Deaths / Nécrologie [CMAJ - September 5, 2000]

Deaths • Nécrologie

CMAJ 2000;163(5):683

Dr. Frank Turnbull, a pioneering physician who became the first neurosurgeon to practise in Western Canada and the first and only neurosurgeon to serve as CMA president, died in Vancouver June 16. He was 96.

Dr. Turnbull entered his then-infant specialty after graduating from the University of Toronto in 1928. He trained under Dr. Kenneth McKenzie, the country's first neurosurgeon. "Ken McKenzie had actually started neurosurgery in Toronto about 1924 after finishing his course with Cushing, but he didn't have a resident until I came along," Dr. Turnbull recalled in an oral history transcript stored in the CMA library. "Neurosurgery was considered such a far-out specialty and its results practically hopeless because in the mind of the average doctor it was equated with brain tumours and it was taken for granted that all patients with brain tumours died."

He said the meticulous side of neurosurgery appealed to him, even if it made for long operations. "Once, working with Ken McKenzie, we took 7 hours and took time off halfway through to have tea. We had tea and the patient had tea because we were doing the operation under local anesthesia."

After serving in the RCAMC in WW II, he became a consultant at the British Columbia Cancer Institute and Vancouver General Hospital, and an associate clinical professor at UBC.

He assumed the CMA presidency at a tumultuous time. As the book 100 Years of Medicine in Canada reported, "The long-awaited first volume of the Report of the Royal Commission on Health Services was released on June 19, 2 days before the [1964] annual meeting, and its main unexpected recommendation for a compulsory, tax-supported system of health insurance dominated the discussion at a very active meeting."

Years after that report's release, Dr. Turnbull described it as "tremendous," even if he used other words back in 1964. "It was the shock of the sudden ex-cathedra pronouncement that this was the way it must be done that affected us at the time."

He also served as president of the Vancouver Medical Association, British Columbia Medical Association, North Pacific Society of Neurology and Psychiatry, Canadian Neurological Society, the Western Neurological Society and Harvey Cushing Society (now the American Association of Neurological Surgeons), and wrote a well-received book, Operating on the Frontier, Memoirs of a Pioneer Canadian Surgeon.

Dr. Turnbull, who died of heart disease, is survived by his wife, Jean, son Dr. Ian, a Vancouver neurosurgeon, and daughters Sheila, Joan and Susan.

Deane, W. James, London, Ont.; University of Western Ontario, 1948; obstetrics/gynecology; FRCSC. Died Apr. 20, 2000, aged 75; survived by his son, James.

Desaulniers, G. Edward, London, Ont.; University of Western Ontario, 1975. Died May 16, 2000, aged 50.

Dipaolo, Michael, Lachute (Qué.); Université Laval, 1984; omnipraticien; ancien membre du personnel de l'Hôpital d'Argenteuil. Décédé le 18 avril 2000, à l'âge de 41 ans.

Grover, Sunder D., Calgary; Nagpur University (India), 1959; general surgery; FRCS(Ed. & Eng.), FRCSI, FICS, FACA, FRCSC; former staff, Calgary General Hospital and Grace Hospital Women's Health Centre; consultant, Rockyview General Hospital. Died Apr. 27, 2000, aged 63; survived by his wife, Linda, and 4 children.

Jenkins, Leonard C., Vancouver; McGill University, 1952; anesthesia; FRCPC; former director and head, Department of Anesthesiology, Vancouver General Hospital; professor and head, Department of Anesthesiology, University of British Columbia. Died Apr. 22, 2000, aged 72.

McBride, John A., Hamilton, Ont.; University of Glasgow (Scotland), 1957; internal medicine; MRCP(Ed.), MRCP(Lond.), FRCP(Ed.), FRCP (Lond.), FRCPC; former director, Hematology Laboratories, Henderson General Hospital; professor, departments of Pathology and Medicine, McMaster University. Died May 29, 2000, aged 68; survived by his wife, Margaret.

Meakins, Jonathan F., Westmount, Que.; McGill University, 1936; respiratory diseases; FACP, FCCP, FRCPC; RCAF, WW II; former senior physician, honorary attending staff and registrar-in-chief, Royal Victoria Hospital; professor, McGill University; senior member, CMA. Died Apr. 22, 2000, aged 87; survived by his wife, Edyth, and children Dr. Jonathan, Sally and Sandra.

Murphy, Frederick G., Moncton, NB; McGill University, 1954; vascular surgery; FACS, FRCSC; former staff, Moncton and Dr. Georges-L. Dumont hospitals; president, New Brunswick Surgical Society and Canadian Association of General Surgeons (CAGS). Died in his sleep Apr. 28, 2000, aged 71; survived by his wife, Joyce, and children Dr. John and Brian. He was a pioneer in vascular surgery in the Maritimes, having helped found the Atlantic Vascular Society. He performed the first insertion of a cardiac pacemaker in New Brunswick and aggressively advocated mandatory seat-belt legislation in the 1970s. He was awarded an honorary membership from CAGS and a lifetime membership with the New Brunswick Medical Society.

Ng, Ka-Chow, Vancouver; Sun Yat Sen University (China), 1952. Died Apr. 4, 2000, aged 74.