A Memorial Tribute To Gary P. Jolly, DPM (1948-2010)

The true measure of a man is not necessarily what he has accumulated or received over the course of his life, but rather what he has given to others. Gary P. Jolly, DPM, FACFAS, set the bar pretty high. A top educator in the field, Dr. Jolly played an instrumental role in the training of many of the current thought leaders in podiatry. Never afraid to push the proverbial envelope, Dr. Jolly was widely regarded as one of the truly innovative minds of podiatric surgery.

   Yet this drive for knowledge and excellence was balanced by a warm generous spirit that will not soon be forgotten. I particularly remember his talk at the “Legends Corner” session at the ACFAS conference last year. Equal parts reflective and passionate, Dr. Jolly’s talk was one of the most moving, eloquent speeches I have ever heard. While he may have recently lost his two-year battle with cancer, Dr. Jolly’s contributions to podiatry will leave a legacy with lasting impact for years to come.

   Kathleen Satterfield, DPM, recalls his humorous “Jolly’s Rules of Foot Surgery,” which helped put residents at ease. One of these rules was “sew something to something.” Another common reassuring line from Dr. Jolly was “Don’t worry. If you break it, I can fix it.”

    “What he was phenomenal at was giving us the gift of confidence,” recalls Dr. Satterfield. “Gary Jolly was a renaissance man and he took all of us along for the ride. When I came along, about 20 years ago, he had decided he wanted to become an educator and he made me one too.”

   Peter Blume, DPM, FACFAS, recalls being two weeks into his residency in the summer of 1992 when it was recommended that he participate in a case with Dr. Jolly at the New Britain General Hospital. When Dr. Blume called the hospital to see what the case was, he was told it was listed as “correction of deformity.” In that case, he says he learned “how to take a foot apart and put it back together.”

    “From there on in, I knew it was useless to call to find out what the case was because (Dr. Jolly) always listed it as ‘correction of deformity,’” explains Dr. Blume. “This could mean absolutely anything but ultimately resulted in the most phenomenal teaching opportunity any resident could be involved in.”

   Guido A. LaPorta, DPM, FACFAS, first met Dr. Jolly in 1973 when he was a third-year student at the Pennsylvania College of Podiatric Medicine (PCPM). He says it was apparent early on that Dr. Jolly would have a distinguished career. Dr. LaPorta cites Dr. Jolly’s contributions to the literature, innovative lectures and fellowship training of his “academic kids.”

    “Gary’s passion was education,” recalls Dr. LaPorta. “ … His personal and professional energy made us proud of who we are and what we do.”

    “(Dr. Jolly) was a visionary,” maintains Mary Crawford, DPM, FACFAS. “He saw ways to open doors and move forward beyond the degree of doctor of podiatric medicine and into the specialty of surgeons of the foot and ankle. … He left behind a legacy of surgeons and friends to carry on his vision.”

   G. “Dock” Dockery, DPM, FACFAS, who has been a close friend of Dr. Jolly’s over the last 15 years, recalls many joint vacation trips with their spouses, including the last one in Italy.

    “It was a great trip filled with countless hours of talking and drinking fine Italian wines,” offers Dr. Dockery. “Gary was open when it came to discussing life and death. He knew he was terminal but continued to say that he would never give up. It was his way.”

   Christopher L. Hendrix, DPM, FACFAS, another one of Dr. Jolly’s former residents, recalls an innovative thinker, master surgeon and someone who always sought the most positive aspects of any situation.

    “We can choose moment by moment to step toward a bigger and better life,” says Dr. Hendrix. “Gary Jolly lived his life and he wanted all of us to have a life that was more meaningful than anything we dreamed possible.”