Creating community and forging relationships that you will carry with you forever is what we do at Valpo. Our intentional way of seeking out connection based on mutual understanding, kindness, and empathy fuels our tradition of being home to hundreds of students, staff and faculty who are seeking that connection.
Katie Leach, Ph.D., chemistry faculty member, was not expecting to find an extremely active community. She certainly did not expect to find colleagues that she would later come to cherish as family, but she ultimately did. And with that strong familial relationship came an even stronger sense of grief and loss when one of her closest colleagues was diagnosed with a disease that tragically took his life.
“I was hired at Valpo during the summer of 2011 and that’s when I got to know Jon Schoer,” Professor Leach said. “He was one of my colleagues in the chemistry department, and what I loved about our relationship is that we were all really close like family. For example, when I had kids, Jon covered my three-hour lab when one was sick so that I could take care of them, and that’s just the kind of person he was. He always showed up.”
Jonathan Schoer, Ph.D., former Associate Professor of Chemistry, was a respected and loved professor here at Valpo. He passed away on May 30, 2020 of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Professor Leach recounted just how hard it was to see such a dear friend lose a battle that unfortunately has no known cure.
“It basically felt like torture to watch as Jon’s disease progress. It was so hard because there was nothing I could do to help. Nothing anyone could do. Jon’s mind was healthy, but he was trapped in his own body,” Professor Leach explained.
Jon was diagnosed with ALS February 2019, which came as a shock to his colleagues as they all witnessed him to be the picture of health. Professor Leach recounted how he consistently outwalked all of his colleagues during the Summer Step challenge on campus because he refereed soccer games, walked his dog, and biked to work. He was always in motion. When he shared the news with the chemistry department everyone was in shock, but also immediately asked how they could help.
“When Jon was still living here, the department was really trying to help him out,” Professor Leach said. “I would make him meals every week. I think one of the most frustrating things about this whole ordeal that Jon had to go through was not only that he had the most aggressive form of ALS, but that he had to deal with this during the pandemic.”
Jon moved back to Iowa to be closer to family and Katie and her VU chemistry colleagues visited him there multiple times. During their last visit in March 2020, there were strict limitations on visits to the short-term rehab center he had moved into because of the pandemic. The facility was not allowing visitors, but Jon’s wife explained that this group was Jon’s chemistry family. The facility made an exception and allowed them to visit Jon. Luckily, they were able to see Jon during this visit because it was unfortunately the last time they would see him. But Professor Leach has found her own way to help honor his memory and his wish to provide funding for research to gain more knowledge about this disease.
“Jon had made it clear that he wanted to donate his body to science but when he did pass, they wouldn’t take it because restrictions due to the pandemic,” Professor Leach said. “And it was just the ultimate sacrifice that he wanted to make, so people can do research and learn more about this disease to find a cure. He wasn’t able to do that, which was just entirely awful. So, I decided that I had to do something for him. A friend told me about the Chicago Marathon and I found that there was a team ALS and I knew I had to join. Running in this race is another way to get research done in his honor and to honor that wish that he had.”
The Chicago Marathon is held every October and hosts various fundraisers and teams. It is the fourth-largest race by number of finishers worldwide, according to their official website. Professor Leach will run in this year’s Chicago Marathon, on Oct. 8, 2023, as a member of Team ALS — which has 200 runners and joins together those who have experienced the same tragic loss.
“The Chicago ALS Chapter had a meet and greet for the Team ALS runners and I went to meet other members on the team. Everyone on the team is really wonderful and it’s hard to hear their stories, ones about parents or spouses who came down with ALS and passed away,” Professor Leach explained. “And there were some people who never ran a race before in their life, but they chose to be a part of Team ALS. Those people are incredible! I am an avid runner and I feel nervous about running 26.2 miles in one day, but they signed up to run the marathon. It’s so moving to see. For me, finishing is winning. It feels great to do this for Jon.”
Professor Leach has invited Jon’s family to attend the race and watch her finish and has promised to make homemade treats for all the donors who donate on Jon’s behalf to Team ALS. And though he has passed, the department still reminisces fondly on memories they had together and finds inspiration from Jon’s love of teaching and unwavering kindness.
“I love teaching students, but what I love about Valpo is my department, my community,” Professor Leach says. “When I worked in the industry, I never really realized how often I saw my coworkers, probably more than family. But even when I’m not teaching, I enjoy coming here and having my Thursday lunches with the department.”
Jon’s story lives on through the Schoer Spring Science Symposium which is an annual conference held at Valpo. This year’s conference will take place Saturday, Sept. 16, and will focus on neurodegenerative diseases, including ALS.
Professor Leach will honor his memory as a friend and colleague in October during her race, but she will carry the memories and true friendship that soon became familial ties, with her forever. Jon will be remembered as the man who always wore a smile and never walked away from someone who needed his help and Professor Leach hopes to keep that memory alive.
To help Professor Leach raise money for Team ALS to fund research, support and advocacy for ALS patients, please visit: http://webchicago.alsa.org/goto/katieleach