Dr Michael Templeton Scott-Kerr, 1935–2023

We are sad to announce that on 26 February 2023, Dr Michael Templeton Scott-Kerr passed away at home in Victoria, surrounded by his family, after a courageous battle with prostate cancer. He is survived by his loving wife, Eleanor; sons, Christopher (Debbie) and Ian (Vanessa); grandchildren, Connor, Chloe, Annabelle, and Mikayla; brother, Dougie (Enid); and niece, Fiona (James), and family.

Mike received his medical degree from Pembroke College, at Cambridge University. He completed his residency at Guy’s Hospital in London, winning the Golding Bird Gold Medal in Obstetrics and Gynecology and being admitted to the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Royal College of Physicians of London in 1960. Mike completed a 1-year residency in anesthesia at the University of Alberta Hospital in 1964. He worked in Nelson and in Nanaimo as a GP/anesthetist until 1973.

Mike completed his specialization in anesthesia in 1975 at Vancouver General Hospital and practised at St. Mary’s Hospital in New Westminster until he retired in 1994. He then returned to Vancouver Island and did locum work in Nanaimo before fully retiring in 1998.

Mike was born in Eccleshall, Staffordshire, UK, on 19 October 1935. His family moved to Cheltenham in 1939. With the outbreak of the Second World War, he was evacuated to Northern Wales to attend boarding school. He returned to Cheltenham in 1943 to finish his schooling at Cheltenham College, where he excelled at sports, achieving awards in rowing (he was the stroke for the college four), handball, and track. Mike was also a member of the Boy Scouts for many years. During his time in Scouts, Mike became a first-class scout with honors and a troop leader, and he traveled to Norway with them. After the war, the family would vacation in France, with stops at his uncle’s winery in Nuits-Saint-Georges, a commune in the Burgundy region of Eastern France. After high school, Mike embarked on a 3-week cycling holiday through Normandy, France, with a friend.

Mike enjoyed bridge, traveling, gardening, history, geology, and, most of all, wine. He spent much time in retirement sourcing grapes and making wine, which he shared generously. During his working years, he enjoyed golf and squash. The family went on summer vacations across Canada and the western United States as well as Spain to visit his parents.

Mike also enjoyed many trips with Eleanor to Mexico, exploring much of the country, as well as trips to Hawaii, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, France, New Zealand, and the Cook Islands, to name a few destinations. Mike’s passion for travel started at an early age, with his favorite location being Rome. Traveling allowed him to indulge his interest in history by visiting the historic sites he read about. At age 60, he got his basic cruising certificate, bought a small sailboat, the Lung Ta, and enjoyed cruising around the Gulf Islands.

Mike was a wealth of knowledge on many subjects. He enjoyed playing chess and taught his children and grandchildren to play, was a member of the Cowichan bridge and wine clubs for many years, and made many friends throughout his life. Mike will be deeply missed.

We would like to thank his team from the BC Cancer Agency and palliative care, including the home care team from Island Health, Drs Bacsu, Vergidis, Murchison, Wade, and Gustafson-Vickers, for their exceptional care, empathy, and support during his illness.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the BC Cancer Agency or the Victoria Hospice.

A celebration of life was held on 7 May 2023 at the Monterey Recreation Centre in Oak Bay.
—Chris Scott-Kerr
Burnaby

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