In Memoriam: Dr. John Dick Fleming MacLean (1940-2009)

January 24, 2009

It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden loss of Dr. J. Dick MacLean MD, FRCPC, MRCP (UK), DCMT (Lond.) Director, McGill Centre for Tropical Diseases Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, McGill University on Thursday, January 22, 2009. Born in Flin Flon, Manitoba in 1940 to Rev. Frank and Isobel Fleming MacLean, he will be profoundly missed by his wife Meta, their three children, Jenne (John), Sara (Craig), and James (Nicholas), sister Frances McIntosh (Alastair), nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. His family legacy is his good nature, boundless curiosity, and his enthusiasm for life and learning. He travelled across Canada enjoying sailing, skiing, and hiking. After more than thirty years of passionate interest and effort, he was recognized across Canada and internationally as one of the most influential forces in clinical tropical medicine. He built the McGill Centre for Tropical Diseases into a leading clinical, laboratory and research hub. Instead of easing-up as he passed ‘retirement age’, Dr. MacLean just kept getting better at what he did with endless requests from governments for advice, invitations to speak at the continent’s most prestigious medical schools and the publication of influential manuscripts in the most important journals. In 2006, this expertise was formally recognized when he was asked to serve as the President of the Clinical Group of the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene. Using wit and gentle barbs, Dr. MacLean freely shared his encyclopaedic knowledge of tropical diseases with generation after generation of students, residents and his dedicated staff. His effectiveness as a teacher is best evidenced by the fact that virtually everyone who worked with him was inspired to at least consider pursuing a career in international health or doing work in the tropics. His influence will be felt for decades to come through the many colleagues he inspired not only to be better physicians but also to be citizens of the world. Memorial donations may be made to the Nature Conservancy of Canada, or the charity of your choice.