John Davidson BROWN

JOHN DAVIDSON BROWN On December 21st, John Davidson Brown MD PhD FRCP(C) died suddenly in his sleep aged 71. He was the best of men, who worked through adversity steered always by his principles, his sense of humour, and a commitment to the many communities around him. His life started hard. By age 10, he had spent years in hospital for polio and other problems. His Mother, who nursed him through these stays, died shortly after he came home. By the age of 15 he was selfsufficient. He put himself through university and through medical school (Manitoba), working as a baker, a bartender, and a laboratory assistant. He worked most nights and every weekend but graduated from medicine with no debt, one shirt and one pen. He won the Prowse Prize for his PhD (Manitoba) and studied at the National Hospital for Neurological Diseases (London) as a Medical Research Council Fellow. He was repeatedly recognized as a leader. He was the honourary class president more than once at the Schulich School of Medicine (UWO). He was honoured by the same school as a Professor Emeritus and with a Lifetime Achievement Award and the designation of Elder Statesman. But he always said that he was luckiest when he married Unnur, his wife of 45 years. When she could no longer fight the cancers that had plagued her for more than a decade, he cared for her at home. Although exhausted and heartbroken he would never describe this time as anything but a privilege. He was a gifted athlete. Despite a weak leg from polio he was recruited for the Bruins Farm Team. He turned it down to go into medicine. When his awkward son got into trouble, he took him to learn to fight. To make his son comfortable, he took the same children's classes. And despite staying back to help his son, he quickly won repeated national championships in TaeKwonDo. He could play squash and tennis with either hand and was a great golfer when he had time to pick up a club. But as his son grew up, he gave that up to be his coach. In later years, he gave up the practice of medicine. He worried that age and time would keep him from being the best possible doctor although Christmas always brought kind words from patients who remembered his care. He continued on professionally, working in administration and health policy and serving on the Council of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. In every arena, people trusted him and many were proud to call him a mentor. To his son, he was the model of what a man should be and do. He is survived by his loving son Adalsteinn; daughter-in-law Erica, and grandchildren Njála and Brandur. At his request, there will be no services and no visitation. He will be cremated at Mount Pleasant Cemetery and his ashes mixed with those of his wife. Donations may be made to the John D. Brown Memorial Fund at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario.