Many authors, attendees, volunteers and sponsors remember meeting Jeremiah Healy at our Inaugural Book 'Em North Carolina in 2012. Not only was he a wonderful and successful author but he was also a very giving human being who was quick to help and support other authors.
Below is a very special tribute to Jerry by Sandra Balzo.
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| Jerry and Sandy |
As many
of you know, Jeremiah Healy took his own life on August 14, 2014, at the age of
66, following a long battle with depression. Our fellow mystery authors,
Brendan DuBois, Andi Shechter, SJ Rozan and her sister Deborah have found a way
of commemorating Jerry’s work and life that I think he would have absolutely
loved.
As
Brendan says: “Besides his work as an attorney and an author, Jerry was a U.S.
Army vet, and was also a lover of dogs. We have therefore reached out to a service
dog organization in Maryland that trains dogs to assist wounded veterans, and
they will be thrilled to receive donations in Jerry's name.”
This
all started a few weeks back when Brendan asked me the deceptively simple
question, “What cause would Jerry want us to donate to?” My first
thoughts were things that were on my mind – depression,
suicide prevention or maybe literacy. All worthy causes, but not . . .
very Jerry.
So I
asked myself Brendan’s question again: “What would Jerry want?”
If you
knew Jeremiah Healy for any length of time, you might have heard him talk about
the military and refer to somebody as “the real thing.” “The Real Things” are
men and women who served our country heroically and selflessly, often at the
expense of life, limb or emotional health. In fact, the only time I saw Jerry
cry was as he recounted an air mission in which the pilots took off knowing
that, once the mission was achieved, they didn’t have the fuel to return.
As for
the canine component, I can’t tell you how many strolls were doubled in
duration because Jerry had to stop every passing dog-walker with the question
“Is he (or she) friendly?” and give ‘em a good scratch. Even depressed, it was
the one thing that seemed to help him, so I can only imagine what it does for
wounded vets.
So HeroDogs, it is! Below is the scoop (no pun intended, though I kind of like it)
from Brendan and company. We’d appreciate your sharing the word.
With
thanks for the happiness you gave Jerry,
Sandy
From Brendan Dubois
Besides
his work as an attorney and an author, Jeremiah Healy was a U.S. Army vet, and
was also a lover of dogs. We have therefore reached out to a service dog
organization in Maryland that trains dogs to assist wounded veterans, and they
will be thrilled to receive donations in Jerry's name.
The
group is called Hero Dogs, and is based in Maryland. Their website is listed
below. They are an IRS approved 501(c)(3) organization and operate entirely on
donations. You can donate via their website, or by sending a check to Hero
Dogs, P.O. 64, Brookeville, MD 20833-0064. But *please* ensure either by
writing on the memo section of your check, or using the form on their website,
that you're making this donation in Jerry's name.
That
way, Hero Dogs can track how many donations come in, so that they can be used
in some way to keep Jerry's memory alive in years to come. Please donate
what you can, and please share this link. Thanks to all of you who were friends
or fans of Jerry's.
