`DOC'S SHOTS'
Fundraiser for Hospice of Ukiah, and celebration of life of its founder
If you lived in Ukiah during the past 30 or so years, chances are you ran into Dr. Robert “Bob” Werra.
A family practice physician, Dr. Werra was a beloved member of the medical community. He passed away in June of 2023, and to celebrate his life Hospice of Ukiah, founded by Dr. Werra 42 years ago, is collaborating with Medium Gallery and the Werra family.
Many people may not know that Dr. Werra was a prolific photographer.
“Marlene Werra, Dr. Werra's wife, has generously donated dozens and dozens of photos that Dr. Werra took during their decades traveling around the world,” says Hospice's Executive Director Janet Denninger.
A special event, entitled “Doc's Shots,” takes place Friday, Feb. 23 at Ukiah's Medium Gallery from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The public is invited to enjoy wine, snacks, music and the doctor's photos, which will be available for purchase by a donation of your choice. Proceeds from the event will support the continuing work of Hospice.
Marlene, Bob and their children came to Ukiah in the late `60s. He was a man of diverse interests.
“Bob had a degree in philosophy,” says Marlene. “He was a Renaissance man who enjoyed life and loved to talk. He got to know a lot of people in our small town. I only took him grocery shopping one time, because he kept running into people he knew. I could hardly make it down the aisles because Bob would stop and talk to everyone! He had the best time talking
to people,” Marlene smiles.
His love of photography blossomed early in their marriage.
“When we were in the service, we were stationed in Kodiak, Alaska. There were only about 10 miles of roads — the rest of the time we hiked. We had two little kids which limited our activity. We purchased a camera at the PX store. Alaska's growing season is about three months, so in our free time, we wandered about and took pictures. We started taking flower pictures, and that's where it all started,” says Marlene.
Once they returned to California, Dr. Werra accepted a Family Practice residency in Modesto. “We were seeking family activities, so we bought a VW bus. We'd pile everyone in the car to look for flowers. I don't think the kids particularly appreciated it, but it was a family time,” Marlene says. “Photography was a side thing for a long time. Once the kids got to
be teens, I joined the Alpine Garden Society in England. Their magazines offered trips. I thought, `wouldn't that be neat to travel and have a botanist show us all these exotic plants?'”
Marlene read an article about the Himalayan Blue Poppy, which piqued her interest. “There was a trip advertised to go see it. I signed up and got a babysitter for the kids,” she says.
Bob and Marlene found themselves smack dab in the Himalayas during the peak of the monsoon season — which was when the poppies were blooming.
“The heavens would open up at about noon. Bob would hold the umbrella and I'd take a photo. These were plants we'd never seen in our lives. They were absolutely amazing. That was our first organized trip. The bug bit us. From then on, we'd put money aside to take one trip a year to take photos of flowers. It took us all over the world. We started when the kids were teens, and now they're 65, so that's how long we traveled.”
The Werras traveled all across the globe — even Antarctica. “There were no flowers there, so we took penguin pictures,” she laughs. Their last trip was just before the pandemic, to the mountains of Alaska.
One of their favorite places to visit was South Africa, because of the exotic flora and fauna. “Bob got interested in growing a lot of South African plants. He collected bulbs from all over the country and passed them on to other people interested in bulbs.” They also loved viewing and photographing Alpine plants — the tiny flowers that bloomed before the first snows.
Marlene also became a photographer. “Initially when we started out, I'd stay with the leader who pointed out the flowers, and Bob would come up from the rear. I'd point out the flowers he should photograph so we didn't miss anything.” Marlene would keep a notebook full of the plant identification notes. “Then we'd return and dump all of the slides out on the kitchen table,” she smiles.
A gall bladder attack prevented Dr. Werra from taking a trip to the Andes. “We had a friend who went in Bob's place, and Bob threw an extra camera in the bag for me. Our friend had physical problems that prevented him from hiking up to 10,000 feet, so I took over camera duties.”
In the space of a day, Marlene learned how to load film into the camera, and by the third day she was taking beautiful photos. “I came home with two weeks of photos of plants I'd never seen.” From then on, Marlene took a “reject” camera with her, and the pair would often take photos of the same flowers — but from their own unique perspectives. “We were dueling cameras from then on.”
Denninger has spent weeks going through the photos, making enlargements, matting and framing them for the fundraiser.
“There is a wide range of photos — animals, plants, landscapes and more. We gave away pictures at Bob's funeral as a souvenir of my husband,” Marlene says. She is thrilled to share this slice of their lives with the community — particularly because the proceeds will support Hospice.
“Hospice of Ukiah can always use the money. It is an amazing thing that this organization survives completely on donations — that they can pay all their nurses, a counselor and a social worker, and still provide services that are all free to the clients.”
Hospice was Dr. Werra's passion project, starting out four decades ago as a grassroots, volunteer organization dedicated to easing the suffering for dying patients and families — with no charge to patients.
Since its founding, Hospice has branched out, providing palliative care for those with long-term conditions such as dementia, Alzheimer's, COPD, congestive heart failure and renal or liver problems.
“We help people with chronic, debilitating problems that need the support of our team,” says Denninger. The staff of nine, which includes nurses, inhome health aides, a social worker and a chaplain, currently serves 93 individuals.
In an earlier interview, Dr. Werra said, “The word `hospice' comes from the Middle Ages, when pilgrims would seek places of refuge and hospitality along their pilgrimage route.” Cicely Saunders, the founder of the hospice system, was a London nurse who worked in a large hospital during the 1950s and `60s. “Cicely used that term because hospices are a refuge for people on their final pilgrimage,” Dr. Werra explained.
Now that Dr. Werra has embarked on his final pilgrimage, Marlene feels there is no better tribute than for people to purchase his photographs and enjoy them while supporting the organization he loved.
“It's been an amazing trip, and so much fun. We saw so many special places and created so many special memories. There is nothing better than taking a picture,” she concludes. David — the son-inlaw of Hospice friend and client Allan Barahal — says it best: “Hospice of Ukiah has made an impossible situation possible.”
Marlene Werra will be attending the fundraiser, and a tribute to Dr. Werra will take place at approximately 6 p.m. Music will be provided by Fair Wind. The Medium Gallery is located in the Pear Tree Shopping Center. For more information, phone (707) 462-4038.