Memorial to Dr. Richard Tucker, 1956-2007
"Though my soul may set in darkness
It will rise in perfect light;
I have loved the stars too fondly
To be fearful of the night."
Sarah Williams
On May 26 th, Dr. Richard Tucker was tragically killed in a traffic accident.
Read his obituary published in the Wenatchee World.
A message from Katie Lawless, former Programs Director of the Wellness Place
The North Central Washington Rural Health Foundation has experienced a terrible loss with the death of our president and friend, Dr. Richard Tucker. He was a driving force in all areas of the Foundation. He had boundless energy and enthusiasm. He processed his ideas so quickly it was often hard for me to keep up with him. He solved many problems for the Foundation with his ability to think outside the box, find new information and implement unique solutions. He was a risk taker in the best sense of the word. He was not afraid to make mistakes and get messy. When he did make a mistake, always without intention of harm, he was quick to say he was sorry; a quality that I believe has allowed him to leave this world with no regrets. He was also kind, patient and had a great sense of humor.
As a physician, he worked mostly with patients who were struggling with multiple issues and tended to live on the fringes of society. Whenever he spoke about them, he demonstrated his genuine care and concern for every individual. He continually advocated for the Foundation to keep seeking ways to serve the needs of ALL patients. He was personally committed to encouraging people to make healthy lifestyle choices. He really walked his talk by exercising regularly and eating healthy foods. I don’t even know how many times I visited with him while he ate his brown bag lunch. He was excited about and invested in seeing the NCWRHF Kids in Motion Program take off. He enjoyed his involvement with the STEPS to a Healthier WA leadership team and respected the other committee members
He was intent on growing and learning. Although he was a highly esteemed medical expert, he still took time to study for a degree in business. He often encouraged me to pursue higher learning; in fact he wanted all those around him to keep learning. He loved planning the Infectious Disease Conference and could hardly wait for the next Grand Rounds presentations. He liked technology and was skilled using some of the latest gadgets. We would not have the LCD Projector, laptop or wireless capability if it weren’t for him. He had all kinds of great ideas about what the website could become. Mainly he hoped to see it be a tool to take the educational offerings of the Foundation to a new level.
I write these things not as an exhaustive list of his fine qualities. I really couldn’t do that without spending a great deal of time speaking about his family, his friendships and his hobbies. I write instead to document those things which are directly related to the Foundation. I know his greatest desire would have been for us to move forward while keeping true to these ideals.
A message from Larry Sexton, Continuing Medical Education Committee
Dr. Tucker was very generous and patient in training me to take over chairmanship of the CME committee that he had guided for many years. I always appreciated his keen wit and kind tutelage. As a member of our safety committee, he was very concerned with the safety of our patients and staff and was an outspoken advocate to identify and improve numerous unsatisfactory situations. Most importantly, he always made everyone feel appreciated while challenging us to achieve greatness. Rich always did this in a way that never made the task seem impossible or out of reach.
I will miss him greatly and I know the community and his patients mourn our great mutual loss.