EILEEN
HARTSOE, MD, ASH
Dr Jackson
1954‑1998
by Sherry
Rose‑Bond
It cannot be said
of too many people that they were born to be Sherlockians. However, in the case
of Eileen Hartsoe Katz this would be an absolutely accurate observation, because
Eileen was born one hundred years to the day after the birth of Sherlock Holmes.
It is unimaginable to those of us who knew her that this warm and loving woman
will no longer be part of our Sherlockian family. She officially became a
Sherlockian by marriage (to Robert S. Katz, BSI) but she became an Adventuress
through scholarship and friendship and was proud of her ASH investiture of “Dr.
Jackson.” With Bob she hosted meetings of The Epilogues of Sherlock Holmes, a
scion society whose purpose is to actually discuss the Canon, and she always,
ALWAYS welcomed Sherlockians into their home.
However, to my
husband (Scott Bond, BSI) and me, she was more than a Sherlockian; she was a
member of our family. Scott was best man at their wedding as Bob was at ours.
Their three sons, Alexander (10), Jonathan (8) and C. J. (3), are our nephews
and we always cherish the many weekends we spend together. Eileen was very
generous in allowing us to share commonplace as well as special events and
activities with the boys and to develop the special relationship we have with
them. Although she was born and raised in North Carolina, there was nothing of
the typical Southern belle in Eileen. She was a strong, highly intelligent woman
who never hesitated to speak her mind. Her lovely southern drawl made even our
liveliest and, occasionally disputatious, discussions civilized and charming. I
will truly miss those discussions and conversations. I will miss just spending
time with her. She was genuine, sincere and loyal, giving unconditional love and
affection to her family and to those she considered her friends.
Eileen always
seemed to be the calm in the eye of the storm all around her, balancing the
demands of husband, sons, and her medical practice with seeming ease. It wasn't
easy; she just made it look that way. She was a gifted gynecologist and surgeon,
and women throughout northern New Jersey join us in sincerely mourning her loss.
She was an active member of St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Morristown, and the
priests and congregation join us in mourning her loss. She was a respected
member of the Morristown Memorial Hospital medical community, and her colleagues
join us in mourning her loss. She was an active and interested Sherlockian, and
I know that all of you join us in mourning her loss.
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