'Pitiful or Powerful take your pick'

By Fr. Bernard Coughlin S.J.

On the Fourth of July in 1979, a massive brain aneurism devastated his world and all but brought his life to an end. At a hospital in Olympia, he practically lived in the emergency room; they nearly lost him five times. He could neither walk nor talk, nor use his right side, neither think nor relate with what transpired around him. For the rest of 1979, he was paralyzed, senseless and mostly mindless, in Group Health Hospital in Seattle.

G. Kenneth O'Mhuan grew up in Spokane, attended Gonzaga Prep, Gonzaga University for two years, then St. Vincent Monastery and College in Pennsylvania, where he graduated. Returning to Spokane, via University of Chicago, he enrolled in the Gonzaga School of Law, graduating in 1969. He formed memorable friendships with his classmates, remembering with special fondness Stan Moore, John Messina, Ron Webster, and Han), "The Greek" Platis.

J.D. in hand, Ken clerked for Justice Marshall Neill at the State Supreme Court. In the remainder of the 70s combined a private law practice with his position as chief counsel to the House Judiciary Committee. In those years, he says: "I discov­ered that I intensely loved the law and lawyering."

In 1980, Ken returned to Olympia. A few months later, an angel was sent into his fife. Dr. Stewart Pritchard, whom he had met while practicing law, found him and said, "I know the medical books say that 90 percent of recovery must take place in the first six months, or recovery is hopeless. But I want you to know that you can be an exception to that rule if you will do it." Pritchard introduced him to Ed Odegaard, owner of the Turnwater Valley Racquet Club, who pledged the facilities of the Club, at no cost, if Ken would commit to the work. This was 24 years ago and such "counterattacks" were all but unheard of.

"Pitiful or powerful, take your pick," said Ken. He soon learned that his armsand legs are only as good as his mind. The Club equipment was designed for normal working arms and legs.

"In order to make my body work, I first had to make the mind work to invent ways to take on the challenges I faced." But he thought: "If I can do it here, I can do it outside."

He discovered, as he emerged from the realms of silence to the world of speech, that his sounds were different from others, being a flat monotone, void of energy and inflection. Then another angel appeared in the person of a voice trainer, experienced in working with opera singers, who was willing to teach him singer's breathing. "In six weeks training, I started to get some inflection back in my voice. Go figure!"

The next angel he knew well. His little daughter Heather recognized that her daddy couldn't read. Sitting beside him, she took out her books, beginning with "Saggy Baggy Elephant," and taught him to read again and to read aloud. He knew then that his mind and memory were coming back.

Progress was uncertain and slow. Year six passed, and seven, eight and nine. My God," he thought, "ten years, and I'm, still working at it. Still different from others and so isolated, I need to get away." He called it, "going to ground." He moved to Whidbey Island and spent several years, in his words, "encountering my new self" It was a painful time, but he felt he had to do it before he could return to the mainstream. In 1990, he was elected port commissioner of South Whidbey, virtually a volunteer position, but he finally had a foot in the mainstream again.

Ken's odyssey was in its 15th year when another group of angels came along some old law school buddies - Webster and Moore, Messina and Platis, who encouraged Ken to get back into law and offered financial support. The time was right, they said, to trust himself at professional levels again.

And he did. And he made it. So today, after almost 25 ears, you will find, at 1860 Scott Road in Freeland, Whidbey Island, Wash., the prospering Law Office of G. Kenneth O'Mhuan. Two genial paralegals will greet you and an assistant usher you to Whidbey Island's popular attorney whose legal competence, character and courage are known throughout the region.

Ken speaks with pleasure of his daughter, Heather, who has worked in Washington, D.C., as a study director with the National Academy of Sciences, and is now at Tulane University, completing doctoral studies in international public health.

My visit with Ken was refreshing, greatly inspiring. He looks upon his fife as especially blessed. "Everyone faces challenges in life. I happen to have had some near‑death experiences at a younger age. They have brought me closer to God, I've seen Him in every angel who came my way; He's been with me, guiding and making people available to me at perfect times."

"You ask why I have included Gonzaga University in my trust? Who knows what my future wealth will be. I do know that I appreciate the excellence and friendship received at Gonzaga. Besides, in due course I expect Gonzaga Law to be ranked in the 'Top 20,'too. (Why stop at basketball?) And if I can encourage other Zag lawyers, like my law mates encouraged me, I am happy to do that."

Ken, you are an honor to your alma mater and to the legal profession. Future students for years to come will be inspired by the legacy of your story and your gift. May God continue to bless you in the years to come.

To learn more about estate planning, call Jane Orr, Director of Planned Giving, at I 800-388-0881 or visit www.gonzaga.edu/plannedgifts.