Dr. Bill Nelems

NELEMS, Dr. Bill: Bill Nelems died on March 31, 2017. He was 77. Bill was a remarkable man - groundbreaking thoracic surgeon, community leader, development practitioner, internationalist, and devoted husband, father and grandfather. The Canadian medical community will remember Bill as a pioneer in his field. He was the first surgeon in Canada to perform a lung transplant. He was the first in the world to use ECMO - a technique now routinely used for treatment of advanced respiratory failure - in support of lung transplantation. And his pioneering efforts led directly to several global lung transplant milestones. When, later in life, he opened and led BC's Cancer Centre of Southern Interior, he was the first practicing surgeon to lead an administration of a regional cancer facility. His dedication to rural health care led him to work with colleagues to develop a tele-medicine service using videoconferencing to provide thoracic surgical consultation to patients living in remote areas in Northern BC. In recognition of his work, Bill received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 and the CATS Lifetime Achievement Award in 2016. Born to Canadian parents in South Africa, Bill studied in Canada, the UK and the Netherlands. He was a proud Canadian and also an internationalist. He was a passionate advocate for gender equality, diversity, human rights social justice and international development. Bill was a force to be reckoned with. No physical or mental challenge was too great. He celebrated his 70th birthday while cycling 4,500 km through Southern Africa to raise money to support healthcare in Zambia. This was one of the many ways he supported the Okanagan-Zambia Health Initiative (OkaZHI), a small Canadian NGO he founded to connect medical practitioners in the Okanagan with those in Zambia. The focus was education, mentoring and building human resource capacity and empowerment both here and in a remote Western Province of Zambia. Bill mentored, encouraged, supported and inspired countless with his creative and humorous charm. As a passionate feminist, he championed his daughters to study, travel, and pursue fulfilling careers. He made sure they also knew there was nothing they could not achieve. A lifelong learner, Bill obtained his first degree in Engineering in 1962, followed by a second degree in Medicine in 1966. That was just the beginning. After a series of medical specializations over many decades, he then obtained a Masters degree in Counselling Psychology in 1997. His latest project was studying for a second medical specialty in Chronic Pain Management by writing the Royal College's newly created exam in Pain Medicine. He was about to become the oldest Canadian ever to write a Royal College Fellowship exam. Bill's immediate family is holding a private gathering this weekend. Recognizing the role Bill played in the wider community, they will hold a public celebration of life in a few months. In the meantime, Bill's family are reflecting on an appropriate legacy for his philanthropic work. This will be announced at the celebration of life. The family ask that well-wishers consider donating to this legacy, once announced, in lieu of sending flowers now. They are deeply grateful to all who have expressed their love, admiration and gratitude for Bill's extraordinary life. Bill is survived by his wife Mary Ellen; his daughters, Sarah, Martha, Rebeccah, Rachel and Bev; his grandchildren, Alexander, Kate, Lucy, Willem, Everest, Mandy and Tess; his sister Beverley Barron; his nephews, Paul, John and Graham; and his sons-in-law Ed, Chris and Cory. Celebrate the amazing life of Bill Nelems on Friday, August 25th, 2017 from 2-5 PM at Trinity Baptist Church, 1905 Springfield Road, Kelowna, BC. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.springfieldfuneralhome.com, 250-860-7077.