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Just as the publicity/fundraising appeal went out, one of the “matriarchs” of the HD community passed away. Gerleine Schoonover passed away on February 28th.
Gerleine was one of the first people Marie met at her first HDSA Convention in Denver in 1998. She supported Bike for the Cure every year (in 2003 she met up with Charlotte and Marie in the hill country of Texas and rode her bike a few miles. She was a caregiver par excellence both in her family and in the HD Community.
The following was borrowed from Gerleine’s Facebook account. It was written by Jimmy Pollard, one of the great “patriarchs” in the HD Community.
Many of us have lost a dear friend. The Huntington’s Disease movement has lost a pioneering giant. Aging and accompanying infirmities contribute to falling out of touch with even our most cherished friends. Her daughter-in-law asked Gerleine’s close friend and partner in so many Huntington’s related activities over decades, Shirley Colyer, to help spread the word. I’m honored to help Shirley, who’s not active on social media, do it, as sad as it is. If you knew Gerleine and are just learning this, I share your sadness. I also share your smiles as you look back on your good times spent with her. And then, as you think of her, I share your estimation of her as a giant in our movement to do something about HD. If there was a map of Huntingtonland, where San Antonio would be, it says “Gerleine.” And for decades, where the entire state of Texas lies, it says “Gerleine.” Even if you didn’t know her well, you might recall the woman who wore a big white cowboy hat, fully covered with pins and buttons about HD, to conferences, conventions, and meetings. First, atop her red hair, later atop her snow-white hair flowing out from under the heavy hat, growing heavier year by year as she accumulated buttons. I remember her wearing it proudly at the podium as she welcomed us all to the HDSA Convention in Dallas not so many years ago. Many of you have lugged and lifted lots of “stuff” in and out of support group and regional meetings…brochures, booklets, books, stickers, swag and snacks. Maybe no one more so than Gerleine. She kept everything and made it available to a “new” family or now newly relevant to another family. Her involvement goes back to Marjorie Guthrie before there was HDSA. I suspect that’s why she was so committed to finding, welcoming, connecting, and embracing “new” families. With all the interpersonal politics that come with growing movements, she stayed above it all, reminding us of “the big picture” because she and others started with a blank canvas. I was privileged to be a guest speaker at the San Antonio support group several times and to hang out with her, Shirley, Cathy and Curtis Harrell. After the meetings they exposed me to San Antonio’s primo barbecue and Tex-Mex joints. Such wonderful memories. Later, as her eyesight diminished, she trusted me enough to send me boxes of historic HD documents from years ago for safe keeping. As I type this, even more memories of good times shared and lessons learned pop into my mind, too many to write about here. So I’ll stop. One more thing, though. When there’s a cure for HD, it’ll have Gerleine’s fingerprints on it. And if cures can wear hats, it’ll be wearing Gerleine’s big ol’ white cowboy hat full of “Cure HD!” buttons!!! Rest in peace, my teacher. We carry on.