Dr Donald Wilson Lang, 1931–2019

Issue: BCMJ, vol. 61, No. 10, December 2019, Page 399 Obituaries
By: Lang Family

Dr Donald Wilson Lang

Dr Donald Wilson Lang died peacefully at the Comox Valley Hospital surrounded by family. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Mary Louise; their four children, Susan, Andrea, Barbara (Blair MacLean), and Graham (Caroline Berka); 11 grandchildren; and twin great-granddaughters.

Don and Mary Lou were born and raised in Edmonton and married soon after they graduated from the University of Alberta in 1955 (Mary Lou with a BSc in public health nursing). They settled first in Barrhead, Alberta, where Don started his career in the era before universal health care. From 1959 to 1960 they lived in Bristol, England, and Don pursued further medical training. On their return to Canada, Don joined a family practice in Kimberley, BC.

Although the initial plan was to stay for a short time, Don and his family spent 18 happy years in the “Bavarian City of the Rockies” enjoying wonderful friends and a marvelous outdoor life. In 1971, Don arranged for a unique and memorable 1-year practice exchange with a physician in Bowral, Australia.

In 1978 the family moved to North Van­couver, where Don transitioned from being a small community GP to having an urban practice in Lynn Valley and working at Lions Gate Hospital. In 1995 Don and Mary Lou relocated to the Comox Valley where Don did some locums before fully retiring. Don used to say, “It’s not how long you live, it’s how well you live,” and he lived well!
—Lang Family
Comox Valley

Lang Family. Dr Donald Wilson Lang, 1931–2019. BCMJ, Vol. 61, No. 10, December, 2019, Page(s) 399 - Obituaries.


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