In Memory Of J. F. Buckley

With Special Thanks to Hospice of North Central Ohio

Jim, as well all know, was an incredibly meticulous and particular person. That he chose to live the last weeks of his life at Hospice of North Central Ohio was his first compliment to them. During the last three weeks of his life, he had nothing but praise for the facility and all who worked there and took care of him. His family and friends also were awed by the level of care Jim received during every moment of his stay and by the love and compassion the staff provided–as well as their humanity, their humor, their appreciation of Jim and his gift for conversation, his desire to know every single one of his meds, his wish to remain as independent and as fully functioning as he could be for as long as he could be. From the bottom of all of our hearts, we thank each and every one of you at Hospice for the care you gave to Jim. You made the last three weeks of this remarkable man’s life just as remarkable as the rest of it was. You not only took wonderful care of Jim, you also took wonderful care of us–welcoming us, explaining things to us, helping us feel comfortable when you could, and helping us get through this process.

Thank you to all, but especially and in no particular order, to:

–the first people at Hospice who took care of Jim, for weeks, enabling him to stay home as long as possible: his home nurses and social worker, Sara, Jeannie, and Elisha.

–day shift nurses Cathy, Chris, and Dawn;

–evening shift nurses Amber, Colleen, and Vickie (and to Vickie’s husband for that wonderful dune buggy ride, among Jim’s last joys);

–night shift nurses Becky, Sharon, and Raquel;

–unit assistants Jim, Katie, and Angie;

–all of the volunteers who greeted and chatted with us;

–Shay and Shelley for all of your kindness and helping keeping Jim’s room clean–so important to him!

–the maintenance staff, especially the gentleman who spoke with Jim about tractors;

–Dr. Hess and Dr. Doyd;

–Pat Donahue, Nurse Manager, who fielded all of our concerns and our calls with grace, professionalism, and caring confidence;

–and to the fabulous cooks who, with their wonderful, home-cooked food, helped give Jim and the rest of us pleasure and sustenance: Sharon, Katie, Nancy, Phil, Tonya, and Rick.

With deepest gratitude to each and every one of you.