Dr Leagh Wallace Hartwell, 1928–2015
Dr Leagh Wallace Hartwell, BA (1949), MD (1954) from UBC, was born on 22 March 1928 in North Vancouver and passed away on 1 September 2015 at the age of 87 after many lengthy illnesses.
After completing his internship at the Royal Columbian Hospital, Dr Hartwell entered the Royal Canadian Army Main in 1955 and served in Canada, then in Germany, in the Queen’s Own Canadian Field Ambulance Division, returning to Canada in 1964. A short time after he returned Dr Hartwell joined the City of Vancouver Health Department, and soon became the director of Vancouver City Occupational Health Services. He remained in that position until he retired at the age of 60 in 1988.
Dr Hartwell is survived by many relatives, including his wife, Lilie; sons, John and David; and daughter, Anne; along with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His first wife, Myrtle, died in 1976 from a variety of chronic illnesses. Dr Hartwell remarried in 1983 to Lilie, who has two sons, Anthony and Pat McCord, and one daughter, Kathleen, from her previous marriage, all of whom work and reside outside of Canada (in France and New York) with their spouses and children but who became an active part of his immediate family.
Dr Hartwell missed and spoke fondly of his old army buddies, City of Vancouver staff (especially in the police and fire departments), and countless bridge games, especially after retirement, and mentioned that most of his closest friends had already passed away.
A family-only memorial will be held at a later date.
—Lilie Hartwell
Richmond