Dallas Hoadley's smile was contagious, and even the walls of a hospital couldn’t stop it from spreading.
Hoadley spent years volunteering at the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute, a state hospital located on Inova Fairfax’s main campus, just south of the Arlington Boulevard and Gallows Road intersection. He died Nov. 18, 2006, from cancer complications at the age of 83, but the staff members he helped have made sure his memory stays alive.
“He had the ability to work with some of the most challenging patients here,” said April Masick, an occupational therapist.
The occupational therapist team at the institute dedicated the occupational therapy room to Hoadley last month. They hung a plaque in his honor, and everyday they remember what he did for their hospital. They remain in awe about what one man could accomplish during a few hours, just one day a week.
“He really helped people succeed,” said Audrey Sigurdson, an occupational therapist at the hospital.
Occupational therapy at a mental health hospital is a challenging job. The therapists teach skills like cooking, money management, work skills and gardening. Since NVMHI is a state institution, one of two state mental health facilities in Fairfax County, the patients often have more severe issues than private hospital patients would, said Bea D Moura Castro, the occupational therapy supervisor at NVMHI. The institute takes patients without insurance or Medicaid, and they don't have arbitrary time limits on patients' stays, whereas many private institutions release patients once the insurance stops paying.
"We find it really challenging to get patients interacting, she said. "That's what was so amazing about Dallas; he could do that."
Hoadley worked on arts and crafts with patients, and he had a magical way of connecting with them. The patients used to ask when he’d be back. They looked forward to seeing him every week, said Sharon Letourneau, director of psychosocial rehabilitation services. Since the patients have more complex illnesses than in private hospitals, it made Hoadley's work there all the more valuable, said Letourneau.
"He had a way of having just natural interactions with them," said Masick.
Hoadley had a distinguished career in both the media and the military. He served as an Army colonel for 24 years. He was an active church member, helping establish the Springfield Christian Church in the 1950s, and the Fairfax Christian Church in the 1960s, said Sandy Smith, director of volunteer services at NVMHI.
"He was so open and non-judgmental, and I learned [at his memorial service] that was true during his whole life, " said Letourneau.
The American Cancer Society sponsors a national volunteer week every April, so the therapists at NVMHI want to make this year a special one for Hoadley. Since he volunteered his time not only at the institute, but at churches and through the Fairfax Host Lions Club, the NVMHI staff is going to volunteer some of their time to honor his memory, said Castro. They haven't figured out what to do yet, but they all agree that his memory will never die.
"He really embraced people from different cultures and religions," said Letourneau.