William (Bill
) Hanley passed away peacefully, at the age of 94, on Monday, March 4th, surrounded by his loving family. William was known for his kind and generous heart, his patience, and his calm and steady determination. He was predeceased by his beloved wife Jane (Janie
, née McCracken, d. 2005); and his sister, Ruth Mary Moore (d. 2021). William will be dearly missed by his sons, Edward and Tony; his grandson, James; his travelling companion, Maggie Dickson; nieces, Linda, Wendy and Susan; nephew, Lee; and dear friends, Jack JK
McMurtry and Henry Levison.
William was born in Toronto and attended Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute (LPCI) and University of Toronto Schools (UTS). He was an enthusiastic athlete, playing football at LPCI and basketball at UTS. Eager to play hockey but not qualifying for existing rep teams in the city, William and his friends founded the Toronto Elevators, which competed for two seasons, in the 1940s, in the Toronto Hockey League. As a teenager, he spent three joyful summers working as a caddie and a bellhop at Jasper Park Lodge, travelling to and from Jasper by train, and once hitchhiking.
William studied medicine at the University of Toronto (U of T), graduating in 1954 and representing the varsity golf team. He did his residency in pediatrics at the Hospital for Sick Children (HSC) through the late 1950s, as well as a fellowship pediatric pathology at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Centre in New York. He also completed a clinical fellowship in neonatology at HSC under the mentorship of Dr. Paul Swyer. For 47 years (1962-2009), William practiced primary care pediatrics at his private practice at 250 Lawrence Avenue W., followed by part-time work, finally fully retiring from medicine at the age of 88. He was highly regarded as a skilled and caring clinician and was adored and admired by his patients.
In addition to his paediatric practice, William continued his clinical work in neonatology, serving as Chief of Pediatrics (Nursery) at St. Michael's Hospital from 1970-1988 and Ward Chief of the Neonatal Unit at HSC from 1975-1977. These positions often required trips to the downtown hospitals in the middle of the night to attend high risk deliveries.
In addition to his clinical roles, William had a deep interest and engagement in clinical genetics research. He was Director of the Phenylketonuria (PKU) Program at HSC from 1963-1997 (Director Emeritus thereafter), which involved clinical care of patients with PKU in addition to academic research. Over the course of his career, William published over 100 academic papers and held research funding from Health Canada and the U.S. National Institutes of Health. He was the Toronto principal investigator for the landmark Maternal PKU Collaborative Study.
While working at HSC in the 1950s, William met the dynamic Jane (Janie) McCracken, a physiotherapist, in the cafeteria line. They married in 1958, establishing a home in North Toronto, and had two sons (Tony and Ed) and multiple cats. William was a loving, patient, supportive and inspirational father, husband and grandfather. He imparted through example the importance of hard work, leadership, duty, and loyalty. William supported his sons in the pursuit of their careers, emphasizing that motivation for work arises from interest and inspiration. William also encouraged his boys in his love of sports through coaching, early morning drives to games and a backyard ice rink. There were many memorable family trips, including to the Yucatan, Hawaii, and New Mexico.
William had a lifelong love of golf. Initially playing at Don Valley Golf Club with his friends, he joined Rosedale Golf Club at the age of 16, where his father was a member; he maintained a membership there for 77 years. Career highlights include scores of 69 (Muskoka Lakes Golf and Country Club) and 72 (Rosedale) and two holes-in-1. Never a fan of slow play, William once clocked 18 holds of golf in 2 hours and 10 minutes with his frequent golf partner, JK (with both men walking and carrying their bags). Memorable golf trips included rounds at Pebble Beach, Augusta National, and Lahinch.
William’s family would like to thank the nurses and PSWs at Chartwell Grenadier Residence, as well as the teams in the Emergency, Internal Medicine (3M) and Lakehouse Palliative Care units at St. Joseph's Hospital. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the SickKids Foundation.