Retired Physicians Memory Project
With more than 30 per cent of our members now in the late-career or retired stage, this is a fitting time to reflect on the path shaped by our retired physicians. Through their stories, insights and defining moments, we’re preserving a lifetime of service, compassion and lasting impact.
To celebrate and preserve these contributions, we are presenting the collected stories through a series of themes. It reflects the most common and compelling threads that emerged across the many submissions received. If you would like to read any of the full memory submissions, please send an email to Knowledge and Records.
If you don’t see your submission highlighted below, stay tuned for our next phase that will explore the theme of Mentorship.
We are still accepting submissions – share your memories with us
Early influences
We begin with early influences — a glimpse into the family ties, childhood experiences and formative moments that inspired many to pursue a life in medicine. These early sparks of curiosity and care reveal the deeply personal motivations behind a professional calling.
Pediatrics, District 5
The first school clinic in Kaduna, Nigeria, was opened in government school where I was a pupil. The white, crisp, starched, ironed nurses uniform made an indelible impression on me. I chose pediatrics by a process of elimination. My preferred specialty, public health, was discarded because there was no tangible change in the health of the masses. Adult medicine was characterised by non-curable diseases. In surgery, students' only duty was holding retractors during surgery by unappreciative surgeons.
In 1967, Dr. Muri B. Abdurrahman graduated Medicinae Baccalaureus (Bachelor of Medicine), Bachelor of Surgery from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, and became a pediatrician in 1972 after completing residency training at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Thereafter began a journey described as that of a rolling stone that gathered moss.
The journey commenced in July 1974 with a position in the faculty of medicine at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, where Dr. Abdurrahman rose to the rank of professor of pediatrics in October 1981. This was followed by academic appointments as professor of pediatrics at the College of Medicine, King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (1985–1990), and at the faculty of medicine and health sciences, University of the United Arab Emirates (1990–1992). In November 1992, he returned to Canada and entered private practice, continuing until his retirement in June 2021.
Along this path, he was enriched with academic, administrative and human experience. This journey would not have been remotely possible without the unflinching support and dedication of his wife of over 55 years, Maryam, and their five incredibly remarkable children.
Family medicine, District 9
I was very good in math, and I planned to become an engineer. My father was a family doctor in Alexandria, Egypt. In my last year of high school, I drove with him, and we visited some of his patients at home. His compassion and the response from his patients made me decide to become a family doctor.
Dr. Jean Anawati was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on the Mediterranean Sea, where his father, a family doctor, introduced him to medicine by letting him help with sterilizing instruments, urinalysis and other tasks. Although initially interested in engineering, Dr. Anawati’s perspective changed after joining his father on a house call, leading him to pursue a career in family medicine.
After immigrating to Canada, he completed his medical degree at Western University, graduating in 1973. During his studies, he spent time in Sturgeon Falls, a rural Francophone community in northeastern Ontario, where he decided to specialize in family medicine.
Dr. Anawati settled in Sturgeon Falls, where he practised for many years, providing comprehensive care to his patients, from childbirth to end-of-life care, just like his father. Realizing the lack of services in the north, he worked with the community to establish mental health services, daycare, community living, family resource centers, training programs for residents and NOSM U.
Dr. Anawati raised four children with his beautiful wife, who was a great contributor and support throughout his career. Reflecting on the path he took, the opportunities he was offered and the legacy he is leaving, including two medical doctors, he is reminded that he made the right choice by choosing family medicine.
Nephrology, District 4
It was a very early inspiration. When I was seven years old, I had severe pneumonia. I was treated at home in St John’s, Nfld., by Dr. Horace D. Rosenberg. I was fortunate that he prescribed penicillin and visited regularly to administer it. He was kind and took time to talk to his young patient. He told me that he was a graduate of Edinburgh University in 1937. I decided that I would become like Dr. Rosenberg. A very nice coincidence was that, many years later, I was awarded an honorary degree from Edinburgh.
Dr. David N. Churchill graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Memorial University (1961—1965), an MDCM from McGill University (1965—1969) and a Master of Science in clinical epidemiology from McMaster University (1983). He completed his residency in internal medicine and nephrology at McGill (1970—1975).
Dr. Churchill’s academic appointments included assistant and associate professor at Memorial University (1975—1983) and associate professor and chair of nephrology at McMaster University (1983—2006). He was the medical director for Cardio-Renal at Amgen Canada (2006—2013) and is currently a professor emeritus at McMaster. From 2001 to 2004, he served as associate editor for the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. He has authored 149 peer-reviewed publications.
In addition to his medical career, Dr. Churchill has had other interests and experiences. As an undergraduate at Memorial, he was fascinated by marine biology and worked with Dr. Frederick Aldrich on his study of giant squids. While at McGill, he continued marine biology work, including several three-week trips to the Grand Banks studying rapidly disappearing cod fish. During his residency, he worked as a locum family doctor in Rock Island, Que., where Dr. Gilles Bouchard became his mentor and provided invaluable insights into family medicine.
Family medicine, District 5
I have always been a very inquisitive person starting as a young child. I was fascinated with how disease affected both people and animals. I grew up on a farm in southern Ontario and very involved in raising of the beef cattle, chickens and pigs. I would be fascinated by the guts of a chicken as I helped to clean it out for our family freezer, how the equally poor neighbouring farmers and their children would deal with personal tragedies and illnesses and how two of my school friends died in their early teens — one of leukemia and one from congenital heart disease with no local medical care. It was my sensitivity to these situations that I think really propelled me into medicine. I knew that I had to escape the poverty and use my intellect and natural curiosity.
Dr. Marolyn Crewson was born in Moose Jaw, Sask., near the Canadian Air Force Base. Following several relocations, her family settled in southern Ontario within a disadvantaged farming community. She attended a one-room schoolhouse until grade eight before attending high school in the nearest town, located 20 kilometres away.
Dr. Crewson pursued higher education at the University of Toronto. During this time, she experienced city life for the first time, having never ridden a streetcar before. She earned her MD from McMaster University in 1980. In 1982, she completed a two-year residency in family medicine and began practising in Brampton, Ont.
In her medical career, Dr. Crewson worked in a variety of settings. She served in the emergency department, provided obstetric care, assisted in surgeries, and managed a family practice with regular on-call duties. She also balanced the demands of a growing family, raising two sons born just 18 months apart. Despite having no maternity benefits, she returned to work just two and five weeks after each birth, demonstrating her remarkable work ethic and dedication.
After a fulfilling 40-year career, Dr. Crewson retired in 2023, leaving behind a legacy of caring and dedication to the well-being of their community. In retirement, the joy of being a grandmother has brought additional joy and fulfillment to her life. Dr. Crewson has also embraced a variety of hobbies including gardening, scuba diving and curling.
Family medicine, District 2
My mother and father guided me throughout my life and showed me that you can do anything, within reason, if you are willing to work for it. My father was a well-known "copper specialist" geologist working for the United Nations. As we moved from country to country every two to three years, I had no close friends, so I was mostly a loner. My father graduated from Harvard University and taught me that studying was in the blood and was enjoyable with the right spirit.
I was born in 1948 in Colombia, South America, and then travelled to Peru. We came to Canada in 1956 and lived in Noranda, then Regina, before moving to Chile. Returning to Canada in 1963, we settled in Ottawa, where I attended the University of Ottawa medical school and then moved to Brantford, Ont., with my wife to work in general practice from 1975 to 2011 before retiring and doing OR assisting until 2022.
While working, I became chief of staff of the Brantford General Hospital and took the position of team doctor for the Brantford Alexanders junior-A hockey team. Along the way, I became the father of a girl who is a physician now and a boy who is an arborist. I was the house physician for many nursing homes as well as retirement homes in the area.
Lastly, I moved my office into a retirement home and guaranteed any resident arriving that I would look after them.
Since retirement, I have travelled extensively in my desire to learn about other countries and cultures. I am an avid scuba diver and have accomplished over 700 dives. I am still enjoying my life and would repeat it in a heartbeat.
Family medicine, District 11
I wanted to be a doctor since I was five years old. I finally entered medical school at 30 after doing research for seven years in the faculty of medicine. I wanted to have a relationship with my patients, and I didn't want to be at the end reaches of any specialty I encountered along the way. I loved being a family doctor in every sense of the word and I was very proud of my education.
Born in Staten Island, New York, Dr. Pamela J. Letts earned a B.S. in biology from Bucknell University (1966), an MSc in cell biology from the University of Toronto (1968) and an MD from the University of Toronto (1979). She became certified in family practice in Canada (1981) and recertified by the American Board of Family Practice (2004). Dr. Letts also holds fellowships in family practice from both Canada and the U.S. (2005) and served as a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto (2010) and clinical assistant professor at Florida State University (2005—2011).
After completing her medical education, Dr. Letts practised family medicine in Toronto from 1981 to 1995, delivering babies and teaching at Women's College Hospital. She also served on the OMA Women’s College Hospital Medical Society executive as vice-president and then president (1993—1996).
In 1995, she moved to Florida and became a dual U.S.—Canadian citizen. She grew an urgent care practice on Longboat Key and later opened her own clinic in 2002, which she ran until 2014.
After 18.5 years of practice in the U.S., Dr. Letts retired at 69, focusing on watercolour painting, chorale work and enjoying time with a book club and memoir group. She now enjoys a fulfilling and balanced retirement.
Family medicine, District 6
I spent six months lying on my back when I was four with scrofula (TB of the neck). I had an operation on my neck and then had daily dressings, done by a GP, who removed the caseating discharge and then redressed my neck, at the end cutting out the plaster in the shape of an elephant, or bird. The sun rose and set on this man, and I decided that was what I wanted to do. I only saw my mum three times a day, when she poured mushy food into my mouth. I was not allowed a pillow, nor could I lift my head up. My dad was away at the war, and my older sister was quarantined.
Dr. Ruth Mathieson studied at Orme Girls’ School in Newcastle Under Lyme, England, graduating in 1958 and St. Andrews University in Scotland, earning her MB,ChB in 1964. After moving to Canada, she obtained her LMCC and MD in 1970 and CCFP in 1981.
Dr. Mathieson had a long and committed career in Belleville, Ont. From 1970 to 2019, she held admitting privileges at Quinte Health Care’s Belleville Hospital. She maintained a community family practice from 1975 to 2004, and from 2005 to 2019, served in hospital-based roles including palliative care, medical director of complex continuing care and assisted in the OR.
Her practice was such that she cared for patients from birth to death, delivered babies, made house calls and was present through the final stages of life.
A widow with three children and three grandchildren, she also volunteered annually for a decade at Matangwe Hospital in Siaya County, Kenya. Her work has been widely recognized with multiple honours, including the Belleville Business Woman of the Year (2010); Queen’s Jubilee Medal (2013); OMA President’s Award for exceptional and long-standing humanitarian service to the global community (2021) and Dr. Bob Scott Rotary Award for Disease Prevention (2023).
Family medicine, District 5
As a child, I always wanted to be a nurse, like my mother. In high school, I loved math and the sciences, and the guidance counsellor suggested that I try getting into medicine. So, I did! In medicine, I was interested more in the people, more than the science, and loved the idea of family medicine, and getting to know several generations of a family.
Dr. Elizabeth McLean graduated from the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine in 1969 and completed her internship at St. Michael’s Hospital. She joined a group family practice in Sutton, Ont., in 1970 and later did partial residencies in neonatology (Melbourne, Australia) and obstetrics/gynecology (Boston, USA) in 1972—1973. Then she went back to the family practice in Sutton until retiring in 2008, taking time off in Newfoundland in 1981—1983.
Dr. McLean held various positions during her career including secretary, vice president and president of medical staff at York County Hospital, Newmarket (1977—1980), chair of York Region Emergency Health Services Committee (1989—93), lecturer, then assistant professor in community medicine, U of T (1993—1999) and has served on multiple boards in Georgina over the years.
Dr. McLean married in 1976 and had two children. When her husband died in 1982, she continued to run the Swiss Chalet they started in St. John’s, Nfld., in 1981. Since retirement, Dr. McLean volunteered with the Rotary Club of Toronto and travelled to various places such as Tanzania (2008), Malawi (2009), Cambodia (2009, 2011, 2013, and 2018), Haiti (2017) and El Salvador (2020).
General surgery, District 8
I decided to become a surgeon when I was 17 years old because I wanted to work with my hands. I knew I had better than average manual skills. My hobby as a youth was gluing plastic model tanks, airplanes and ships together and I took Conservatory of Music piano lessons until I was old enough to refuse. I also played a lot of sports and was better than average. I liked shop classes in school. I learned to tie a surgeon’s knot in Cub Scouts. It was not until I had been in practice for more than 20 years and was preparing a lecture on the history of surgery for medical students that I learned the origin of the word surgery was the ancient Greek word for hand (kheir) work (ergon).
Dr. Dennis Pitt practised general surgery for 45 years. He is an associate professor at the University of Ottawa, a Life Member of the Ontario Medical Association and an Honorary Member of the Canadian Medical Association.
The Dr. Dennis F. Pitt Educational Scholarship is awarded annually to Ottawa Hospital's critical care nurses. He is the president and reunion coordinator of his medical school class. Born in Kingston, he graduated from Queen's University medical school in 1972 and did his surgical training at Western University in London. He has a Master of Medical Education degree from the University of Dundee. He is enjoying retirement and has a wonderful wife, four daughters and five grandchildren.
Occupational medicine, District 8
I always wanted to help people. I also enjoyed the intellectual challenge(s) of medicine. I was from a very young age fascinated by flying and so becoming a flight surgeon in the Air Force and then a specialist in aerospace medicine combined two loves.
After graduating from Queen’s University in 1978, Dave served in the Canadian Forces Medical Service with notable postings as flight surgeon for the Snowbirds, commanding officer of the CF Environmental Medicine Establishment, air command surgeon and head of CF Public Health.
On retirement, he joined Ottawa Public Health as associate medical officer of health and manager of the Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Division. He was appointed medical officer of health for the city of Ottawa in December 2005.
In May 2008, he moved to Transport Canada as director of civil aviation medicine, retiring in 2018.
He re-joined Ottawa Public Health as a consultant in 2020 to help with the COVID response.
He served as the executive secretary of the clinical reasoning skills test committee of the Medical Council of Canada and chaired the Royal College Aerospace Medicine committee. He is a past president of the Canadian Aerospace Medicine and Aeromedical Transport Association (CAMATA), a past president of the International Association of Military Flight Surgeon Pilots and he has been honoured as a fellow of the Aerospace Medicine Association, a co-winner of the Boothby-Edwards Award and the Civil Aviation Medical Association’s Tamisiea Award.
Family medicine, various locations
I wanted to be a doctor from the age of nine years. I wanted to do the full scope of medical practice, so I pursued family and emergency medicine in urban, rural, remote and international locations. It was an excellent choice, and I have no regrets. I would do it all over again.
Dr. Murray Trusler graduated from the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine in 1966 and completed a rotating internship at Toronto Western Hospital and SickKids. He received his CCFP (1972), MBA U of T (1988), BA in Native Studies, Trent University (1995), FCFP (2004) and FRRMS from the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada (2016).
Dr. Trusler practised family medicine for 26 years in Peterborough, Ont. (1969—1995), while serving rural areas such as Norway House, Man., Inuvik, N.W.T., Rocky Mountain House, Alta., and Moose Factory, Ont. During his career, Dr. Trusler practised specialties in various locations including occupational medicine for Ontario Hydro in Thessalon, Ont., emergency medicine in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (National Guard), hospital administration in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman (Royal Family), medical director in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE Armed Forces) and addiction medicine in Invermere, B.C. He was also a Transport Canada civil aviation medical examiner, an investigating coroner, a family medicine assistant professor, Queen’s University, and associate professor, NOSM.
Dr. Trusler is the president of INR Online Canada Ltd., a medical software company. His areas of interest include improving Indigenous health, Warfarin management and the detection of alcohol spectrum disorder in adults.
Dr. Trusler has been married to his high school sweetheart for 60 years. He has four children and six grandchildren.
Psychiatry, District 11
Living on a dairy farm, taking biology first year Laurentian University, I somehow realized I would apply to medical school, at U of T. Initially, I thought surgery (as my mother said, I was good with my hands!), however by the time I was finishing interning and had also spent a month externing at Whitby Psychiatric, I wanted to focus on psychiatry. This decision was triggered by a young woman I assessed in the last days of interning. She had an eating disorder. I got a diploma in psychiatry then practised as a family doctor focused in psychiatry.
Dr. Bryn Faustina Waern was born in Sudbury in 1942 to farmers who were graduates of Ontario Agricultural College. After completing a Bachelor of Science at Laurentian University, she went to the University of Toronto, where she studied medicine and psychiatry. Dr. Waern also studied bioenergetic analysis and orthomolecular medicine. For over 50 years, she incorporated all this information into a general practice, focusing on mental and emotional health.
Dr. Waern believes in co-operative living, spiritual practice and especially in living with a loving focus. Sometimes it takes her decades to realize/understand/receive/accept “things” that deeply impact her.
Dr. Waern has a deep appreciation of her family, her friends and some exceptional mentors, plus colleagues and patients. And she gives thanks to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario for giving her emeritus status.
General surgery, District 5
At age 10, I could not understand why my favourite aunt had to die of breast cancer. I decided then to become a doctor. For the next eight years, the two GPs in town took me under their wings and gave me a front row seat to their practices, including observing in their offices and surgeries, making house calls, rounding on hospital patients and even attending OR and deliveries before going down to Queen's University Meds '63, where I planned to be a GP like them including ObsGyn, surgery and anaesthesia.
Dr. Garry Lee Willard entered Queen's University as a hopeful 18-year-old and, six years later, graduated as a proud member of Meds ’63. His career spanned Indigenous practice in northern Manitoba, combat surgery in Vietnam (1968) and advanced surgical training at the University of Toronto. He earned fellowships from the Royal College of Surgeons (Canada and Edinburgh), the American College of Surgeons and the International College of Surgeons.
He served as chief of surgery at Etobicoke General and held staff appointments at multiple Ontario hospitals through 2025. He was a founding member of the American Trauma Society and a Life Member of the New York Academy of Sciences.
A Canadian Cancer Society travelling fellow, he trained in top European centres and later chronicled his Vietnam experience in Into The Dragon’s Jaws, donating all royalties to support veterans with PTSD.
He acknowledges what an awesome privilege and responsibility it has been to have had thousands of fellow human beings place their trust in him.
If given the chance to do it all again, Dr. Willard says, without hesitation, he sure would.