Heroes worth remembering, emulating

The front page of Friday's Appeal was all about heroes.

In one story, we read about how Ron Dean saved a little boy from the Carson River.

In another, we read about the funeral of Henry Stewart, who had been a doctor in Carson City since 1955. Actually, he was much more than that, as several letter writers have revealed in recent days.

In both of those stories, we learn about people who put the interests of others ahead of their own. Their examples are worth emulating.

The Carson City Board of Supervisors recognized Dean for jumping into the river and saving the 5-year-old boy, who had fallen out of a raft. He was given a standing ovation by those in attendance at the supervisors meeting.

"I'm just a dad," Dean said. "I hope anybody in that situation would have done the same thing."

Dr. Stewart saved lives in a different way, and deserves a standing ovation of his own. He was a part of the fabric of Carson City - one of only four doctors in town early in his career - and delivered hundreds of babies.

Driven by compassion, he continued to make house calls long after most doctors had stopped that practice. He wore older suits to save money, gave to charity, and offered his services free to those who were too poor to pay. He even prayed for his patients and other doctors.

Even in his last days, Dr. Stewart was helping people, visiting seniors who had been his patients for years.

Dr. Stewart was remembered at his funeral as being a model for what a doctor should be, but that phrase is too limiting.

He clearly is a model for what all human beings should be.