Lois Thetford, PA, was one of the first people I met when I moved to Seattle from Baltimore in late 1994. She worked at the 45th Street Clinic, a longstanding community health clinic that she helped start. At the time I met her, she was running their women’s clinic, and later on, I worked alongside her as a provider at their homeless youth clinic. And so much more. Homeless services advocacy, faculty preceptor for the student-run University District Street Medicine program, faculty member at the University of Washington’s MEDEX Program. Lois was warm, funny, compassionate, and gifted as a teacher and a healthcare provider. A mother, grandmother, quilter, tap dancer. I remember her tap dancing while singing “When I’m Sixty Four” at the end of a youth clinic staff meeting on her sixty-fourth birthday. She died a few days ago and will be sorely missed by her family, friends, former patients, advocates, and community members.
Some years back, I interviewed Lois about her amazing work. You can listen to the interview here.
And here are photos I have of Lois over the years.
RIP to a mighty force. 💔❤️