‘One of a kind’: Jacksonville community honors life, legacy of Dr. Leon Haley Jr.

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UF Health Jacksonville CEO died successful idiosyncratic watercraft mishap successful July

Jacksonville assemblage honors life, bequest of Dr. Leon Haley Jr.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A assemblage memorial work was hosted successful Jacksonville Friday for Dr. Leon Haley Jr., the CEO UF Health Jacksonville who died successful a WaveRunner mishap successful South Florida successful July.

Haley was laid to remainder successful his hometown of Pittsburgh successful July.

He was wide celebrated for his enactment successful the aesculapian assemblage and beyond.

In 2017, Haley moved to Jacksonville and became the dean of the University of Florida College of Medicine.

A twelvemonth later, helium was chosen arsenic the UF Health Jacksonville’s archetypal Black CEO.

During a moving virtual assemblage memorial work Friday, helium was remembered arsenic a antheral who whitethorn person been tiny successful stature, but who’s scope covered an full community

“Dr. Haley connected america to 1 different and connected communities to each different done shared principles of communal quality decency and inclusion,” said Dr. David Nelson, president of UF Health. “But bridges bash much than connect, they let america to scope caller places, illustration caller courses and recognize caller destinies. They forge a roadworthy wherever a roadworthy erstwhile seemed impossible. That consciousness of changeless perpetual question forward, coupled with a keen unmatched consciousness of compassion made Dr. Haley 1 of a kind.”

The time earlier Haley’s tragic accident, helium was connected the surgical level astatine UF Health Jacksonville, administering COVID vaccines successful what proved to beryllium his past time astatine the hospital.

He is remembered arsenic an inspiration. A antheral who went supra and beyond.

“I conscionable deliberation God wanted him up successful eden sooner than we wanted him,” said erstwhile Mayor John Delaney, who served connected the Civic Council with Haley. “They don’t request a infirmary up there, but they whitethorn request idiosyncratic to commencement a fire. I truly miss Leon, the assemblage misses him. Godspeed.”

There was a recurring taxable astatine the virtual memorial, Haley’s words reverberate successful the halls of UF Heath each day, and helium is inactive with them and volition ever unrecorded connected successful their hearts.