- © 2004 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors
Notice – CMAJ welcomes obituaries submitted within 60 days of a death. These should be no longer than 200 words, and colourful writing is encouraged. Send to Barbara Sibbald, barbara.sibbaldcma.ca; fax 613 565-2382.
Dr. Harry Duncan Roberts, the first Newfoundlander to serve as president of the CMA, died at St. John's, Nfld., June 5, 2004. He was 95.
Dr. Roberts was the president of the Newfoundland Medical Association (1950) before assuming the CMA's top post in 1971, where he led the establishment of MD Management. In 1979, he was inducted into the Order of Canada.
A graduate of Dalhousie University (1936), Dr. Roberts described himself as the “last of a dying breed: a doctor who started out as a general practitioner doing surgery and ended as a surgeon doing general practice.” He held staff positions at all 3 St. John's hospitals and pioneered insurance and retirement savings plans for Newfoundland doctors.
He believed in doing what was required without worrying about money. “As a matter of principle I don't think I ever asked a person for a fee, even in the days when there was no medicare.”
Dr. Roberts is predeceased by his wife, Katharine, and survived by his children Edward (the Lieutenant-Governor of Newfoundland), Douglas (a businessman) and Dr. Peter.
Ayers, Thomas N., Lethbridge, Alta.; University of Manitoba, 1957; general surgery/neurosurgery; FRCSC; former staff, University, Royal Alexandra and Hotel Dieu hospitals; consulting staff, Charles Camsell, Edmonton General and Misericordia hospitals and Cross Cancer Institute; clinical instructor, neurosurgery, University of Alberta. Died Aug. 12, 2004, aged 74; survived by his wife, Shirley, and children, Dr. Christopher, Gordon, Catherine and Leslie. His son Dr. Christopher said, “In retirement he turned to the study of languages, earning, at one point, the distinction of the oldest fulltime student at the University of Lethbridge. His interests were varied, including carpentry, flyfishing, farming bees, trees and cattle.”
Best, Brian D., Winnipeg; University of Manitoba, 1934; obstetrics/gynecology; FRCSE, FRCSC; former staff, Winnipeg General Hospital; professor emeritus, University of Manitoba; president, Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, Canadian Gynecological Society and College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba. Died May 30, 2004, aged 93; survived by his wife, Jean, and 2 children. “He grew up in a medical household and often accompanied his father on house calls in a horse-drawn cutter. He was the main force behind the establishment of a department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Winnipeg Clinic in 1944 and headed that section until 1975. He was widely regarded as an outstanding surgeon and diagnostician, and one of the leading obstetricians in Western Canada.”
Gratton, Jean-Paul V., Mississauga, Ont.; University of Ottawa, 1959; anesthesia; FACA, FRCPC; former staff and chief, anesthesiology, Mississauga Hospital. Died May 27, 2004, aged 72; survived by his wife, Bernice, and 2 children. “Respected angler and outdoorsman, he will be remembered for his humour and gregarious stories.”
Huard, Jacques, Lac-Mégantic (Qué.); Université Laval, 1949; chirurgien général; FACS; ancien médecin-chef et membre du personnel de l'Hôpital St-Vincent de Paul, Sherbrooke. Décédé le 9 août 2004, à l'âge de 82 ans.
Longdon, William H., Scarborough, Ont.; University of London (England), 1967; psychiatry; FRCPC; former chief, Department of Psychiatry, and consulting staff, Scarborough General Hospital; medical director, Bracebridge Mental Health Services. Died May 3, 2004, aged 61.
Lowson, Colin, Montréal; University of London (England), 1954; psychiatry; MRCS, LRCP, DABNP, FRCPC; former staff psychiatrist, Reddy Memorial Hospital Centre and Jean-Talon Hospital. Died May 20, 2004, aged 73.
Maxwell, Ian D., Halifax; University of Edinburgh (Scotland), 1942; general pathology; FRCPC; associate director, biochemistry and hematology laboratories, Halifax Infirmary; associate professor, Dalhousie University. Died May 22, 2004, aged 89.
Nongauza, Cyprian C., North York, Ont.; University of Witwatersrand (South Africa), 1961; former staff, Toronto East General and Orthopedic Hospital. Died Apr. 18, 2004, aged 72.
Smith, Peter M., Kingston, Ont.; University of Leeds (England), 1947; family medicine; DObstRCOG, CCFP; former associate staff, Kingston General and Hotel Dieu hospitals; medical officer, (Regional Psychiatric Centre) Kingston Penitentiary; preceptor, Queen's University. Died July 20, 2004, aged 80; survived by his wife, Barbara, and 2 children. His daughter Pat said, “He described his work (at the prison) as being interesting, challenging, frustrating at times but never a dull moment!”
Stuckler, Jozef, North York, Ont.; University of Rome (Italy), 1938; otolaryngology; FRCSC; former staff, Doctors and Wellesley hospitals. Died of a ruptured aortic aneurysm May 31, 2004, aged 90. The Globe and Mail reported: “The world into which he was born was destroyed by the First World War, while the world he grew up in was destroyed by the Second World War. His ‘street smarts’ helped him survive as a Jew in the Holocaust.”
Clarification: The obituary concerning Dr. Moses Saiphoo (CMAJ 2003; 168[2]:244) should have stated that he is survived by his wife Gloria Muller and 3 children from a previous marriage.