PORT TOWNSEND — Hospice of Jefferson County helped her prepare for her husband’s death, said Willene Jaqua, the widow of internationally acclaimed metal worker and sculptor Russell Jaqua.

“We had a chance to talk about death before it happened, plan for it and read to each other, so we were able to greet it with great joy,” she told nearly 150 people at a breakfast fundraiser for the hospice program at the Northwest Maritime Center on Tuesday.

The event was the Hospice Foundation of Jefferson Healthcare’s first fundraiser for Hospice of Jefferson County after almost 30 years of existence.

Michael Kubec, Hospice Foundation board president, estimated the breakfast raised $15,000 to support Hospice of Jefferson County programs that are not covered by Medicare or private insurance, such as respite care, bereavement support and comfort therapy care, which can include acupuncture and massage.

“Hospice is all about making choices about how to spend the rest of your life if you are terminally ill,” Kubec said.

“It helps you to face death, and those who have faced death while they are still alive have nothing to fear.”

Jaqua died in June 2006 at the age of 59 after a two-year struggle with ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis — also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease — a fatal neurologically degenerative disease that progressively weakens muscles.

His widow said hospice services made her husband’s final days more comfortable by supplying medication and equipment that the family was unable to acquire easily.

She showed a video about the last few months of his life and described his last conscious act.

For weeks, he had not been able to communicate with her.

“I told him that I was going through hell, but then he sat up and grabbed me, put his lips on my lips, looked me in the eye and collapsed,” she said.

“I feel lucky to have that memory.”

A Port Townsend resident for 32 years, Russell Jaqua’s work can be seen throughout the city. He created the sculpted metal railings for the City Hall annex lobby stairs and “Leafwing,” the large metal sculpture at the beginning of the Larry Scott Trail.

A Centrum artist-in-residence from 1975 to 1993, Russell Jaqua created metalwork that was chosen for the inaugural exhibit of the American Craft Museum in New York and the Craft USA exhibition at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs of The Louvre, Paris.

Russell Jaqua engineered his final project — the Courtyard of Grace at the Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker St., Port Townsend — when he could barely speak or breathe, bringing together blacksmiths from throughout the country to aid in its completion.

Russell Jaqua was in a hospice program for more than a year. Most patients are in hospice care for about two weeks, said Golda Posey, hospice nursing director.

Patients are referred to a hospice if they have a terminal disease and are expected to live less than six months.

Hospice of Jefferson County received $1.5 million from Medicare and private insurance in 2010 but still had provided about $100,000 in unreimbursed services, said Keri Johns, executive director.

While there have been some days when 50 county patients are in hospice, the recent average is around 25 people, she said.

The program has five part-time nurses, with Johns and Posey working as administrators.

It also has a network of about 50 volunteers who provide the backbone of the program, John said.

Volunteer training is offered each fall, with 32 hours of classroom time required before they work an average of four hours a week performing miscellaneous nonmedical tasks.

Volunteers are matched to patients with regard to location and temperament, depending on the interests of both parties.

Johns said one patient liked to play bridge, so a volunteer learned the game and played it four hours a week with the patient.

Hospice of Jefferson County, operated through Jefferson Healthcare hospital, provides — at no cost to the client — prescriptions, equipment and supplies.

It also provides nursing care, home health aide care, social worker and spiritual services and physical, speech and occupational therapies.

Volunteers are available — if asked — to run errands, do household chores, provide respite to caretakers, share in bedside vigils or provide other services.

The office at 2500 W. Sims Way, Suite 300, is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

For more information or to volunteer, visit www.jeffersonhealthcare.org and find “Hospice” in the “Services” pulldown menu, or phone 360-385-0610.

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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.