In memoriam (February 2023)
Please note: All links that begin with “Read more” link to obituaries on external websites.
Harry Prosen, MD, FRCPC, died on June 21, 2021, in Mequon, Wis., at age 90. Dr. Prosen was certified by the Royal College in Psychiatry in 1959. Over the course of his career, he led the departments of Psychiatry at both the University of Manitoba and the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Prosen, a dedicated Royal College volunteer, was known for his commitment to patients and his mental health awareness advocacy work. Read more about Dr. Prosen.
John Maxwell Muir, MBChB, FRCPC, died on December 9, 2021, in Komoka, Ont., at age 88. Dr. Muir was certified by the Royal College in Anesthesiology in 1964. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Glasgow in 1959. Dr. Muir immigrated to Canada, settling in Saskatoon before moving to London, where he worked as an anesthetist at the Victoria Hospital until he retired. Read more about Dr. Muir.
Marc Henri Dufresne, MD, FRCSC, died on October 19, 2021, in Montreal, Que., at age 88. Dr. Dufresne was certified by the Royal College in General Surgery (1964) and Urology (1965). He studied Urology in both Montreal (l’Hôtel-Dieu) and Boston (Boston City Hospital). Throughout his career, Dr. Dufresne practised Urology in Montreal at l’Hôpital Sacré-Cœur and at Notre-Dame de l’Espérance. Read more about Dr. Dufresne.
John Michael Kay, MBChB, FRCPC, died on November 25, 2022, in Dundas, Ont., at age 85. Dr. Kay was certified by the Royal College in Anatomical Pathology in 1978. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Birmingham in 1960. A dedicated Royal College volunteer, Dr. Kay was a member of the examination boards for both Anatomical Pathology and Neuropathology. Read more about Dr. Kay.
Nizarali Bhimji Ladha, MD, FRCPC, died on November 17, 2022, in Cairo, Egypt, at age 80. Dr. Ladha was certified by the Royal College in Psychiatry in 1979. An advocate for the destigmatization of mental health, he practised both general and forensic psychiatry, working full-time up until his death. Dr. Ladha volunteered with the Royal College for several years as a member of the Psychiatry Examination Board and he served as associate professor of Psychiatry at Memorial University’s Faculty of Medicine. Read more about Dr. Ladha.
Paul Kortan, MD, FRCPC, died on November 26, 2022, in Toronto, Ont., at age 73. Dr. Kortan was certified by the Royal College in Internal Medicine (1978) and Gastroenterology (1983). For the duration of his career, he practised as a therapeutic endoscopist at the Wellesley Hospital in Toronto (which eventually merged with St. Michael’s Hospital). Dr. Kortan was highly respected by his fellow physicians and students and loved by his patients. Learn more about Dr. Kortan.
Paul Joseph Dubord, OC, MD, FRCSC, died on September 5, 2022, in Vancouver, B.C., at age 71. Dr. Dubord was certified by the Royal College in Ophthalmology in 1981. A renowned corneal surgeon, he was a world leader in international eye banking and corneal transplantation, working tirelessly in Canada, Japan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Africa, South America, Europe and India to improve access to quality corneal transplants. Dr. Dubord was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada for his contributions to Ophthalmology and for his tireless humanitarian work on the international stage. Read more about Dr. Dubord.
Louis Mario Bouchard, MD, FRCPC, died on September 10, 2022, in Green Valley, Ont., at age 81. Dr. Bouchard was certified by the Royal College in Anatomical Pathology in 1988. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Ottawa in 1961. Dr. Bouchard was active on many boards and volunteered for several years with the Royal College as a member of the Anatomical Pathology Standards Committee. Read more about Dr. Bouchard.
Christopher Robert Loomer, MD, FRCSC, died on July 15, 2022, in Victoria, B.C., at age 74. Dr. Loomer was certified by the Royal College in Ophthalmology in 1987. He obtained his medical degree from Dalhousie University in 1974. Dr. Loomer practised family medicine in Saint John for eight years before studying Ophthalmology. Throughout his career, he practised as an ophthalmologist in Victoria and Saint John. Read more about Dr. Loomer.
Abraham Nonyelum Onuora, MBBS, FRCPC, died on October 27, 2022, in Saint John, N.B., at age 73. Dr. Onuora was certified by the Royal College in Psychiatry in 1995. He obtained his medical degree in Nigeria at the University of Ibadan, University College Hospital, in 1976. Dr. Onuora practised as a psychiatrist in Nigeria before immigrating to Saint John in 1991. For two decades, he practised as a psychiatrist at the Saint John Regional Hospital and in private practice. He was known for being attentive, patient and compassionate with his patients. Read more about Dr. Onuora.
Alexander Russell, MBChB, FRCPC, died on November 14, 2022, in North York, Ont., at age 92. Dr. Russell was certified by the Royal College in Anesthesiology in 1969. He obtained his medical degree from Edinburgh University in 1954. Shortly after, he was commissioned into the Royal Navy as Lieutenant Surgeon aboard the HMS Adamant. Dr. Russell later trained and practised as an anesthesiologist in Toronto, joining the team at Toronto General Hospital in 1969. During his training, Dr. Russell was part of the team of physicians and surgeons who performed the first successful heart transplant at St. Michael’s Hospital in 1968. Read more about Dr. Russell.
More: In memoriam archive
