Yong Kee Jeon, rural health pioneer and namesake of New-Wes-Valley clinic, dies at 91
Remembered for his dedication, humble demeanor
A South Korean doctor whose career took him to a Newfoundland outport — and where he had such an influence that a cottage hospital was named after him — has died.
Dr. Yong Kee Jeon, who was so renowned for his compassion and long hours of rural medical service that he was the subject of a CBC Land & Sea documentary in 2009, died Sunday. He was 91.
Born in Korea in 1928, Jeon came to Newfoundland and Labrador in 1966 for what was supposed to be a short-term stint. He would spend the rest of his career working with residents of coastal communities.
Two years later, he settled in Brookfield, Bonavista Bay, working with patients in the New-Wes-Valley area. His dedication to medicine and his patients was recognized in 2015, when the Brookfield health centre was renamed the Dr. J.K. Jeon Kittiwake Health Centre in his honour.
Ken Hoyles, a lab technician who worked with Jeon for many years, called Jeon's arrival in the central Newfoundland town a "gift from God," and that the area was a perfect fit for him.
"He loved the place and he loved the people," said Hoyles. "It was a small outport cottage hospital where he enjoyed the outdoors and all those things that went along with it."
From the archives: Watch the Land & Sea profile, titled Dr. Jeon:
Jeon studied medicine at Severance Union Medical School in Seoul in the 1950s. From there, he completed an internship and residency in orthopedics in New York City, before moving to Old Perlican with his wife, Suk-Gue.
Hoyles said Jeon's dedication to patients was unsurpassed.
"He basically lived at the hospital — his residence was just across the yard. It was normal for him to spend a hundred or so hours a week in the hospital. There were times when literally he never went home for days," he said.
Hoyles said Jeon's way with people, and the way he treated everyone working at the hospital — no matter their role — was something that set him apart from many physicians of the day.
Jeon was the recipient of many awards and accolades over the years, including being named the Canadian Family Practitioner of the Year in 1988, and an honorary lifetime membership to the Newfoundland and Labrador Medical Association in 2013.
Known as a kind, gentle doctor
Hoyles said he spent long hours assisting Jeon, and his attitude toward his work and his patients never changed.
"He was such a gentle, humble, compassionate person and his demeanour never, ever changed whether it was five in the morning or five in the evening. He always had that little giggle in his voice and a little step that he had, dance step that he had. He was such a remarkable individual."
Hoyles is not alone in his admiration of Jeon.
Health Minister John Haggie, a retired surgeon who worked for many years in central Newfoundland, knew Jeon well as a colleague and friend. Haggie paid tribute to Jeon's contributions to medicine at Tuesday's COVD-19 briefing.
"He was a man who was loved by his patients, a great colleague, and a really sharp, clinical mind," Haggie said. "From a grateful province to a grieving family — we will remember him, too."
While a small, family funeral service has already taken place, Holyes said he hopes there will be a larger celebration of Jeon's life and legacy at a later date.
With files from the Newfoundland Morning Show
