the equipment, trained the staff, and began providing emergency vitrectomy and scleral buckles for retinal detachment to the people of Spokane and the Inland Empire Just recently I benefited from this as I underwent my own vitrectomy under the care of the wonderful Dr. Andrew Cheek, whom we hired under Jerry’s term as Chairman (I think - Andrew, remind me!).
100 years ago I would have had to accept blindness in that eye. Today, thanks to Jerry and Andrew’s patience and effort, I see 20/20.
Jerry also brought his leadership to the Spokane Eye Clinic - acting as chairman of our group for a number of years until his retirement in 2012.
As Jerry mentions in his post above, his decision to start his indivisible Substack was driven by his unshakable faith in the American ideal of democracy, freedom, justice and solidarity.
To understand Jerry’s enduring passion for his country and its citizens, one has only to read the valedictory speech he gave upon graduating high school in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin in 1968. He had spent time the previous summer on a bus tour of the American South with his Methodist youth group to promote an understanding of interracial justice and harmony, and it had made an indelible impression. His words were so powerfully compelling and wise for a young boy just emerging into adulthood - and which I’m sure were instrumental in getting him a scholarship to Harvard University.
Jerry was also an avid sportsman. He loved to hunt and fish, and he was only too willing to join me in annual mountain bike riding adventures in Moab, Utah; Big Bend National Park; and other wonderful and scenic places.
I will take those memories with me when I go. To my mentor, friend, and boon companion, rest in peace, dear Jerry.
You have inspired me in so many ways, not only as a writer, but also as an encourager, a man and, most of all, as a friend. The manner in which you have accepted your approaching death, with an intellectual acceptance, but also with humor and grace, has provided me with the desire to model you when my own death approaches.
I intend to steal a line you have used when someone says to you “It is good to see you.”
Your line “It is better to be seen than viewed” is both funny, true and a little bit thought provoking as we all have a brief moment to realize what is coming for all of us.
I remember the good times; the weekly breakfasts of “Cabbages and Kings,” the trips to Washington, D.C. and Hawai’i, the music and dancing, and, of course, the Democratic Party events.
Your appreciation and care for the environment, your concern over the danger Trump provides and your time and effort you devote to the rest of us is an example I will not forget.
And Emily, how could I forget to mention her. She has been a true partner to you. My sadness now is not only for you, but also for her as she loses her companion who provided a shared intellectual life, a dance partner, a lover of making music, a travel companion and soulmate.
Jerry, you have not gone softly into the night. You have made a difference in peoples’ lives, not only as a surgeon, but as a human being.
Sandy wrote you separately, but I want you to know we both love you.
Jerry my friend, your humanity, intelligence, and wit have spurred me to scramble toward the elusive high ground. Your patience, grace, and humor in response to a mortal threat have given me an example to try to emulate. And I marvel that with all your an accomplishments in work and play you have kept the true modesty that lets your many friends shine their brightest. High ground indeed.
Jerry, as I write this my heart is heavy. You and Emily have been a light in the darkness for me and I’m sure many others. In a very real way you have been my mentor in an area of life I paid nominal attention to up until ten or so years ago. I have great appreciation for the time you have given to researching, thinking and writing about what is happening on the local as well as the national political scene.
I will miss you my friend.
May this leg of your journey be peaceful. May Emily be comforted. I love you both. Sandy
Dear Jerry, you were the person I went to when I needed some explanation for what is happening in our world. I will miss your honest, well researched and caring commentary. Thank you for being there. You will be missed. Bless you in your next journey.
The pebbles you tossed definitely rippled out to me. Many times in these crazy times I have said to friends and family - “I am on this email string by this guy, Jerry LeClaire and he said…”. Thank you for helping spread the truth when it has been hard to find at times and for doing good in the world.
I've known you since 5th grade, Jerry, at Lincoln School in Menomonee Falls, and after reconnecting again about 15-20 years ago, we've had some contact. I've read all of your posts and enjoyed meeting you and Emily when we connected on a trip Erin and I took out west. We send our love to you and yours and will hold you in our hearts. You are facing the inevitable, just too damn early! Erin and I send you love and peace and will keep you in our memories.
Unlike many of these people, I met you in person just once - as your groupie - at the Dems Salmon Feed. But read you faithfully every day you published and greatly admired that you would devote yourself to this venture in retirement. You have been an inspiration to me on many fronts. I am an elder law attorney and have had the privilege of seeing a lot of people out of this life. Here is my favorite quote from Raymond Carver…
“And did you get what you wanted from this life, even so? I did. And what did you want? To call myself beloved, to feel myself beloved on the earth.”
I hope you got what you wanted from this life and your passing is peaceful. We will replace Baumgartner for you.
Jerry, thank you for all you have done, the impact of your work is truly immeasurable. It's been an honor to know you and work with you in Indivisible. And your gracious message here is a model for us all. Blessings.
Oh, no, Jerry. I am so sorry to hear this—I thought you would go on living forever, defying the odds. And indeed, you will go on, if only in our memories. 💚
Love, love, love, to you in this time of passage. You are surrounded by love.
Your emails have been inspirational. I am so glad we connected during these troubled times.
Jerry, we who have followed you and been grounded in your wisdom will keep throwing pebbles, and their ripples will become a tsunami of the change that is so desperately needed. Vaya con Dios, mi Amigo.
Jerry, my wife, Brenda, and I have read your cogent, articulate comments for years now, and will forever be grateful for your insight and instruction. You not only gave us a trusted perspective regarding national and international issues, but also enlightened us toward important matters here locally. We have copied and saved MANY of you posts into a file that we can now refer to with fondness, to remind us of the powerful influence which you have had in our lives. Your outlook, as a fellow physician, has always been especially appreciated, as have your comparisons to the way that you were raised in the Christian faith compared to the hypocritical degradation which we have witnessed in a large segment of so called "Christians" currently. Your near daily posts may be sadly missed, dear friend, but I assure you that your shining example and inspiring messages will be in our hearts as long as we remain here to honor your great contribution to truth and justice. THANK YOU for being such a noble exemplar of goodness.
The pebbles you toss do, indeed, ripple widely! Your influence extends far beyond eastern Washington.
Dearest Jerry, you were one of the first people I met back in 2017. You came to the SRHD with me (and a room full of medical providers) when we stood up for MMR vaccines. I'm so grateful for you and your steady work to shine a light on the truth. I'm extra grateful to be your friend and hang out with you during the Lisa Brown campaign for Congress all the way through to Tesla Tuesdays. You are a beacon of light and goodness Jerry. And just when I thought I couldn't love and admire you more I find out that you're a SWIFTIE! That's the best!!! You have made a huge difference in the lives of so many of us. Side note - my name basically means "Pebbles", so I had to chuckle at your title today. You're a Spokane Legend Pal. I love you and will forever hold you in my heart.
I met Jerry LeClaire in 1986, 40 years ago, when he was a brand new retinal specialist brought to the Spokane Eye Clinic from the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (the most prestigious fellowship in the country) by Bruce and Don Ellingsen. I had been hired to manage and give anesthesia for the Eye Clinic’s new facility, the Spokane Eye Surgery Center.
As I tried to be for all of my surgeons who worked so hard on our new venture, I was Samwise Gamgee to his Frodo Baggins. Our quest for the One Ring - highest quality ophthalmic surgery for the people of Spokane - brought us many adventures and the satisfaction of seeing the smiling faces of grateful patients.
For those of you who are knowledgeable in ophthalmology, I can say that Jerry brought vitrectomy to Spokane. In my mind, it was a feat to rival open heart surgery in its ability to improve the lives of patients. But he faced a problem: how to get the procedure out of the hospital and into our Surgery Center, where he could avoid the perpetual delays in these emergency surgeries as other even more urgent cases (C-sections, life-threatening trauma) were added before his.
Under his guidance, we bought the equipment, trained the staff, and began providing emergency vitrectomy and scleral buckles for retinal detachment to the people of Spokane and the Inland Empire Just recently I benefited from this as I underwent my own vitrectomy under the care of the wonderful Dr. Andrew Cheek, whom we hired under Jerry’s term as Chairman (I think - Andrew, remind me!).
100 years ago I would have had to accept blindness in that eye. Today, thanks to Jerry and Andrew’s patience and effort, I see 20/20.
Jerry also brought his leadership to the Spokane Eye Clinic - acting as chairman of our group for a number of years until his retirement in 2012.
As Jerry mentions in his post above, his decision to start his indivisible Substack was driven by his unshakable faith in the American ideal of democracy, freedom, justice and solidarity.
To understand Jerry’s enduring passion for his country and its citizens, one has only to read the valedictory speech he gave upon graduating high school in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin in 1968. He had spent time the previous summer on a bus tour of the American South with his Methodist youth group to promote an understanding of interracial justice and harmony, and it had made an indelible impression. His words were so powerfully compelling and wise for a young boy just emerging into adulthood - and which I’m sure were instrumental in getting him a scholarship to Harvard University.
Jerry was also an avid sportsman. He loved to hunt and fish, and he was only too willing to join me in annual mountain bike riding adventures in Moab, Utah; Big Bend National Park; and other wonderful and scenic places.
I will take those memories with me when I go. To my mentor, friend, and boon companion, rest in peace, dear Jerry.
Dan Simonson, CRNA - dsimonson@mac.com
Thank you Jerry- for all you work over the years--
I know you are an avid reader, so here is a favorite you may have seen before--
When Great Trees Fall
When great trees fall,
rocks on distant hills shudder,
lions hunker down
in tall grasses,
and even elephants
lumber after safety.
When great trees fall
in forests,
small things recoil into silence,
their senses
eroded beyond fear.
When great souls die,
the air around us becomes
light, rare, sterile.
We breathe, briefly.
Our eyes, briefly,
see with
a hurtful clarity.
Our memory, suddenly sharpened,
examines,
gnaws on kind words
unsaid,
promised walks
never taken.
Great souls die and
our reality, bound to
them, takes leave of us.
Our souls,
dependent upon their
nurture,
now shrink, wizened.
Our minds, formed
and informed by their
radiance,
fall away.
We are not so much maddened
as reduced to the unutterable ignorance
of dark, cold
caves.
And when great souls die,
after a period peace blooms,
slowly and always
irregularly. Spaces fill
with a kind of
soothing electric vibration.
Our senses, restored, never
to be the same, whisper to us.
They existed. They existed.
We can be. Be and be
better. For they existed.
We can be and be better--
Thank you Jerry!!
Jeff Collins
Great poem, Jeff. Thanks.
Jerry will certainly be missed. Definitely a void in the morning, or whenever I get to his wisdom.
Ted Wert
Jerry,
You have inspired me in so many ways, not only as a writer, but also as an encourager, a man and, most of all, as a friend. The manner in which you have accepted your approaching death, with an intellectual acceptance, but also with humor and grace, has provided me with the desire to model you when my own death approaches.
I intend to steal a line you have used when someone says to you “It is good to see you.”
Your line “It is better to be seen than viewed” is both funny, true and a little bit thought provoking as we all have a brief moment to realize what is coming for all of us.
I remember the good times; the weekly breakfasts of “Cabbages and Kings,” the trips to Washington, D.C. and Hawai’i, the music and dancing, and, of course, the Democratic Party events.
Your appreciation and care for the environment, your concern over the danger Trump provides and your time and effort you devote to the rest of us is an example I will not forget.
And Emily, how could I forget to mention her. She has been a true partner to you. My sadness now is not only for you, but also for her as she loses her companion who provided a shared intellectual life, a dance partner, a lover of making music, a travel companion and soulmate.
Jerry, you have not gone softly into the night. You have made a difference in peoples’ lives, not only as a surgeon, but as a human being.
Sandy wrote you separately, but I want you to know we both love you.
Allen
Hugs friend.
Jerry my friend, your humanity, intelligence, and wit have spurred me to scramble toward the elusive high ground. Your patience, grace, and humor in response to a mortal threat have given me an example to try to emulate. And I marvel that with all your an accomplishments in work and play you have kept the true modesty that lets your many friends shine their brightest. High ground indeed.
Bill
Jerry, as I write this my heart is heavy. You and Emily have been a light in the darkness for me and I’m sure many others. In a very real way you have been my mentor in an area of life I paid nominal attention to up until ten or so years ago. I have great appreciation for the time you have given to researching, thinking and writing about what is happening on the local as well as the national political scene.
I will miss you my friend.
May this leg of your journey be peaceful. May Emily be comforted. I love you both. Sandy
Dear Jerry, you were the person I went to when I needed some explanation for what is happening in our world. I will miss your honest, well researched and caring commentary. Thank you for being there. You will be missed. Bless you in your next journey.
Jerry,
The pebbles you tossed definitely rippled out to me. Many times in these crazy times I have said to friends and family - “I am on this email string by this guy, Jerry LeClaire and he said…”. Thank you for helping spread the truth when it has been hard to find at times and for doing good in the world.
Peace be with you,
A grateful reader
I've known you since 5th grade, Jerry, at Lincoln School in Menomonee Falls, and after reconnecting again about 15-20 years ago, we've had some contact. I've read all of your posts and enjoyed meeting you and Emily when we connected on a trip Erin and I took out west. We send our love to you and yours and will hold you in our hearts. You are facing the inevitable, just too damn early! Erin and I send you love and peace and will keep you in our memories.
Love,
Chris and Erin Glueck
Unlike many of these people, I met you in person just once - as your groupie - at the Dems Salmon Feed. But read you faithfully every day you published and greatly admired that you would devote yourself to this venture in retirement. You have been an inspiration to me on many fronts. I am an elder law attorney and have had the privilege of seeing a lot of people out of this life. Here is my favorite quote from Raymond Carver…
“And did you get what you wanted from this life, even so? I did. And what did you want? To call myself beloved, to feel myself beloved on the earth.”
I hope you got what you wanted from this life and your passing is peaceful. We will replace Baumgartner for you.
Jerry, thank you for all you have done, the impact of your work is truly immeasurable. It's been an honor to know you and work with you in Indivisible. And your gracious message here is a model for us all. Blessings.
Such a good model for us all. hugs my friend.
Oh, no, Jerry. I am so sorry to hear this—I thought you would go on living forever, defying the odds. And indeed, you will go on, if only in our memories. 💚
Love, love, love, to you in this time of passage. You are surrounded by love.
Your emails have been inspirational. I am so glad we connected during these troubled times.
Your longtime friend,
Barbara xoxoxoxo
Jerry has taught me listen and act on what I believe, but mostly to be present and open and honest. He is what it means to be a friend.
So true. Hugs my friend
Jerry, we who have followed you and been grounded in your wisdom will keep throwing pebbles, and their ripples will become a tsunami of the change that is so desperately needed. Vaya con Dios, mi Amigo.
Jerry, my wife, Brenda, and I have read your cogent, articulate comments for years now, and will forever be grateful for your insight and instruction. You not only gave us a trusted perspective regarding national and international issues, but also enlightened us toward important matters here locally. We have copied and saved MANY of you posts into a file that we can now refer to with fondness, to remind us of the powerful influence which you have had in our lives. Your outlook, as a fellow physician, has always been especially appreciated, as have your comparisons to the way that you were raised in the Christian faith compared to the hypocritical degradation which we have witnessed in a large segment of so called "Christians" currently. Your near daily posts may be sadly missed, dear friend, but I assure you that your shining example and inspiring messages will be in our hearts as long as we remain here to honor your great contribution to truth and justice. THANK YOU for being such a noble exemplar of goodness.