We created this page as a place for those who love Jim to share memories, stories, and anecdotes about him. All comments and stories submitted will be posted publicly as a comment below. This page will remain up on the website as a testament to Jim’s incredible impact.
Thank you to everyone who attended Jim’s funeral on Sunday, July 21. We will share a link of the Zoom recording over email when it’s available. If you’re not signed up for our emails, please click here to sign up.
Jim’s kindness and his infectious laugh will always stay with me. Once I called him at 6 pm on a Saturday night for medical advice. Rather than being bothered or cranky, he dispensed advice with kind humor and a chuckle – exactly what the situation warranted. Jim and all of you were brave and so loving these last years-and always. I’m humbled by your examples and love you.
He always exuded kindness, joy and humor.
Dr Ogan was an amazing pediatrician. I can’t count the house calls and night and evening calls when an emergency would pop up. He will be so missed and our thoughts and prayers are with his family!
Jim was one of the kindest, most thoughtful and most emotionally intelligent individuals that I ever met. I had the pleasure of presenting with him for The 2023 Koppaka Family Foundation Lecture in the Health Humanities on the topic of Sharing the Language of ALS. I had the goosebumps the entire time as I listened to him read from his blog. I will never forget the lessons I learned from him that day and in several of his other blog posts. It meant the world to me that he and his foundation were supportive of my approach and my research. Until the day comes when we can cure ALS, I will do everything in my power to cultivate hope in people living with this disease including incorporating outcome measures like the Jim’s ALS-TLS into my team’s assessments.
What a lovely man. He absolutely exuded love every time we took our children to him. And he had a crack sense of humor. We were honored to know him.
I knew Jim less as “Jim” and more as “Erin’s dad.” Some children, like Erin, mirror the love, kindness, respect, and strength of their parents into the world. Through Erin, I saw Jim as a truly remarkable person and father, whose indomitable generous spirit made such a difference to those around him.
I am so grateful to Jim and the family for bravely raising their voices to draw attention to the roadblocks those diagnosed with ALS and other terminal diseases face in seeking treatment. Jim and Peggy’s testimony in front of the Senate’s Committee on Aging in October 2023 was an insightful, powerful rally to action to provide individuals with serious illnesses timely access to developing medicines and technologies.
Dr. Ogan was one of a kind. He was one of the kindest and most thoughtful individuals I have ever met. When my son was only a few days old we had a pretty bad snowstorm. Dr. Ogan, did not reschedule our visit. Instead, he drove to my house about 30 minutes from the Charlottesville area in what I believe was over 6 inches of snow and ice to see my son. I will be forever grateful for the exceptional care he provided my son. His dedication and kindness have truly made a significant and lasting impact on so many lives. He will be dearly missed by many. Sending my deepest condolences to his family.
Jim, always “Dr. Ogan” to us, was such a gift to our family. I was grateful that our friends who’d started the parenthood journey a year and a half before we did had raved about him and encouraged us to go to his special practice. Jim never minimized our concerns over our generally healthy children. He always seemed to be evaluating our affect as the parents as much as the physiological condition of our sick kid, offering support and next steps accordingly.
It’s clear from his relationship with his amazing, supportive family that he was an outstanding parent, which always inspired me. I remember hearing about memorable trips abroad with Peggy and his children. It gave me the courage to imagine taking our young children on special trips of our own.
Jim’s response to his diagnosis was nothing short of inspiring. He was a first-rate visionary, and the Hummingbird Fund will memorialize that in perpetuity. If only we all could make such a positive impact when facing our mortality.
Thank you, Jim, for your kindness, faithfulness, and vision. May you rest in peace.
My family loved when Jim came
to visit on newborn house calls. He came every other day for three weeks straight with our first born – serving as pediatrician, lactation consultant, doula, and friend. His kindness and dedication made me feel like the luckiest new mother in the world.
We also loved going to office visits with Jim. They were often filled with laughter, and I didn’t want them to end!
I am deeply grateful to have known Jim, experienced his care and guidance, and been inspired by how he approached his work and life. He has had a significant influence on my own life’s path to becoming a community health nurse at Child Health Partnership.
I ran into Jim earlier this summer. He asked about the kids (teenagers now) and shared about Will’s wedding. I feel so lucky to have had that joyful encounter – and every other moment in the last 19 years – with such an incredible, caring, and gracious human being. What a blessing he was and is for this world!
Jimmy Ogan was a high school classmate of mine. We just had a 50th reunion this weekend and I learned of Jimmy’s life and passing. He was the “smart kid” in high school but he was so nice and so fun. He had a remarkable life. To think I came from a small town and high school and had a classmate go to Harvard Med. Plus so much more. Jimmy, wish I would have known all of this about you before you passed. I am sure you have a very special place in Heaven. Jeannie (Damasiewicz) Parrish
Our family was so lucky to have meet Dr. Ogan.
He was great with children! And as anxious new parents we felt better after talking with Dr. Ogan.
He was so happy to meet our family at a fundraiser for another non profit that he supported at the university.
And his advocacy for Spanish speaking families was admirable.
The Charlottesville community benefited greatly from his knowledge and kindness.