I knew Jackie for over 35 years, including time spent in quarterly meetings of the Rhus Tox study group, with Dean Crothers, Jennifer Jacobs and Bob Schore. Jackie was always outspoken, inquiring, whip smart and devoted to any and all methods of true healing. Dr. Chase and others have described well her long list of leadership positions in various homeopathic organizations and endeavors.
As a gay woman medical student and physician, she had an uphill course from the beginning, and her strong spirit served her well in negotiating those turbulent waters. She was always a person of strong convictions, including her advocacy for diversity in organizations and respect for minorities and the disadvantaged.
Perhaps “outspoken” isn’t a strong enough word to describe Jackie, as she told me once that, growing up, her family enjoyed having intense discussions—arguments, as she described them—about various topics. Besides her ability to remain calm and even tempered in the midst of intense discussions, part of the consequences of that included the fact that she was very clear about her viewpoints and was unafraid to introduce her unique perspectives into whatever proceedings, often causing valuable expansion of discussions that seemed initially to be straightforward and simple. Legend has it that Julian Winston—another of our deceased luminaries and an equally strong personality—in the midst of a controversial NCH board meeting discussion, threw a glass at Jackie, who didn’t even flinch as it zinged past her head.
Richard Moskowitz, at the AIH Sesquicentennial in 1994 described Jackie as “our resident wild woman” in introducing her presentation on the ecology of medicine. I took this as very descriptive of her uniqueness, strong presence, intense practicality and far ranging creative thinking.
Jackie had a great love for nature and all living things and loved socializing, entertaining and being entertained by friends.
We and the world of health care will miss her.