Dr Jone Chang
1925–2007
Jone Chang died in Vancouver following a brief struggle with stomach cancer in August 2007. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, June, and their five children; Ross, Heather, Bruce, Rosemary, and Andrea; and 11 grandchildren.
Born and raised in Vancouver, Jone attended medical school in Toronto and graduated from there in 1949. He returned to the West Coast and completed his rotating internship at Vancouver General Hospital. He then entered the anesthesia training program at UBC and successfully completed his training. He became the first Chinese-Canadian to obtain his FRCP in Canada.
He was also the first Chinese-Canadian member of the Vancouver General Hospital consultant staff. This level of achievement was recognized by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada when he served as an examiner in anesthesia.
He had met June in Toronto and they established their life and family together in Vancouver. He quickly demonstrated exemplary problem-solving and clinical skills, and he became known and respected for his clinical acumen and his ability to manage challenging patients, e.g., the difficult airway, myasthenia gravis, kidney transplants.
His knowledge and familiarity with human anatomy helped him teach and improve the use of regional anesthetic techniques as well as provide, in the latter part of his career, superb direction of the Vancouver General Hospital Pain Clinic. He continued with this work until his retirement in 1991.
He was a clinical associate professor at UBC and an outstanding teacher at the bedside. He was devoted to his wife and family and was famous within the family for his culinary skills, able to cook a 12-course meal at any time, and his ability to fix anything in their home. He was always active, gardening, playing tennis, or working on projects with his children. He may be gone but he is not forgotten, for he gave so much to all of us.
A Dr Jone Chang memorial scholarship has been established through the University of British Columbia.
—Kenneth Turnbull, MD
Delta