In memoriam (March 2022)
Please note: All links that begin with “Read more” link to obituaries on external websites.
Said Abdel Karim Awad, MBChB, FRCSC, died on June 19, 2021, in Halifax, N.S., at age 84. Dr. Awad was certified by the Royal College in Urology in 1966. Born in Egypt, he contributed 40 years to clinical and academic medicine in Canada. He retired a professor emeritus at Dalhousie University. In the 1980s, he served for several years on the Royal College Urology Examination Board. Read more about Dr. Awad.
Geoffrey Blake, MD, FRCPC, died on November 28, 2021, in Beaconsfield, Que., at age 74. Dr. Blake was certified by the Royal College in Internal Medicine (1977) and Hematology (1978). He worked at the Montreal General Hospital until its merger with the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). He continued to work at the MUHC for many years after. Read more about Dr. Blake.
William Keith Buller, MD, FRCSC, died on March 30, 2021, in Brantford, Ont., at age 94. Dr. Buller was certified by the Royal College in General Surgery in 1958. He was part of the medical staff at the Brantford General Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital Brantford for 35 years. He is also a past president of the Brant County Medical Association. Read more about Dr. Buller.
Michael Garson Davis, MD, FRCPC, died on November 26, 2021, in North York, Ont., at age 72. Dr. Davis was certified by the Royal College in Dermatology in 1982. Born in Saint John, N.B., he travelled extensively and lived in a variety of cities before settling in Toronto. Well-loved by his past patients, he served for many years as a dermatologist. Read more about Dr. Davis.
Francis Dias, MBBS, FRCSC, died on January 1, 2021, in Hamilton, Ont., at age 86. Dr. Dias was certified by the Royal College in General Surgery in 1971. Born in Bombay, he worked and trained in India before moving to Saskatoon, Sask. For 20 years, he worked in private practice in St. Albert. He was among the first surgeons in Canada to perform laparoscopic cholecystectomies. Read more about Dr. Dias.
Gordon Allan Duke, MD, FRCSC, died on December 28, 2021, in Victoria, B.C., at age 81. Dr. Duke was certified by the Royal College in Urology in 1970. For 30 years, he practised with Urology Associates in Regina, Sask. Upon his retirement, he carried out three short medical missions in China and a longer-term mission in Nepal with his wife. Read more about Dr. Duke.
Enid Allison Edwards, MD, FRCPC, died on January 24, 2021, in Vancouver, B.C., at age 74. Dr. Edwards was certified by the Royal College in General Pathology in 1987. From 1999 until her retirement in 2015, she worked as the chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at St. Paul’s Hospital. Read more about Dr. Edwards.
Robert (Bob) Fairbairn, MD, FRCPC, died on November 26, 2021, in Chatham, Ont., at age 87. Dr. Fairbairn was certified by the Royal College in Psychiatry in 1971. For many years, he worked in Alberta until his retirement in 1998. He later recertified and worked in Chatham until age 85. He was a renowned specialist in the field of schizophrenia. Read more about Dr. Fairbairn.
John Marcus (Mark) Fitzgerald, MBChB, FRCPC, died on January 18, 2022, in Vancouver, B.C., at age 66. Dr. Fitzgerald was certified by the Royal College in Internal Medicine (1986) and Respirology (1987). Born in Ireland, he spent most of his career at the University of British Columbia. He maintained an active clinical practice and research program on the management of asthma. Read more about Dr. Fitzgerald.
Fred Gentili, MD, FRCSC, died on January 15, 2021, in Toronto, Ont., at age 74. Dr. Gentili was certified by the Royal College in Neurosurgery in 1980. He was the first director of the Skull Base Centre at the University of Toronto. In addition, he was a founding member of the North American Skull Base Society. Dr. Gentili previously served on the Royal College Examination Committee and the Neurosurgery Examination Board. Read more about Dr. Gentili.
Denis Henry Hosking, MBChB, FRCSC, died on January 2, 2021, in Winnipeg, Man., at age 71. Dr. Hosking was certified by the Royal College in Urology in 1982. A longstanding urologist at the Health Sciences Centre (HSC) in Winnipeg, he served as head of the HSC’s and the University of Manitoba’s Section of Urology for 20 years. He was also a member of the Royal College specialty committee in Urology and as a member of the Urology Examination Board. Read more about Dr. Hosking.
Jeffrey Jay Hurwitz, MD, FRCSC, died on February 4, 2022, in Toronto, Ont., at age 78. Dr. Hurwitz was certified by the Royal College in Ophthalmology in 1974. For 31 years, he served as ophthalmologist-in-chief at Mount Sinai Hospital. Through his role as vice chair for Global Health – Department of Vision Sciences (University of Toronto) he helped raise the profile of his specialty. For many years, he served on the Royal College specialty committee in Ophthalmology. Read more about Dr. Hurwitz.
Malcolm Scott McPhee, MD, FRCSC, died on November 5, 2021, in Edmonton, Alta., at age 81. Dr. McPhee was certified in Urology in 1970. He was a former director of the Division of Urology at the University of Alberta and director of surgery at the Cross Cancer Institute. He also held many positions at the Royal College, including serving on Council, the Executive Committee of Council, Ethics Committee, Urology Examination Board and more. Read more about Dr. McPhee.
James (Jim) Nelson Phillips, MD, FRCSC, died on January 15, 2022, in Guelph, Ont., at age 91. Dr. Phillips was certified by the Royal College in Urology in 1963. During his career, he served as president of the Guelph General Hospital medical staff, chief of surgery and medical staff at St. Joseph’s Hospital and chairman of the Ontario Medical Association’s Urology Section. Read more about Dr. Phillips.
Robert Tanguay, MD, FRCSC, died on December 10, 2021, in Quebec, Que., at age 87. Dr. Tanguay was certified by the Royal College in Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1971. He worked at several hospitals during his medical career, including l’Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, l’Hôpital Notre Dame, l’Hôpital Charles LeMoyne and l’Hôpital de l’Archipel. Read more about Dr. Tanguay.
