Bruce Squires

SQUIRES, Bruce Paul, MD., Ph. D. Peacefully at home on Wednesday, 11 May, Bruce Paul Squires, MD., Ph.D., age 77. Husband of Patricia (McBane), father of Patti, London ON and Bruce Jr. (Joanne Kennedy), Ottawa. Grandfather of Grady, Ella, and Audrey. Brother of Ted (Doris), Blue Mountains, Wendy (Murray Hall), Burlington, and Larry, Milton. Also survived by nieces, nephews, and friends. Born May 10, 1934, in Toronto, Bruce grew up in Oakville. He received his BA from Huron College in London ON and his MD. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Western Ontario. Following a post-doctoral fellowship in endocrinology at Duke University (Durham, NC), where he met and married Patricia, he returned to UWO in 1965 in the Department of Physiology, rising to full professor. He received the first Douglas Bocking Award for teaching and was elected honorary president of Meds'70. In 1971 he was appointed to head Western's new Office of Service and Research in Medical Education. In 1978 he became the first Director of the Office of Health Sciences Educational Development there. He led numerous teaching workshops in North America and abroad. Bruce was appointed Assistant Editor of the Canadian Medical Association Journal in 1984, Scientific Co-Editor in 1986, Scientific Editor in 1987, and Editor in Chief of the CMA's Publications Department from 1989 until his retirement in 1996. His editorials included publishing guidelines for medical articles. He was speaker and facilitator at many international conferences and workshops on medical journal editing. He was a member of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (Vancouver Group) and the Council of Biology Editors (now Council of Science Editors). In 1995 he co-founded the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), an on-line organization comprising 1565 members representing 965 journals in 92 countries. He served WAME as Vice-President then Secretary and Membership Chairman. Bruce participated in the founding meeting of the Forum of African Medical Editors and was an honorary member of the Eastern Mediterranean Association of Medical Editors. He was an adjunct professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, University of Ottawa, and served on the Advisory Board of the People-Centred Health Institute. He held membership in the Canadian Association of the Club of Rome, Ottawa Branch. Bruce Squires received the Award of Merit of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (1993), an Honorary Fellowship in the American Medical Writers Association (1997), and Honorary Senior Membership in the Canadian Medical Association (1999). In 2006 he rejoined CMAJ as Editor Emeritus during the interim search for an editor-in-chief. That December the Canadian Medical Association established the Dr. Bruce P. Squires Award, presented annually for excellence in medical journalism. At Bruce's request his body has been donated to the Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Ottawa. (Thus he continues to teach medical students.) No visitation. His funeral will be held on Saturday, 14 May at 10 AM at the Church of St. Barnabas, southwest corner of Kent & James Street, Ottawa, with a reception following the service. Bruce specified that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be directed to the St. Barnabas Church Celebration Fund, 70 James St., Ottawa ON, K1R 5M3. Sincere gratitude to the numerous health professionals who cared for him.