KROACH o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-04-30 published
Doctor gave the 'gift of life'
'Test-tube' baby expert helped introduce In Vitro Fertilization
program at the University of Toronto
By Carol COOPER
Special to The Globe and Mail Wednesday, April
30, 2003 - Page R9
Nine months ago, a long-time patient of Dr. Alan
SHEWCHUK offered
the reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist a
choice of pictures depicting her daughter to add to his collage
of kids' photos from grateful parents. Upon choosing one, he
flipped it over and read an inscription: "Thank you for the gift
of life."
Dr. SHEWCHUK had unknowingly made an apt choice, one that spoke
of the joy his work brought to his patients and their families.
"It was wonderful to have the experience [of having a child].
It was truly a great gift of life, "said the woman, who conceived
under Dr. SHEWCHUK's care. Her reaction was typical of those
he treated and it drove him: "They [his patients] were just so
happy and that was the kick that he got out of it, "said Valerie
SHEWCHUK, his wife of 42 years.
Dr. SHEWCHUK, who throughout his career directed the Toronto
General Hospital's reproductive biology unit, helped start the
University of Toronto's In Vitro Fertilization program, ran a
private practice, taught medical school and co-founded a private
infertility clinic -- with many activities overlapping -- died
of cancer on March 29 at the age of 66.
Known as "Big Al" to many colleagues for his tongue-in-cheek
persona of the grand old man of infertility treatment, the good-looking
doctor worked briefly as a model and worked evenings at a variety
store to pay his way through medical school.
After completing his training, Dr.
SHEWCHUK practised family
medicine in Toronto's Little Italy. There, in order to communicate
with his patients, he learned Italian, adding to the French,
German and Ukrainian he already knew. Three years later, he left
to study obstetrics and gynecology, completing his residency
in 1969. That year he became an associate staff member of Toronto
General Hospital and a clinical research fellow in what was later
named its reproductive biology unit.
Appointed a staff member at the hospital in 1972, Dr.
SHEWCHUK
attended more than 3,000 births during his career.
"He just loved delivering babies, "said his daughter Melanie,
who worked with her father for 25 years. "He said, when you pulled
out a baby, the baby was the most perfect thing in the world.
And you hand it to the parents and the parents are just elated."
witnessing the joy of birth motivated Dr.
SHEWCHUK to help those
who suffered the sorrow of infertility.
"As each decade brought new things to the field of infertility,
he kept up and tried to enhance people's fertility in the best
way he could with the tools he had at the time, "said Nancy
BRYCELAND, the nurse manager who worked with Dr.
SHEWCHUK in
the reproductive biology unit he headed from 1974 to 1988. One
of those tools was in vitro fertilization. Dr.
SHEWCHUK travelled
with colleagues to Melbourne, Australia, late in 1983 to study
the technique and
in January, 1984, was among those who began
the University of Toronto in vitro fertilization program located
at Toronto General.
On June 21 of that year, Dr.
SHEWCHUK told the Ontario Medical
Association that a Toronto woman participating in the in vitro
fertilization program was four-months pregnant, The Globe and
Mail reported. In November, 1984, the program's first baby was
born.
Dr. SHEWCHUK was born in Toronto on October 18, 1936, the middle
of three sons of a schoolteacher of Ukrainian descent and a Ukrainian
father who immigrated to Canada during the First World War. Interned
in northern Ontario for two years because of his Austro-Hungarian
citizenship, Dr.
SHEWCHUK's father later worked as a house painter
and carpenter.
Dr. SHEWCHUK was a gifted athlete who played quarterback in high-school
football and turned down the chance to pursue professional baseball.
Instead, he attended the University of Toronto medical school.
As an assistant professor with the school from 1976 to 1983,
following time as a clinical instructor and lecturer, Dr.
SHEWCHUK
demanded a lot of his students, including standards of professional
dress. The doctor, who himself wore a lab coat, required they
wear a shirt and tie in the presence of patients and sent them
home to change if they appeared otherwise.
"He was a great motivator, "said Dr. Matt
GYSLER, a former student
of Dr. SHEWCHUK's and now chief of obstetrics and gynecology
at Credit Valley Hospital in Mississauga, Ontario "He made this
area [reproductive medicine] sound interesting."
Appreciative patients brought babies and gifts of baking to his
office.
"Dr. SHEWCHUK was like a father figure to his patients, "said
Dr. Murray
KROACH, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at the
Toronto East General Hospital. "He had a presence that gave confidence
and he was motivated very strongly to expand this area of reproductive
biology."
Said one patient: "He was larger than life and had a magical
quality." She remembers how Dr.
SHEWCHUK told her that he had
slept poorly the night before her ultrasound, worrying about
the success of her pregnancy. "He balanced hope with reality,"
another said.
With a heavy workload, Dr.
SHEWCHUK reluctantly stopped delivering
babies in the late 1980s. In 1992, along with three others, Dr.
SHEWCHUK established
START, a private infertility clinic.
"Dr. SHEWCHUK was a great idea man, "said Dr. Carl
LASKIN, one
of the clinic's co-founders. "He was a real character who would
never just accept that it was just by the book. The obvious was
never the way he liked to think."
During clinical meetings when colleagues presented sound physiological
reasons for a patient's problems, Dr.
SHEWCHUK would often counter
with an "off-the-wall" explanation. "Many times he would be absolutely
wrong, "Dr.
LASKIN said, "but he pushed everyone to think differently."
Two and a half months before his death, Dr.
SHEWCHUK wrote a
letter to a married couple who had seen him. In it, he encouraged
them not to give up hope and reminded them that they could adopt.
They would make wonderful parents. And he said that people like
them were the reason he came to work. They had given him joy,
said the man who himself brought joy to so many.
Dr. SHEWCHUK leaves his wife
Valerie and children Melanie, Leslie
and Alan.
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KROEKER o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-07-29 published
OLSEN,
Eric
Guthrie
After a long battle with cancer, Eric died in Toronto on July
26, 2003. He was predeceased by his loving first wife, Marjorie
and his son Michael. He will be missed by his sisters Margaret
ORAM and Brenda
OLSEN in England, and his loving children Barbara
WILKES (Andy), Geoffrey
OLSEN, Brenda
KROEKER (Henry), and Robert
OLSEN, and by his grandchildren - David and Julia
WILKES,
Jesse
and Sheena
OLSEN, and Christine
WILSON.
Eric was born in Yorkshire,
England in 1927, immigrating to Canada with Marjorie in 1951.
After years with Dominion Bridge, Eric founded Amhurst Drafting
Company Ltd. in 1959 with the support and ongoing participation
of Marjorie. The company was known in the steel industry for
its excellent work, high ethical standards, skilled employees
and excellence in training. After nearly 30 successful years,
the company was closed. A special thanks goes to Dr. M.
SHERMAN
and his team at Toronto General Hospital for the clinical trial
of the new cancer drug that gave us another three years with
Dad. And also to Dr. John
RIEGER of the Temmy Latner Centre for
Palliative Care for the support that made it possible to Dad
to stay home with family. Visitation for the hour before the
service will be held at St. James-the-Less Cemetery Chapel, 635
Parliament Street, Today Tuesday, July 29, 2003 at 2: 00 p.m with
service following at 3: 00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations
''In memory of Eric Olsen'' to the Canadian Cancer Society would
be greatly appreciated.
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KROGER o@ca.on.york_county.toronto.globe_and_mail 2003-04-23 published
Rolf O. KROGER, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus of Psychology University
of Toronto
Rolf died, as he lived, with grace, courage, humour and dignity,
at home on April 18th, 2003, of advanced prostate cancer. He
was the devoted and beloved husband of Linda
WOOD. He was the
cherished son of Erna
KROGER and son-in-law of Adele
WOOD; loving
brother of Harold and Jurgen
KROGER; dear brother-in-law of Wilma
KROGER,
Edelgard
DEDO, Lorraine
WOOD, Robert and Deborah
WOOD,
and Reg WOOD; much loved uncle of Andrew
KROGER and Stephen
KROGER,
Christina and Linda
JUHASZ-
WOOD, Taylor, Genna and Devon
WOOD,
Jonathan and Nicole
WOOD,
Phillippe
NOEL, and Jose and David
TILLETT, and nephew of Liesl
WINTER,
Otto
WINTER and Alf and
Sue MODJESKI.
Rolf was born in Hamburg, Germany, on September
28th, 1931. He emigrated to Canada in 1952, and completed a B.A.
in psychology at Sir George Williams College (now Concordia University)
in 1957. Following his M.A. (1959) at Columbia University, New
York, he received his Ph.D. in psychology from the University
of California at Berkeley in 1963. His advisor, Prof. Theodore
R. SARBIN
(Prof.
Emeritus,
University of California, Santa Cruz,)
has continued to be a valued colleague and dear friend, together
with Rolf's fellow graduate student, Prof. Karl E.
SCHEIBE of
Wesleyan University and Karl's wife Wendy. Rolf joined the Department
of Psychology at the University of Toronto in 1964 and continued
his research and writing in social psychology after retiring
in 1996. Rolf's work addressed a variety of topics concerning
the individual in the social system. His articles and papers
on the social psychology of test-taking, hypnosis, history, epistemology,
methodology and the discipline of social psychology all reflected
his dissatisfaction with the status quo combined with proposals
for new directions. For more than 20 years he has worked with
Linda A. WOOD
(University of Guelph) on topics in language and
social psychology (e.g., terms of address and politeness), and
most recently on a book on discourse analysis. At the time of
his death, he was working on a discursive critique of the 'Big
Five' personality theory enterprise and on stories of his experiences
growing up in Germany during the Second World War. Rolf also
took great pleasure in teaching and greatly valued the opportunity
to work for almost forty years with so many talented and enthusiastic
students, both undergraduate and graduate. Rolf was privileged
to have many long-lasting Friendships, and he was grateful for
the encouragement, help and comfort given by so many, especially
Bogna ANDERSSON,
Eva and Fred
BILD, Clare
MacMARTIN and Bill
MacKENZIE, Frances
NEWMAN and Fred
WEINSTEIN, Jesse
NISHIHATA,
Anne and Michael
PETERS,
Andrew and Judi
WINSTON and Lorraine
WOOD. We have also been sustained by the kindness of our neighbours
on Walmer Road. We express our particular thanks and appreciation
to family physician and friend, Dr. Christine
LIPTAY.
Our thanks
go also to the staff of Princess Margaret Hospital, to the physicians
and nurses of the Hospice Palliative Care Network Project, especially
Dr. Russell
GOLDMAN and nurses Francine
BOHN,
Joan
DYKE, Dwyla
HAMILTON, Lynda
McKEE and Ella
VAN
HERREWEGHE, and to the nurses
of St. Elizabeth, especially Liz
LEADBEATER,
Sylvia
McCALLUM
and Cecilia
McPARLAND.
Cremation was private. There will be an
Open House for remembrance and celebration on Sunday, April 27th
(3-7 p.m.), Monday, April 28th (4-8 p.m.) and Tuesday, April
29th (4-8 p.m.) at 98 Walmer Road, Toronto, Ontario M5R 2X7.
Please direct any queries to Frances
NEWMAN (416-351-0755.) In
lieu of flowers, donations to Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative
Care (700 University Avenue, Third Floor, Toronto, Ontario M5G
1Z5) or Amnesty International would be appreciated.
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KROKER o@ca.on.manitoulin.howland.little_current.manitoulin_expositor 2003-06-04 published
Rick FRANCIS
Funeral services for Mr. Rick
FRANCIS, age 47 years, who died
Saturday, May 17, 2003, were held on Tuesday evening in the Blake
Funeral
Chapel in Thunder Bay, ON, led by Reverend Larry
KROKER of Saint
Anne's Church. Eulogies were offered by Kevin
MAIN, Jaymie
PENNY,
Paul FRANCIS,
Jennifer
O'NEIL and Tamara
BROWN. Numerous co-workers
from the city of Thunder Bay, fellow coaches from minor hockey,
neighbors, Friends and family attended the service. Removal was then
made to Little Current, for visitation and Funeral Mass in Saint
Bernard's
Church celebrated by Reverend Bert
FOLIOT S.J. on Thursday, May
22, 2003. The readings were proclaimed by Celina
McGREGOR,
Jennifer
KEYS,
Raquel
KOENIG and PollyAnna
McNALLY. Eulogies were offered by
Kerry FRANCIS, Raymond
FRANCIS, Jenny
McGRAW, Paul
FRANCIS and
Ruthanne FRANCIS.
The offertory gifts were presented by Kerry and
Brenda FRANCIS. The Soloist was Rosa
PITAWANAKWAT-
BURK/BURKE accompanied
by the organist Thomas
NESHIKWE.
Services were largely attended by
long time Friends, members of Saint Bernard Church, and family.
Honourary Pallbearers were Jeff
FRANCIS and David
LARSON. The Active
Pallbearers were Allan
ESHKAWKOGAN, Paul
FRANCIS Jr., Robert
McGRAW
Jr., Craig
KOENIG,
Mike
McNALLY and Chris
KEYS.
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