GILLES BERTRAND

(1924 - 2026) With uncommon grace and courage and surrounded by his family, Dr. Gilles Bertrand peacefully passed away on February 24, 2026, at the age of 101. Married to Louise Lafleur for almost 70 years, he leaves his children, Maryse (William Brock), François (Nathalie Avon) and Martin (Karen Nicholson); his grandchildren, Julianne Brock (Christian Buchanan) and Philippe Brock; and his great-grandchild, Edouard Bertrand, son of the late and beloved Justin William Bertrand (Camille Thibault). He will be missed as well by his sister-in-law, Huguette Lafleur (Jean Charton); and his numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom he loved dearly. His circle of friends and colleagues inevitably narrowed with the passage of time, but he left his mark everywhere he went, including at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, where he worked for almost six decades. Graduating at the top of his cohort at Université de Montréal, he was awarded the Lieutenant-Governor's Medal and a bursary to study neurology at the Hôpital de La Salpêtrière in Paris, followed by a one-year stint in surgery in Toledo, Ohio. Back to Montreal in 1951, he began his residency at the Neuro with Dr. Wilder Penfield and Dr. William Cone, becoming Chief of neurosurgery in 1972, a position he held until his retirement as a surgeon. Even then, he continued to see patients, do consulting and training work, research and to publish well into his 80s. His brilliant career earned him many accolades, including the Order of Canada, the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation Medal, the Médaille du 150e anniversaire de la Faculté de Médecine de l'Université de Montréal, the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal and the Neuro Lifetime achievement award. More than a renowned neurosurgeon, he was a devoted family man and cared deeply for his patients. An avid skier, sailor and a passionate lover of nature and outdoorsman, he was also a gifted woodworker. His humility was all the more remarkable given his considerable professional and personal accomplishments. We already miss him terribly. The family would like to thank his caregivers, Rebecca, Tess and Imelda, as well as the personnel of Westmount One and of the Jewish General Hospital. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to the Neuro in his memory (www.mcgill.ca/neuro/donate). The family will welcome relatives and friends at the Mount Royal Funeral Complex, 1297 Rue de la Forêt, Outremont, on Thursday, April 16th, beginning at 14:00, followed by a Celebration of life ceremony which will take place at 17:00 in the chapel of the complex. Refreshments will be served.