There are some people who are truly special - I was fortunate enough to personally know one. Rick and I were more then acquaintances, but less then close friends. I have known him for over 30 years. We shared the same medical school; the same Orthopedic residency; we practiced in the same city; and ultimately in the same practice.
Rick had many strengths and some are so obvious that they almost don't merit talking about - his surgical prowess being one. There are other traits that truly made him exceptional. TS Eliot wrote, "I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A bird will fall frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself." Through out his illness that extended over 10 years he never complained. It wasn't for lack of pain; it wasn't lack of emotional turmoil; it wasn't because of lack of frustration - it was his inner strength, his grasp of the important aspects of everything.
He took time to "smell the roses" and share the smell with those around him. He would greet his patients, his colleagues, office staff, hospital staff, even strangers with equal respect and warmth. He was a mentor in so many ways to so many people - surgical to residents, a visionary and leader for our group (Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists), and a courageous example to all of us. His family was the epicenter for him and the strength that sustained him.
What begins as a ripple when a small pebble is dropped into a pond quickly grows into larger ripples that cascade outwardly until they reach the confines of the shoreline. Such was the impact that Rick Zogby had on the lives of everyone with whom he interacted. His actions impacted individuals far beyond those he physically touched through this ripple effect; the epitome of the Butterfly Effect. Every single thing he did mattered; to those who knew him personally, as well as to those who experienced a ripple of an action from him.
A beautiful and wonderful man is no longer with us in body, but in spirit he will live on in the hearts of all who knew him. I myself feel most fortunate that I took the time to become his colleague and his friend.
How appropriate it is that the beam that supports the new St Josephs OR was signed in memory of Rick Zogby - a physical representation of a life of strength and accomplishment.
