HUCKLEBERRIES: Fox was no doc-in-the-box

If you’re lucky, you have health insurance and receive regular health care from a family doctor.

If you’re luckier still, your family doctor knows your name without looking at your medical chart.

Patients of the late Dr. E.R.W. “Ted” Fox were the luckiest of all.

Not only did Dr. Fox know your name, but he also called patients at home after visits, on occasion, to see how they were doing.

Dr. Fox, who delivered nearly 5,000 babies during his 57 years of practice here, understood the importance of technology and specialty medicine but believed the personal touch was vital, too.

“We’re taking better care of people,” Dr. Fox told The Press 30 years ago. “Some of the tests we have are marvelous. Anesthesia is better. There’s more outpatient care. (But) we’re losing the art of medicine.”

On Dec. 12, 1993, Dr. Fox answered questions from The Press about the first of what would be three books he wrote: “Family Doctor: Good advice for better health.” The aim of the 1993 book, Dr. Fox said, “was to stimulate interest in the family physician in both the general audience and medical students.”

Culled from his bi-weekly column in the Coeur d’Alene Press, the book offered, what The Press called, “a collection of health tips, trivia about oddball ailments and cures, history, and plain good advice.” Chapter headlines revealed the good doctor’s humor and commitment to practical treatment: “Mellow Out to Save Your Life,” “How the Nose Knows” and “Gas Is No Laughing Matter.”

Dr. Fox later wrote: “Looking Back to the Future, or How the Pendulum Swings” and “The Joy of Healing: That Amazing Mind-Body Miracle.”

All three books are available at the Coeur d’Alene Library, as is sculptor Bryan Ross’s bust of Dr. Fox, dedicated last summer. The books speak of Dr. Fox’s commitment to family medicine. The placement of Dr. Fox’s bust by the fireplace of the Coeur d’Alene Library speaks of his devotion to learning and community.

Among his many civic and hospital activities, Dr. Fox served on the library foundation board.

Dr. Fox, who died at age 93 in 2002, was happy to swap Chicago’s big-city lights in 1939 for a sleepy town of 12,000. And we were lucky to have him.

Holy work

As you can imagine, it takes a special person to ring a stranger’s doorbell to bring bad news about a loved one. The late Dick Wild was that exceptional person. A one-time drunk and brawler, Dick was the first full-time Kootenai County jail chaplain.

In December 1993, he didn’t hesitate when The Press asked him about the hardest part of his job: Telling relatives that a loved one was dead.

Said he: “I’m surprised I have any heart at all.”

Still, he said at the time that he was glad he was there — for the officers and the families. Tough as it was, he insisted on breaking all bad news in person.

“It’s incredibly insane to tell someone over the phone that a loved one has died,” he said. “We all deserve more than that. The least you can do is be there for them.”

The former miner, logger, construction worker and pastor modeled his faith. And laid the groundwork for a chaplaincy program that still helps troubled people four years after his death.

Pulling our legs?

Those of you who were here in the 1980s-90s know about the Great North Idaho Newspaper War. The Spokesman-Review made a big push into North Idaho in the early 1980s only to retreat in the 2000s.

At the height of the competition between newsrooms, advertising staffs and circulation departments, former Press publisher Bob Paulos and I fought a war of words. Bob never referred to The Spokesman-Review by name. The S-R was “the out-of-town newspaper.” And I returned fire.

All of which is background for Bond’s appearance at the Kootenai County Democratic Club on Dec. 10, 1993.

When asked about the ongoing feud between Bob and me, Bond responded: “I can deny the rumors that there have been high-level discussions between (Spokesman publisher Stacey) Cowles and (Press owner Duane) Hagadone about dumping both Paulos and Oliveria.”

I’d like to say that Bond was pulling his listeners’ legs. But those were strange times.

Fan mail

In a recent Huckleberries column (Dec. 3, 2023), I wrote about the General Telephone switchover to direct, long-distance dialing 70 years ago. And former Coeur d’Alene school trustee Tom Hearn emailed to say he has one of those first rotary phones, complete with the “Mohawk” prefix. Writes he:  "In 1990 we bought a house on Fernan Hill from Bill and Margie Giesa, next door to Scott and Mary Lou Reed. The phone was on the wall in the basement. When we sold the house and moved, we took it with us and now have it up at our home at Black Lake. It works fine.” The “M” and “O” in Mohawk stood for “66.” The first three numbers on those old phones were 664.

Huckleberries

• Poet’s Corner: One or two cookies,/and one or two Mounds,/one or two egg nogs,/and presto: five pounds – The Bard of Sherman Avenue (“That Holiday Magic”).

• In Her Steps: Eve Knudtsen, of Knudtsen Chevrolet, cherishes her time with Job’s Daughters Bethel 7. And she passed that love to her own daughter, Lauren Benedict. Both served as Bethel royalty. Eve credits the group for teaching her how to lead, speak in public, and serve others. And one other thing. Eve told Huckleberries: “This is where I learned Robert’s Rules of Order.”

• Has It Been … 10 years (Dec. 12, 2013) since we were shocked by the unexpected death of County Clerk Cliff Hayes? Cliff, who died at age 62, was another of the fine Post Falls officials who later served in the courthouse, including Frank Henderson and Kent Helmer. He was honest, transparent, and the Republican who, in 2010, upset the last courthouse Democrat: Dan English.

• Cruel World: Shawn Keough of Sandpoint, who served with distinction in the Idaho Senate from 1996 to 2018, has visited Boise twice in the last three weeks, once as North Idaho’s rep on the state Board of Education. Everything didn’t go smoothly. She Facebooks: “2nd rental car dented in a parking lot, no names, no insurance info, no apology notes left!!! Geez!”

• Flashback: You may know that former Olympic gymnast Cathy Rigby played Peter Pan for more than 30 years on stage and television. But did you know that, in December 1988, she visited children at the Sugar and Spice Day Care at Kootenai Medical Center (Kootenai Health) while she was playing the character at the Spokane Opera House?

Parting shot

Occasionally, I suffer a brain cramp when it comes to names in the column. And last Sunday, I had a doozy. I referred to the late Coeur d'Alene architect R.G. Nelson as "Ralph" Nelson. His first name is Robert. Councilwoman Kiki Miller, who considered R.G. to be a “dear friend,” had several nicknames for him, including Bob and Bobert. Professionally, however, the award-winning designer of The Coeur d’Alene Resort and the Hagadone Corporation HQ building, went by his initials. I could blame age for the sporadic glitches. But I’ve done it before. And will do it again. It’s an occupational hazard.

• • •

D.F. (Dave) Oliveria can be contacted at dfo@cdapress.com.

    Sculptor Bryan Ross of Sagle at the library with his Ted Fox bust.
  

    Dick Wild served God and the neediest of his fellow man.
  

    When he wasn't writing columns for the Coeur d'Alene, Bob Paulos, left, was drive chairman for the paper's Christmas for All program. Here, he's shown accepting a check from Parker Woodall of Northern State Bank.
  

    Tom Hearn’s rotary dial phone with the “Mohawk” prefix.
  

    As a 16-year-old, in December 1978, Eve Knudtsen, right, was the junior princess for Job’s Daughter Bethel 7. The other two girls are Senior Princess Shanette Willis, left, and Honored Queen Chris Haynes.
  

    County Clerk Cliff Hayes at his courthouse desk.
  

    Former Olympian Cathy Rigby visited kids at Kootenai Medical Center.
  

    Architect R.G. “Bob” Nelson.