LEEON “DOC” ALLER, M.D.

Leeon F. Aller, Jr. M.D., a 1937 graduate of West Seattle High School, passed away at the age of 88 on October 14, 2008. Dr. Aller, also a graduate of the University of Washington and the University of Pennsylvania Medical School, was the National Family Doctor of the year in 1987. Dr. Aller was awarded the Silver Star for his service as a combat medic in World War II and had a distinguished medical career, especially in the areas of family medicine, emergency care in the wilderness, and tropical diseases. Dr. Aller was a prominent figure in the Boy Scouts, mountain search and rescue, criminal rehabilitation, and was a dedicated medical volunteer in Africa and Latin America, where Dr. Aller and his wife, Virginia, established basic medical and educational institutions that continue to serve the local population today. Dr. Aller was a founding member of the Snohomish Family Medicine Clinic, the Hands for Peacemaking Foundation, and was a tireless advocate for good health, fitness, and spiritual well-being. He was preceded in death by his honored parents, Leeon Sr. and Birdie, prominent members of the West Seattle community. In addition to his wife, Virginia, he is survived by his sister, Annabelle Cable of West Seattle, his brothers, William and George, his son, Leeon III, his daughter, Lisa Larson, and the countless people on four continents whose lives he changed for the better. A Celebration of Dr. Aller’s life was held on November 1, 2008 at the First Presbyterian Church in Snohomish.

Published November 5, 2008 in the West Seattle Herald.