SEELY, Dr. John F.
John Frederick Seely passed away peacefully on December 18th after a courageous battle with cancer. He is survived by his four children, Jean, Alison, Andrew and Dugald; eight grandchildren, Alexandra, Adrian, Savannah, Forest, Logan, Phoebe, Tristan and Lilah; sons and daughters-in-law, Mark Liepmann, Kevin Mahoney, Kathy Patterson and Sarah Young; ex-wife and friend Janet Christie-Seely; and brothers David, Peter and Robert. John touched the lives and hearts of innumerable patients, families, students, residents and health care colleagues, first as a nephrologist at The Royal Victoria Hospital, McGill University, Professor of Medicine and Director of the McGill Nephrology Division, next as Physician in Chief of the Ottawa Hospital, then as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa, and last as a palliative care physician at the Ottawa Hospital. He exemplified great compassion and integrity as a physician focused on whole person care. Dr Seely was recognized internationally as a teacher, administrator, communicator and clinician. He served on several national medical committees including director of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada CANMEDS 2000 project. He handled his illness with remarkable dignity. Special thanks to the loving care provided by the nurses and doctors of the Hospice at May Court. A Celebration of Life will be held on Tuesday, December 22 at St. Augustine Church (1060 Baseline Road, Ottawa) at 2 p.m. A reception will follow in the Pinecrest Reception Centre. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Hospice at May Court or the John F. Seely Fund at the University of Ottawa Medical School.
Published in the Ottawa Citizen from December 19, 2009 – December 20, 2009
