BY KAREN BOSSICK

St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation has established an endowment fund to carry forward the legacy of Dr. Terry O’Connor.

The endowment fund was launched with a $100,000 commitment from St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation Board members Buddy Wilton and Barbara Boswell. And it’s designed to carry forth O’Connor’s legacy by funding health initiatives in the Wood River Valley that align with the late doctor’s interests and compassionate work.

“Dr. O’Connor was a cornerstone of this community,” said Megan Tanous, chief development officer of the St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation. “Dr. O’Connor was a deeply altruistic individual, always eager to share his knowledge and expertise in the pursuit of improving the health and well-being of others and the community as a whole.”

O’Connor, who grew up in the Bay area, served as an Emergency Medicine physician at St. Luke’s Wood River and the EMS director of Blaine County until just before his death. He stepped up to lead the county through the COVID pandemic at a time when the county had the highest rate of COVID per capita in the nation.

He provided medical guidance on expeditions up Mount Everest, and he provided compassionate care to the poor in the Himalaya. Recently, he began educating health professionals on the impact of climate change on public health.

O’Connor passed away in late spring after he was caught in an avalanche while backcountry skiing in the Lost River Range near Mackay.

“He was a doctor’s doctor, a mountaineer’s mountaineer and a dedicated public servant,” said his obituary.

To learn more about the endowment, contact Betsy Mullins at mullinse@slhs.org or visit www.slwrf.org. Checks may be mailed to St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation at Box 7005, Ketchum, ID 83340.