William Stewart TUCKER

1943 - 2023

DR. WILLIAM (BILL) STEWART TUCKER June 11, 1943 - October 2, 2023 Bill passed away peacefully on Monday, at Princess Margaret Hospital. A wonderful and loving father to Michael (Shani) and Mark (Lara) and cherished grandfather of Zoe, Ben, Kaylee and Alexander. He is survived by their mother and grandmother, Ruth (Kaufman, Tucker) and his sister-in-law, Leslie, nephew Jonas Tucker (Crystal) and niece Gillian Doan. He also leaves behind his loving partner of over 20 years, Barbara (McKay, Heath), her daughter Susie (Brian) and their son Jacob. Bill was predeceased by his father, Stewart; mother, Isabel (Taylor), and brother Bruce. He was also predeceased by his partner Julie (Hall). Throughout a distinguished career as a neurosurgeon and educator, Bill touched the lives of thousands of patients, many of whom continued to write to him long after his retirement. He cherished these stories and always replied to their letters, remembering their cases even from decades earlier. Bill grew up in Etobicoke and attended Royal York Collegiate (now Etobicoke School of the Arts) where he forged many close friendships, including his lifelong friend, Bill Medlock. In 1968, Bill graduated in medicine from the University of Toronto (U of T), and then practiced as a neurosurgeon at St. Michael's Hospital (SMH) from 1972 until his retirement in 2012. He was the founding director of the trauma service at SMH (1983 - 1992) and head of the neurosurgical department at SMH (1993 - 2000). Bill was active in the administration of surgical education at SMH and U of T, and won numerous teaching awards throughout his career. He was Deputy Program Director for the U of T Division of Neurosurgery (1989 - 1996) and then Program Director (1996 - 1998). He was the Director of Core Surgical Education for the Department of Surgery at U of T (1994 - 1996) and Director of Undergraduate Education for the U of T Department of Surgery (1996 - 2004). Bill was made full professor at the University of Toronto in 2010. Bill also served on the council of the Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA) for 18 years (1994 - 2012), including three years as President. In his retirement, Bill spent his time travelling the world with Barbara, sailing Ontario's waterways with Mike and his family, and visiting Mark and his family in Ottawa. He enjoyed crosswords, scotch and very precise weed-whacking in Muskoka, and loved to quiz friends and family on obscure trivia that he already knew the answers to. An avid euchre player, Bill was known for his "table talk," which typically consisted of him asking his fellow players to confirm and re-confirm trump for each hand. In lieu of flowers, donations in his honour may be made to the St. Michael's Foundation. His profession and the hospital where he practiced were very important to him, and his family and loved ones thank you for supporting St. Michael's Hospital in his memory. A Celebration of Life will take place at the Granite Club in the Grand Ballroom on Sunday, October 22nd starting at 3:00 p.m. Speeches will commence at 4:30 p.m. Condolences may be forwarded through www.humphreymiles.com.