In Memoriam

Kingston, Ont.; Masaryk University (Czechoslovakia), 1949; general practice, pediatrics, public health. Died Jan. 4, 2022, aged 97. Survived by 2 children, 2 grandchildren and a great-grandson. “As all Czech-language universities were closed during the Nazi occupation, she didn’t start her study of medicine until after liberation in 1945. She graduated from Masaryk University in 1949, eventually qualifying in pediatrics and serving as a staff pediatrician at the University Children’s Hospital in Brno. In 1968, after the crushing of the Prague Spring by Soviet tanks, she and her family settled in Kingston. She held several staff positions in the Queen’s University Department of Pediatrics before switching to public health and obtaining a diploma in public health at the University of Toronto in 1972. She was subsequently based in Brockville, Ont., where she served as medical officer of health (MoH) at the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit. Her final position, before retirement in 1986, was as the MoH for the Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington Health Unit.”

Vancouver; University of Alberta, 1975; hematopathology. Died Jan. 3, 2022, aged 70. Survived by his wife Gwen, 2 children and 2 granddaughters. “After a year of rotating internship, he chose hematopathology as his specialty — a good fit for his scientific curiosity and desire to connect with patients. In 1989 he joined the partnership of C.J. Coady and Associates, a perfect match combining patient-focused and cutting-edge laboratory medicine. He was proud of the group and valued the professional and personal friendships that grew in the 22 years before his retirement. He finished his career as medical director of BC Biomedical Laboratories. He will be remembered for his astute management style, tempered with a wicked sense of humour and kindness.”

Victoria; University of British Columbia, 1982; emergency medicine, family medicine. Died Jan. 2, 2022, aged 65. “Seeking to obtain experience in the most challenging emergency room situations as possible, he did his residency at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital in Los Angeles, where he received the Theodore Jackson Award for outstanding achievement as a senior resident. He also ranked a phenomenal third in the country on the US national proficiency exam for emergency medicine. Only a year after completing his residency, he was certified in emergency medicine by the American Board of Emergency Medicine, and thereafter worked as an ER physician at the West Hills Medical Center, also in Los Angeles. Fortunately, he managed to return to Canada-before the city devoured him, with his trusting, gentle nature fully intact. Upon his return Loren chose emergency medicine because he loved the challenge of diagnosing and resolving medical issues quickly and effectively — the more unusual and obscure the case, the better. He was a brilliant emergency room physician. Beyond his academic accolades, his talents were demonstrated on multiple occasions, perhaps most notably in 2012, only 3 months after he arrived to work at the Lakes District Hospital in Burns Lake, BC. For his work following the explosion at the Babine Forest Products mill he received the 2013 award for exceptional contribution to family medicine from the BC College of Family Physicians. However, it was the signed paddle he was given by the First Nations in the region in gratitude for his heroic efforts on their behalf that was 1 of his most prized possessions.”

Campbellford, Ont.; University of Toronto, 1954; obstetrics and gynecology. Died Jan. 1, 2022, aged 91. Survived by 3 children, 4 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. “Alan proudly practiced obstetrics and gynecology for over 50 years, primarily at Toronto East General Hospital, where he had the profound honour of delivering upwards of 10,000 babies! He had a knack for remembering every patient, and always had time for a joke and a laugh with all.”

West Vancouver; Canadian Forces, Korean War; McGill University, 1960; general practice. Died Jan. 1, 2022, aged 93. Survived by 7 children and 10 grandchildren. “He was a decorated Korean War veteran, a dedicated physician, an accomplished artist, a skilled pilot, a wonderful writer and storyteller, a natural educator, a trusted colleague, and the best father and grandfather one could hope for.”