Parcourez la nécrologie de John Alfred Collins Monday February 17th 2025 résidant dans la province Nova Scotia pour le détail des funérailles
JOHN ALFRED COLLINS MD, FRCSC, FRCOG, FACOG, C.M. died quietly at his home in Maders Cove, Nova Scotia, on February 17, 2025, surrounded by his family and overlooking his gardens and panoramic hilltop view of Mahone Bay.
John was predeceased by his wife of 62 years Carole Collins (daughter of Globe and Mail columnist Bruce West and Ada Cobb) and leaves his children, John Bruce (Carol Payne) of Ottawa, ON, Blayne (Dan Keeler) of Lunenburg, NS, and Anne Collins of Maders Cove, NS; grandchildren, Alexis Paton (Steven Robinson) Rugby, UK, Hannah Paton, Halifax, NS, Meg Collins (Gregory Pope), San Francisco, USA, and Alice Payne, Ottawa, ON; and great-granddaughters, Antonia Paton-Robinson and Vivienne Paton-Robinson, Rugby, UK. He also leaves his sister Janet Aiken, Lambton Shores, ON; sisters-in-law, Linda West (Bill) Dunn, Ottawa, ON and Earlaine Stewart (Gerard) Collins (Toronto, ON); and five nieces and nephews.
John was predeceased by his parents John Bandel Collins, a manager with Lang Tanning Co., Kitchener, and Vera Hannahson, a graduate of Western’s obstetric nurse program, his younger brother Gerard Hannahson Collins, and brother-in-law Bill Dunn.
Born in Kitchener, Ontario, October 2, 1936, John spent many summers of his youth with his extended Hannahson family and friends at the Ipperwash, Ontario cottage built by his grandfather, Alfred, a graduate of University of Toronto, B.A. (1890) and Knox College, Divinity School (1893), whose great-uncle was Toronto philanthropist, Jesse Ketchum. John met Carole at Western when a fourth was needed for a bridge game and he happened to be in the right place at the right time. They played bridge and created a rich life together until her passing in 2018. John continued to play bridge with partner Bill Hardman, the matchmaker at Western, and they achieved great success at tournaments in Lunenburg County and elsewhere.
John overcame the early loss of his father and set his sights upon medical school, graduating University of Western Ontario, M.D. in 1960. An illustrious career followed. As a McLaughlin Foundation fellow 1965-67, pursuing clinical endocrinological research, John and Carole travelled with their young family to Hindhead, England, Edinburgh, Scotland and East Finchley, England.
John was an obstetrician-gynecologist (OBGYN) and reproductive medicine specialist. His first practice was in London ON shared with his mentor Dr. Hugh Allen with whom he maintained a lifelong friendship. Over the years of his career “Dr. John” helped to bring thousands of new lives into this world. Many of his past patients, secretaries and nurses continued to share updates with him. He is also widely recognized for his ground-breaking research into women’s reproductive health. He held senior academic positions, including Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Medicine at Western University; Head of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Dalhousie University and Chief of Staff for Grace Maternity Hospital (Halifax); and Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at McMaster University where he was also Professor in Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics. He was President of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada, the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society, and the Association of Professors of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He was a Fellow ad eundem of the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, the Royal College of Surgeons (Canada) and a visiting Fellow at the World Health Organization Research in Human Reproduction Program. He was also a member of the Royal Belgium Academy of Medicine. He served on the Editorial Board of The New England Journal of Medicine as well as the Editorial Board of the journal Fertility and Sterility from 1991 to 1996 and was Editor-in-Chief of the Oxford journal Human Reproduction Update from 2006 to 2012. He was also an Epidemiology Consultant to the Practice Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine from 1996 to 2012 and a member of the FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) Committee on Reproductive Medicine. His academic contribution includes over 200 peer-reviewed papers on the effectiveness, safety and cost of interventions for reproductive health disorders, as well as the long-term cardiovascular and cancer outcomes associated with oral contraception and hormone replacement. He also wrote The History of The Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society, 1954-1989 (McMaster Journal SOGC, 1992). Most recently John was a member of the Board of Directors for the Allen-Carey Scholarship in Obstetrics and Gynecology associated with London Health Sciences Foundation.
John was mentor and role model for many students and professionals in his field. One of his major contributions was to disseminate the McMaster Evidence-Based Medicine approach to the field of infertility research, where few randomized trials existed before the 1980s. His advocacy led to increased careful examination of fertility treatments and surgery. John was active as a researcher and advocate for women’s health in Europe, the USA and through the World Health Organization. In his last years he had been at work on the publication “Evaluating Studies of Long-term Menopausal Hormonal Therapy Risks: The Need for Randomized Controlled Trials,” co-authored with Dr. Gillian Graves. In 2019, John was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada by the Governor General recognizing “his transformative research in reproductive endocrinology and for promoting evidence-based medicine in women’s health care.”
John and Carole retired to Maders Cove in 1998 to the house they built together, and retirement was active! They spent six months in Geneva (1999) and Brussels (2001). The following years in Nova Scotia were as full as ever. In addition to his ongoing involvement in reproductive research and teaching, there was entertaining, playing bridge, sailing Mahone Bay with his many friends who owned boats (in John’s experience that was the least expensive way to sail), piano lessons and weekly visits to the Lunenburg market. He enjoyed his weekly lunches with Peter and Tom, and the monthly gatherings for “doctors’ breakfast.” John’s carefully planned and executed dinner parties were always highly anticipated. As a gourmet of Italian cuisine, he didn’t hesitate to instruct servers on the preparation of pasta Aglio e Olio if it wasn’t on the menu. John was also a dedicated and proud member of the South Shore Chorale and the St. John’s Anglican Church choir of Lunenburg, where he sang as bass. He was known throughout his community as a kind, funny, gracious and patient man who defined the term ‘gentleman’ and always had a story to tell you.
John passed away following a brief battle with cancer. The family would like to thank Larry Burkam, Suzette Eisnor and Larry Harnish who helped him to remain in his own home, his physician Dr. Michael Samson, caregiver Lisa Parsons, and his friend and colleague Dr. Gill Graves, who helped immensely with her affection and medical expertise.
A memorial service is planned for Tuesday, April 15 at 11:00 AM from St. John’s Anglican Church, Lunenburg. If you wish to make a memorial donation, please consider the Allen-Carey Scholarship in Obstetrics and Gynecology through the London Health Sciences Foundation; the St. John’s Anglican Church of Lunenburg, or the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance.
Monday February 17th 2025
Décès pour la Ville Lunenburg, Province Nova Scotia
avis deces John Alfred Collins Monday February 17th 2025
nécrologie John Alfred Collins Monday February 17th 2025
Nous offrons nos plus sincères condoléances à la famille et aux amis de John Alfred Collins Monday February 17th 2025 et espérons que leur mémoire pourra être une source de réconfort pendant cette période difficile. Vos pensées et vos mots aimables sont grandement appréciés.