Dr. Thomas Haws Eldridge

Continue to Rest, Rest, in peace, for all you did for Veterans - like me - you deserve the rest...God Bless, my dear friend.

I sure do miss your jokes and your singing.

Freshman year at Amherst, I was delighted to discover how many of our class's runners were also singers. The freshman cross-country team consisted of 12 runners; five of us, including Tom, were also in the Glee Club, and a sixth sang with the smaller a cappella group the Zumbyes. I recall running warmups while singing a nifty four-part "Alleluia" we were rehearsing for the next concert. Tom shows up that way in many of my recollections of that memorable year,

I met Tom in the fall of 1964, fellow first-year students in college. From the first days in a new environment, I found him one of the easiest people to be around, the most genuine, so comfortably friendly and good-humored. The world around him seemed to be oriented in a healthy way, a way that made sense and was fun to be part of. I am grateful for that long-ago friendship and saddened by his departure now.

There was no better friend and colleague than Tom. His vision for the future of medicine exceeded my own and thereby taught me. We shared some great moments in the practice of medicine, virtually all related to the deep and rich connections that caring for patients brings to those of us committed to the healing professions. Ave atque valle!

Before retiring, I spent my last 8 years of Federal service working for & with Dr. E. He was my friend, mentor & the best kind of boss. His care & compassion for his patients & staff was unending. Thank you Dr. E for your friendship & support, & for all the cups of cream with a little coffee you brought to me. You knew the exact color (brown grocery bag) & amount of sweetener I liked. We made a lot of decisions over a cup of coffee. You were always there for your staff when we, or even our...

He was in the group of residents at the VAMC and I had the pleasure of working with him. Developed a friendship over the years. Saddened to hear of his passing. RIP

When I came to the Salem VA in 1993 Tom became my mentor and over the years he helped me become a better physician and teacher. His expert guidance helped me function within the sometimes confusing bureaucracy of the VA system. He and I had a lot in common since we were both from the Chicago suburbs and grew up in the turbulent 1960's; we both chose medicine as a career for similar reasons and we shared strong views on the importance of strict medical ethics and hard work. Tom always had...

A patient never had a better Doctor! He was my Dr. for 34-years, I could not have been better cared for! Bernie Pruett