North High Hall of Fame Inductee - 1991 Dr. Richard Curtis Wooters Class of June, 1942
Prominent Des Moines family medical practioner at Iowa Lutheran Hospital and Polk county Medical Examiner from 1966 top present (1991). (Later note: Retiring in 1995 as medical examiner of Polk County after more than 30 years and investigating 20,000 deaths. Dick combined professional competence and sincere personal compassion.)
Taken from the Spring 1989 issue of The Alumni Oracle. This is an interview recorded by Melanie Lewis, Register Staff Writer Describing him as "a gentle man in a world of grief and violence," the Sertoma Club of Des Moines honored Dr. R.C. Wooters, Polk county medical examiner, with its Service to Mankind award Tuesday. The Sertoma Club is a community-service organization that annually recognizes an area resident for his or her work in the community. Wooters, 63, was cited for his compassion and work with grief-stricken relatives, said Will Canine, chairman of the group's selection committee. An expert on grief, Wooters finds himself spending a majority of his time counseling and consoling relatives of those who have died accidentally or by violence. The task of telling someone a person close to them has died in those circumstances isn't an easy one. "the toughest thing that can happen is to lose a loved one," he said. Wooters notifies the next of kin in person rather than letting police do it. Armed not only with kind words and a sympathetic ear, Wooters also carries literature from support groups designed to help the bereaved. Become Familiar In the early days, he would have a neighbor with him while he told the family, but now he's such a well-known person, he doesn't need that familiar face with him. "Many people say, "I'm glad it's you because I've heard about you," said Wooters. That familiarity can also strike terror into a person's heart just as did an officer coming to the door in war time. "It's bad if I'm only asking for directions," Wooters joked. A sense of humor and his strong faith in God helps him get through the day and night when he routinely faces death, Wooters said. "I believe there is more to life than we see here, and death is not the worst thing that can happen to you," he said. Wooters is an active member of the Windsor Heights Lutheran Church. Still he is not immune to the pain a person experiences when told about a death. "The hardest ones are suicides and infant and children's deaths," Wooters said. Wooters is responsible for investigating and certifying deaths in Polk County. He goes to homicides, suicides, accidents, sudden deaths, and the deaths of those who were terminally ill but not under a doctor's care. Wooters has about 800 to 900 cases a year and is paid $75. per case by the county. Editor's note: Dr. Wooters is from the North High Class of 1942.
Residing in Windsor Heights, IA 50311.
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