Michael Gerald O'DWYER

Michael Gerald (Gerry) O'Dwyer, MD, FRCPS(C), FACS
Passed away on November 23, 2017. Gerry was born in Port Hope, Ontario on March 3, 1931 to Michael Lawrence O'Dwyer and Angela Marie (Cantlon) O'Dwyer. While growing up as the son of a CP Railway stationmaster, Gerry was often on the move, living in Calabogie, Fordwich, Cheltenham and Walkerton. Gerry took to painting barns and iron bridges to earn enough money to pay his way through St. Michael's College at the University of Toronto. Gerry earned his medical degree from the University of Toronto in 1956. He started his internship at Mercy Hospital and surgical residency at the VA Medical Center in Buffalo, New York. He also completed surgical rotations at St. Joseph's (Toronto) and Toronto East General Hospitals. While in Buffalo, Gerry met the love of his life, Eleanor Marie Glair, who was a nurse and nursing instructor. They shared a love of opera, baroque music and reading. They were married in Buffalo on August 2, 1958. Returning to Canada in 1962, they settled in Georgetown, Ontario where Gerry established his medical practice. In 1967, the family moved to Scarborough, where Gerry accepted a position as a General Surgeon at the expanding Scarborough General Hospital eventually serving as Chief of Surgery and Chief of Staff. In his over 45 years as a General and Vascular Surgeon, Gerry touched the lives of thousands of people through his surgical skills, compassion, empathy, quick wit, and dry humour. He was a kind man who showed respect to everyone he met. In addition to his successes as a doctor, he still found time to love and guide his five sons. He never spared any effort in supporting his boys to achieve their goals. He taught his boys to try everything while offering calm, sensible advice. Gerry, nicknamed Tiger, loved to travel, a carry-over from his father's railway career. Gerry loved to go on cross-country trips for weeks at a time hauling the family and travel trailer in his suburban across Canada and the United States. Dad's desire to engage his children in the simple joys of life resulted in the boys learning how to sail, swim, skate (roller derby style) on the backyard ice rink, play hockey and soccer. As a grandfather, Papa Gerry passed on his great passion for skiing to the whole family, still hitting the slopes at the age of 80. He was a devout Roman Catholic and his religion was a pillar in his life. He sought to make his life in the service of others, and to that end he was truly successful. Dad will always be loved and greatly missed by his boys, Michael (Elizabeth), Joseph (Cheryl), William, John (Amy), Daniel (Dawn) and his grandchildren, Shawn, Christie, David, Shannon, Michael, William, Colin, Erin, Charlotte, Nicholas, and Alexander. Gerry was predeceased by his wife of 58 years, Eleanor Marie (Glair) O'Dwyer, and his siblings James O'Dwyer, Marion Fairhart, William O'Dwyer, Rita Jagelewksi, Thomas O'Dwyer and Patrick O'Dwyer. The family would like to extend their gratitude to the staff at Runnymede Healthcare Centre for their support and care of Gerry over the past 14 months. A visitation will be held at the PAUL O'CONNOR FUNERAL HOME, 1939 Lawrence Ave East, Scarborough on Wednesday, November 29, 2017 from 3-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m. A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, 3216 Lawrence Ave East, Scarborough at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, November 30, 2017. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Runnymede Healthcare Centre (runnymedehc.ca) or ShareLife (ShareLife.org) in Gerry's name.