Dr Alex McDougall died on 6 September 2016. Alex was born on 25 September 1923 and grew up in Haney, British Columbia. He received his bachelor of arts degree in honors English and history from UBC in 1944, and then served with the Number One Canadian Special Wireless Signal Corp. in the South West Pacific from 1944 to 1946, and received the Pacific Star medal of honor for his war-service efforts. Upon returning from the war he began his medical training at the University of Toronto and graduated in 1951. Dr McDougall interned at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver. He practised family medicine in Williams Lake (1952–1953) and then in Kamloops (1953–1975). He was a superb diagnostician and a compassionate and caring family physician. He was elected and served as the chief of medical staff of the Royal Inland Hospital (1969–1975). He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977 for his outstanding dedication to his country and community in the advancement of medical services. In 1975 Dr McDougall was appointed as the medical officer to the Workers’ Compensation Board office in Kamloops and was transferred to the head office in Richmond as the assistant medical director in 1978. He subsequently served as the executive director of medical services of the Workers’ Compensation Board of BC from 1981–1988.

Dr McDougall was active in the College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) and held both the certification and fellowship with this accrediting body. He helped develop, and was in the first group of physicians to receive, the CFPC fellowship designation. He was president of the BC chapter of the CFPC from 1970 to 1971.

Following his stroke in May 2001, Alex tackled his rehabilitation and recovery with his usual quiet determination and achieved remarkable improvements that allowed him to return to his home in Kamloops for more than 13 years. Alex was predeceased by his loving wife, Marguerita, and by his father and mother, Colin and Lillian McDougall; four brothers, Campbell, Stewart, Dougald, and Murray; and three sisters, Beulah Christensen (Anker), Helen Legge (Victor), and Islay. He is survived by his two daughters, Elspeth and Jennifer (Patrick Egan). He also is survived by three treasured grandchildren, Curran, Brenna, and Gwyneth Egan.
—Elspeth M. McDougall, MD, FRCSC, MHPE
Kamloops