Thomas F. Ednie

Thomas Frew Ednie died peacefully in his 80th year of life in the morning of April 26, 2011, at Bonner General Hospital where he had been admitted the evening before. An only child, Tom was born to Scottish parents in Munhall, PA on December 15, 1931. He was a brilliant student, his extracurricular interests being the learning of electrical theory and building of his ham radio equipment in the basement of the family home where he also constructed a Tesla Coil which he loved to use to demonstrate the power and use of electricity to make hair stand on end. He earned several Science Awards during high school and once appeared on the well-known radio show, The Whiz Kids as a local competitor. He was proud Eagle Scout and his merit badge sash has been kept all these years. He was awarded a full scholarship to the College of the University of Chicago which he attended following graduation from high school in 1948. His scholarships continued until after his second year in medical school. He graduated from what is now The Pritzger School of Medicine in 1955, having also earned Bachelor of Arts and Science Degrees in the span of six years. He married fellow student Natalie Allen on June 21, 1952 in a small chapel at the UofC. Tom needed his father's permission to marry at the age of 20. Natalie was 18. During his final year of medical school, he worked at Chicago Lying-In Hospital as an anesthetist from 4pm until midnight and Natalie worked on the same floor from midnight to 8am. They liked to say that their married life happened on the elevator during the change of shift. His medical internship at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, Quebec, was sponsored by the USAF in exchange for two years of service in the USAFMC. He was also obligated to serve two years under the Doctor Draft during the Korean Conflict and that set his course as a career officer. He served as Dispensary Commander of a staff of over 100 when he was 26, became a Flight Surgeon and was the father of three children by the age of 30. He trained as a psychiatrist at Walter Reed Army Hospital, following which, he was assigned as Chief of the Neuro-Psychiatric Service of the AF largest in-patient psychiatric hospital. His final position with the AF was as Chairman of the Neuro-Psychiatric Department, which was a teaching facility at Travis AFB in Fairfield, California. Following AF retirement, he took over a private psychiatric practice following the death of the psychiatrist, retiring from that practice six years later to join the Jesuit Volunteer Corps with Natalie and their three remaining children. They were assigned to Paschal Sherman Indian School in Omak, Washington, for two years as staff and resident family at the boarding school. Having discovered the great Northwest, in 1981, Tom decided to begin a psychiatric practice in the area and settled on Sandpoint when a filling fell out of his tooth while crossing the Long Bridge and his emergency dentist suggested he stay. He and Natalie had bought land on the range north of town in 1961 and were familiar with the area. He served the mentally ill here for fifteen years and retired following quadruple coronary by-pass surgery in l995. Tom was a private person, not easily involved in socializing. He made and treasured his friends and they did the same with him. He and Natalie had seven children, all born in different places. Their last child, Lucy, was born into his hands at home, which made a special connection between them. He had the privilege of experiencing Gestalt Therapy, studying with it's founder, Fritz Perls and was an admirer of historian/philosopher, Gregory Bateson, whom he knew during his last years. He was a student of the Bible when young and of the mind of God as he grew older. When he died, he was absolutely certain that he didn't know what was next,but that, whatever it was, God had created it and that was just fine with him. He was a maker of the family bread, a caretaker of his seven children, a huge support of Natalie in whatever she chose to do, and a careful, compassionate nurturer of his family, friends, patients and the planet. He leaves behind his wife, Natalie, sons David and Adam (Linda) of Sandpoint,Bruce of Connecticut; daughters Lorna Ross (Sandpoint), Becca Titus (Missoula), and Lucy (Jack Batsel) of Butte, MT. He also leaves 12 grandchildren. Memorial service will be Tuesday, May 3, 1:00 at Coffelt Chapel in Sandpoint, coffee and cookies following at the VFW Hall across the street. Memorial contributions may be made to Doctors Without Borders, PO Box 5023, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5023.