JUSSI SAUKKONEN

Dear Leah, Kai and Jusssi jr,
Years have flown by since Jussi´s death, but he certainly is not forgotten. I am reminded of what a wonderful colleague and friend he was when I pass his portrait- and of the influence he had in shaping graduate education. Never a braggart despite obvious success and always generous and a gentle man.
Wishing you all good health and happiness!
Marion

DEAR LEAH,JUSSI JR.AND KAI
I LEARNED ONLY RECENTLY ABOUT JUSSI'S PASSING...
BROUGHT A WAVE OF MEMORIES OF OUR FRIENDSHIP IN HASTINGS , PHILADELPHIA. AND MORE RECENT;
i CHERISH THE MEMORIES OF OUT TIMES TOGETHER WITH NOMI AND YOU,LEAH !
A GREAT MAN!






































NG OF jUSSI.

On behalf of the Finnish- American Society of the Delaware Valley, we send our condolences to the family of Jussi Saukkonen, the founder of the Society 36 years ago.

To Leah, Jussi Jr and Kai, my heartfelt condolences and sympathy on the loss of your beloved husband and father. When I think back on the years we shared at Jefferson Medical College, Jussi stands out as a distinguished scholar, teacher and leader, who gave his best selflessly and quietly, without ego or fanfare. Always fair-minded and thoughtful, he was someone we could count on and trust. We missed him after he retired (which seemed all-too-early) and through the years learned to appreciate even more his many contributions and the friendship that we enjoyed so much.

Jussi was a teacher when I was a graduate student at Jefferson -- and he was a great influence on me. I greatly admired the breadth of his knowledge both in the sciences and in the arts. My wife Georganne and I shared a subscription to the Metropolitan Opera for many years, until her death, and we always enjoyed anticipating and post-morteming the performances. A phrase of Jussi's that I still remember and use regularly -- always with attribution to him -- is that the bacterium E coli is always qualified as "the world's only living organism" because, as he noted, that organism was involved on so much developmental work that you'd think it was "the world's only living organism." I've missed his presence here in Philadelphia for years, and now I'll miss him even more.

-Jerome G. Buescher

Leah & Family:
With very fond memories of the years I worked for and with him, I offer my sincere condolences.

I am very saddened to learn of Jussi's passing. I had the pleasure of knowing him and working with as a colleague at Jefferson. Jussi embodied the expression "a Gentleman and a Scholar."

Mike Paquet
Assistant Provost for Faculty Affairs
Thomas Jefferson University

My sincere condolences to the entire family. Jussi was a mentor during the early 70's while I was completing my PhD. He was a significant positive influence in my development and I remember him fondly. In the mid 90's I returned as a consultant and Jussi was my boss and again I remember those days with wonderful memories. Once as a student I was complaining to him about another faculty member giving me a hard time and Jussi said "John, you kiss it until you are big enough to kick it" I have used that phrase a hundred times in my life, crediting it to him.