Michael Quinn dies

[David Kent Warkentin]

Michael Quinn had a massive stroke on Saturday, January 24th.
He was at a conference in Maui with his wife April.
He went into a deep coma, continued to hemorrhage, and his heart was failing.
He died at 2:30 PST on Wednesday.

He was 58.
Very very very sad.....
I don't understand how people can be so gone; that it is so final.

Michael was one of the true enthusiasts of Homeopathy.
He studied homeopathy in the 1970s in Madison and through the twists and turns of life eventually became an allopathic pharmacist - though his dream was to be a homeopathic pharmacist.
When he heard that we were starting the Hahnemann Clinic 25? years ago and that there might be need for an on-site pharmacist he was overjoyed.
The pharmacy he founded, the Hahnemann Pharmacy, was among the most careful and precise in the world. He began in our offices and as his reputation grew moved to huge offices across the bay. The remedies he made have touched many many people.
He has been a very good and loyal friend to all here for many years.
His death comes as a shock and he will be deeply missed.  I sure miss him.

Perhaps others will feel the urge to add stories about Michael....
(you have to be logged in with your name and password to make comments - but you only have to do it once)


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Michael said of himself:

Michael Quinn, Founder, President, and Chief Pharmacist of Hahnemann Laboratories, Inc.

    I first heard about Homeopathy in 1974. I studied and began practicing Homeopathy as a lay person for several years.  Because of my experience in and love of research laboratory work, I became professionally committed to Homeopathy, and decided to become a homeopathic pharmacist.

 Graduating from the Pharmacy School at Oregon State University in 1979, for six years I learned my profession as a hospital pharmacist at the University of California San Diego Medical Center, where my job titles were Senior Pharmacist and Supervisor of the Intravenous Admixture Service of the Department of Pharmacy.

     I started Hahnemann Laboratories Inc. in 1985, beginning first as a retail pharmacy devoted exclusively to providing homeopathic medicines to the patients of some of the finest homeopaths in the world, at the Hahnemann Clinic in Berkeley, California.

   After a year of dissatisfaction with the quality of the remedies available at that time, the doctors urged me to begin preparing the medicines myself. I consulted with an engineer and together we produced a homeopathic remedy preparation machine which makes remedies in as close a manner as possible to the traditional method of making remedies by hand. (For photos of and more information about this machine see Methods of Preparation.) Over the years, in my pharmacy I have prepared more and more of the homeopathic medicines myself on this machine.

     The doctors who used these medicines found them remarkably effective and referred my pharmacy to their colleagues. Demand for our remedies grew until, in 1997, we opened an FDA licensed homeopathic pharmaceutical laboratory, in addition to our pharmacy.

[Lourdes]

So sorry to hear, David.

I don't have much to tell about Michael except for the class he taught us at PAHM years ago. We learned how to make a remedy together. His enthusiasm was catching.  I am sorry to hear of his death. He will be missed.

Thanks for letting us know.

My thoughts are with his family.

Lourdes

[richard pitcairn]

What a shock to hear. I did not know him personally but quite aware of his work. He was the one that first helped us bring animal nosodes to the US from England. I wonder if this was completely unexpected to his family. If so, even more difficult to bear. As some of get older it we experience more the deaths of those we knew. I remember Julian Winston and knew him over a long period — another example of this. Makes of aware of our mortality.
I hope his work will continue at the pharmacy.
Richard

[Donna Powers]

I am so sorry to hear this. In the last week I have known two wonderful men in their 50's who have died suddenly. It is too soon and too sudden. What a loss for the family and for the homeopathic community. So much loss...what an amazing legacy to leave behind. With every remedy ordered, I will remember Michael.
donna powers, calgary

[Pamela Pappas]

David,

Thank you for sharing this very sad news, even though we don't want to hear this about someone so pivotal in homeopathy.  There is even now a Great Horned Owl hooting outside my home, as it has been each night for the past 2-3 weeks.  I didn't know what it was about until receiving this message about Michael Quinn today.  Synchronicity, maybe, but there it is.

I am grateful to Michael for his tenacity, his courage in creating the homeopathic pharmacy he did, and his amazing knowledge.  He helped many homeopaths get needed remedies that had never been prepared before, including giving me initial instructions on making a remedy from Pika.  Due to some communication lapses it was ultimately prepared by Helios, where it is now available for all.  But still, Michael shared with me about what was logistically needed, and I learned from him.  I also admired his ingenuity in creating products that would appeal to large medical markets -- SinECCH is what I am thinking of. 

Michael gave us all a lot, and we will miss him greatly.

In peace,
Pam Pappas   

[David Shapley]

Wow!  I'm just stunned.  He was such a blessing to homeopathy and I will miss his personal touch.  I pray there is someone to take up his work.

David Shapley

[Mitchell Fleisher]

I am so deeply saddened by the loss of Michael.  We spoke several times a week for many years when I called in my prescriptions and often shared stories about homeopathy, politics, philosophy, etc.  I feel such a heavy empty space in my heart, as if a piece of my daily life has evaporated.  He will be sorely missed.  He was such a fine human being.  May the Force be with him always.
Blessings and peace to Michael and his family,
Mitch

[Katharina Riedener]

I am sad and shocked, what a loss. Thank you Micheal for all the great work you have done for Homeopathy!
It seems like a lot of great people are leaving this world right now, my father died the same night as Michael. I trust that their journey is blessed, they willl be greatly missed be lots of people but their great work will keep them alive for us forever....
Katharina Riedener

[Kristy Lampe]

I can't imagine not seeing him at the Joint Homeopathic Conference in two months. He was ALWAYS there at each conference, and yes, he made the BEST remedies. We're sure going to miss him....

[Melanie-Grimes]

So much left for us to do to fill his big shoes.
Michael was instrumental in supporting new provings and new research and new remedies. His work with establishing Arnica into the mainstream was revolutionary, as was much of his thinking.

[melaniechimes]

I am stunned and so deeply saddened to hear of Michael's passing.  I have known Michael as a valued collegue for over 10 years. He has been unfailing in his generosity of spirit and knowledge. He has given so much to the homeopathic community at large, and to me and my patients specifically.
My deep gratitude to his many years of service......thank you Michael. Having never met his family, I hope it brings some comfort to you, in your time of loss, to know how much respect and appreciation Michael commanded in his service to homeopathy.
My thoughts and prayers are with you at this very sad time.
Melanie Chimes

[omagan]

david shalom
very sorry to hear these sad news
first met Michael at the Vithulkas seminar 1986
give our codolences to the family

Oded (an Israeli classical homeopath that worked for many years with Michael's pharmacy)

[David Kent Warkentin]

Yes.
a sad day.
I am touched to think of people in Israel already sharing the grief.

and I am reminded of how we are all temporary.
and some poems

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All men dream; but not equally.
Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds
Awake to find that it was vanity;
But the dreamers of day are dangerous men,
That they may act out their dreams with open eyes to make it possible.
T E Lawrence

[jlevatin]

I knew Michael both professionally and personally for many years. Although I did not see him often, when I did see him it was always a special occasion for me as he was so supportive, thoughtful, and generous, in addition to being innovative and very good at what he did professionally. A few years ago I visited him at the Laboratory in San Rafael. We went out to lunch, and while we were eating he shared with me the story of how he met his wife, April. Although I don’t remember the whole story, the image that sticks with me is Michael describing his heart opening up to April at a time when he thought he might not be able to love again. He talked about the joy they found in the love they felt for each other. I tell this personal anecdote to illustrate the character of this gentle, graceful man. I will miss him very much and offer my heartfelt condolences to his family.

[deborahlee]

Not a day goes by where I don't think about Michael, dispense a remedy, wonder if his pharmacy can help me find a new remedy, develop one for a proving, run up a little used remedy into a new LM potency, sort remedies in the drawers of the Quinn Kit -- he has contributed so heartily and generously to the world and history of homeopathy and helped so many of us along the way.  I wish comfort and blessings for his family and know that they will miss this big-hearted man even more than we will, which is a lot.