Thomas Merrell Leenhouts |
| Posted 2008-11-20 by Judy Wight Branson |
| The Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff, Arizona Thursday, February 3, 2006 Thomas Merrell Leenhouts, M.D., died Thursday, Jan. 26, 2006. The long-time northern Arizona physician, philanthropist, and humanitarian, age 74, died from cancer at the Flagstaff Medical Center. Dr. Leenhouts first arrived in Sedona with his parents, the late Margaret Ward Leenhouts and Willis Ralph Leenhouts, in 1951 and went on to become one of northern Arizona's most influential citizens with his active involvement in the medical, educational, and cultural institutions of the state. Dr. Leenhouts was named a Leader of the City of Sedona in 1988 and Philanthropist of the Year by the Greater Sedona Community Foundation in 2003. A charter member of the Arizona Ophthalmological Society since 1963, Dr. Leenhouts received his bachelor of science in chemistry in 1953 from the University of Arizona and M.D. from the University of Michigan in 1957. While at the University of Michigan, he was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. An interest in diseases and surgeries of the eye led him to an internship in San Francisco, a residency at the University of Michigan Hospital, and his M.S. in ophthalmology in 1963. Dr. Leenhouts interrupted his residency to serve in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He earned the rank of captain and became Chief of Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Medicine at the 32nd U.S. Air Force Hospital in Minot, N.D. After his honorable discharge in 1963, Dr. Leenhouts settled in Flagstaff to begin a private ophthalmology practice. Dr. Leenhouts practiced in various cities and hospitals throughout the state, most notably the Flagstaff Medical Center (1963-72), Marcus J. Lawrence Hospital in Cottonwood (1975-96), and as a private physician in Sedona from 1978 until his retirement in 1996. During his years as a physician he was a member of numerous medical societies including Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology, Pacific Coast Oto-Ophthalmological Society, Member of the American Intra-Ocular Implant Society, and the Kerato-Refractive Society. In 1985, Dr. Leenhouts was awarded the Odd Fellow-Rebekah Samaritan Award for his volunteer medical service at Arizona eye clinics in rural and underserved areas of the state. In 1996 he received a Special Recognition Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology of the University of Michigan Department of Ophthalmology Alumni Association. Dr. Leenhouts loved music and participated in the cultural life of each community in which he lived. In order to earn money for college he played saxophone at clubs in Tucson. Later, he taught himself to play the cello and became a member of the Flagstaff Symphony, an activity he enjoyed for more than 30 years. When Sedona residents began a local band, he signed up for that, too, as a clarinetist. The cultural institutions of Northern Arizona greatly benefited from his time as a volunteer. Dr. Leenhouts was president of the Flagstaff Community Concert Association from 1965-66 and a member of the City of Sedona Arts and Cultural Commission from 1989-91, serving as its chairman from 1990-91. An early supporter of the Sedona Chamber Music Society, now Chamber Music Sedona, he served as president from 1992-96. Under his leadership the Society became one of the premiere arts organizations in the nation presenting concerts by internationally acclaimed performers from the Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Guitar Quartet and The Franz Schubert Trio of Vienna. In 1992 the Chamber Music Society was one of five national organizations to be awarded the prestigious "Presenter Expansion Program" grant by Chamber Music America. Most recently, Dr. Leenhouts served on the board of the Sedona Arts Center in 2000-03 and was a co-founder of the Verde Valley Sinfonietta, the valley's first orchestra, which gave its first concert in January of 2006. Educational institutions in Sedona benefited from his energy as well. He was a founding member of Citizens for Quality Education in 1991 and was elected to the Sedona-Oak Creek Unified School District Board in 1996. Dr. Leenhouts served on the board four years and acted as its Governing Board President from 1998-2000. During his tenure, advanced placement classes were started at Sedona High School and the first voter approved budget override was passed in order to keep music and arts in the schools. A strong supporter of educational choice, Dr. Leenhouts was Board Member and Vice President of the Terra Rosa Charter School. Throughout his years in Sedona, Dr. Leenhouts was very concerned about the quality of civic life as the community grew from a small Arizona village to a booming tourist destination. In the 1980s, Dr. Leenhouts joined others in the community to form the Citizens for Incorporation leading to the 1987 formation of the City of Sedona. He was named a Leader of Sedona in 1988 for this accomplishment. Concerned about the city's development, Dr. Leenhouts became President of the Sedona Academy and of the Sedona Forums IV and V in 1987-89. Patterned after the Arizona Town Hall, the Sedona Academy recommended action on issues relating to Sedona's growth and development. Dr. Leenhouts was also a member of the Sedona Area Growth Evaluation Interagency Working Team from 1990-92. In addition to his professional and philanthropic life, Dr. Leenhouts was a devoted father and husband as well as an avid hobbyist. He loved golf and bowling and could frequently be found at the area's ski resorts. In 1968, Dr. Leenhouts earned his private pilot's license and took numerous trips around the Western U.S. His family remembers his unending interest in astronomy, photography, and electronics. Dr. Leenhouts is survived by his wife of 52 years, Millicent Earle Leenhouts; his children, William Thomas, David Earle, Margaret Anne, James Merrell; four grandchildren; and his brother James Ward Leenhouts. A Thomas M. Leenhouts, M.D. Northern Arizona Endowment for the Arts has been created to leave a lasting legacy of Dr. Leenhouts' passion for music and education. Donations to the endowment can be made to the Greater Sedona Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Arizona Community Foundation, at P.O. Box 558, Sedona, AZ, 86339. Please specify the donation is for the T.M. Leenhouts Arts Endowment. His family would like to thank the many warm and faithful friends who made Dr. Leenhouts' life so rewarding and productive. A memorial service will be held at a later date. |
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