R.I.P. Richard Marks

Travel Blog  •  Michael Yessis  •  12.17.08 | 9:38 AM ET

Marks suffered from leprosy, aka Hansen’s Disease. Like thousands of others with the disease, he was banished to the Kalaupapa leprosy colony on the Hawaiian Island of Molokai. Marks helped overturn the quarantine, and he remained on the island, operating a tour company and educating travelers about the disease. He also “achieved his goal of establishing Kalaupapa National Historical Park in 1980 with the help of late Hawai’i congresswoman Patsy Mink,” according to the obituary in the Honolulu Advertiser. He was 79.

Tags: National Parks, North America, United States, Hawaii, News and Briefs


1 Comment for R.I.P. Richard Marks

John M. Edwards 12.17.08 | 8:27 PM ET

Hi Michael:

I have to admit that I’ve never heard of Richard Marks, but his efforts to raise awareness about leprosy are laudable.

When I was in Darwin, Australia, a leper sidled up to me in a bar and asked, “Can I use your lighter?” Before I could respond, he had so, and I was left with a dilemma on my hands, near-biblical in its associations. The misshapen Aussie bloke obviously had “dry leprosy” (not contagious) and I only had one lighter to spark up my Winfield Blues out here in the desert. Needless to say, I left the lighter behind on the table and the image of the poor blighter from the Leper Colony.

John M. Edwards

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