Dr. Jon Henry was passionate about two things growing up, woodworking and orthopedic surgery.
While those interests seemingly have nothing in common, Henry has been equally and successfully defined by his passion for each specialty.
“Back in high school, I had an interest in sports as an athlete and in woodworking, mainly through my father’s influence. But this family friend of ours, his job was very intriguing to me because he got to work with his hands and take care of athletes. At a young age, that became my career goal to become an orthopedic surgeon.”
Henry has worked as an orthopedic surgeon since 2001. He says the best part of his job is meeting with his patients and determining the best ways to restore them to their desired quality of life.
“I want my patients to know that I care about them and that I’m approachable and I’ll do whatever I can. I’ll use whatever tools are available to me to help initially figure out the problem and from there a treatment plan. I’ll see them through treatment until together we’ve accomplished their goal.”
Outside of work, the most important thing to Henry is his family – his wife and four children. He also loves running, cycling, cross country skiing, and is especially passionate about woodworking. He and his wife recently took over Vickery Village in Suamico, Wisconsin, from his parents and have been restoring the historic buildings.
Vickery Village was founded about 40 years ago by Henry’s parents. Its six buildings include an old schoolhouse and the old town hall, but preserving one particular building was especially important, Henry says.
“The cornerstone of Vickery Village has been the building which was originally my grandfather’s general store, which is now Chives (restaurant),” he says. “Since the turn of the century, my grandfather ran Vickery’s General Store … it was very important in Suamico, especially as a fishing and farming community. So, Vickery Village really grew up behind that general store.”
Henry considers Vickery Village his “second job” and has a strong sense of responsibility and pride in carrying on his family’s business.
“We’re changing the vision of it being a place for retail rentals to a place for more events, like weddings and getting businesses out here that support that vision,” he says.