Richard Marks, tour guide and resident of Kalaupapa leprosy colony, dies at 79

[bijou]

Richard Marks, who educated tourists on the Hawaiian island of Molokai about Hansen's disease and the history of the Kalaupapa leprosy settlement and helped the state end its forced quarantine of the colony, has died. He was 79.

Marks, who had been ill for years, died Tuesday at a care home on Molokai, where he was banished more than five decades ago, said his wife, Gloria. His death leaves 23 aging resident-patients at Kalaupapa from the more than 8,000 who had been sent there by the state.

Marks served as the local sheriff, historian and spokesman. He and his wife had operated the peninsula's lone tour service, Damien Tours, since 1966. He also was instrumental in getting Kalaupapa designated as a national historic park in 1980.

Marks' advocacy and outspokenness about how he and other leprosy patients were ostracized, despite drugs that controlled the disease, led the state to reverse in 1969 the quarantine policy that had been instituted by the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1866. ...

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-marks16-2008dec16,0,3418269.story

Interesting tale, he did so much with his life after an unpromising beginning.

[Sweet Dee]

Bijou, crazy you posted this! I'm reading a book right now about the history of Molokai and the development of leprosy in Hawai'i.  It's called The Colony, it's a fantastic read!!  Some pretty terrible history there.  The way lepers were treated back then, it's pretty startling to read.

[bijou]

Bijou, crazy you posted this! I'm reading a book right now about the history of Molokai and the development of leprosy in Hawai'i.  It's called The Colony, it's a fantastic read!!  Some pretty terrible history there.  The way lepers were treated back then, it's pretty startling to read.

Synchronicity! It is amazing how recent all this was when you think that treatments were available and still people were sent away.