Surgeon and Professor Emeritus, Dr. F. Neil McKenzie died March 25, 2024, at St. Joseph’s Hospice at the age of 79, surrounded by his wife, Maureen, and loved ones, who will continue to honor his legacy by living their lives to the fullest.
Neil was born in Wetherby, England on June 13, 1944, and shortly thereafter the family relocated to Aberdeen, Scotland. He studied medicine at the University of Aberdeen and did post-doctoral work in Sweden before emigrating from Scotland to Canada in 1974. Together with other leading physicians across multiple disciplines, Neil built a world-class team of physicians that did pioneering surgeries, including Neil performing the first heart transplant at UWO (1981) and Canada’s first heart-lung transplant (1983). His pioneering work led and elevated LHSC University Hospital’s heart transplant program to be one of the busiest and most productive heart transplant programs in Canada, where the program has still completed the most heart transplants in Canada to date.
He took great pride in his UWO Medical Professor role, in addition to leading and mentoring the team as Chief (1984) and Chairman (1987) of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery at UWO from 1984 to 1997. Neil retired in 2018 after an extraordinary 44 years at University Hospital, earning him the Dean’s Lifetime Achievement award, the 2009 Wilfred Bigelow Canadian Cardiovascular Society Achievement award, among other accolades.
In the hospital setting, Neil’s dexterity with surgical instruments was only exceeded by his ability to care for his patients pre- and post-surgery. His bedside manner, that included a healthy dose of self-deprecating humor in his mild Scottish brogue, always made the patient feel at ease. Neil’s profound impact on the field of cardiac surgery and his unwavering commitment to improving the lives of others will be remembered and cherished by colleagues, patients, and the medical community alike.
Neil initially wanted to pursue a career in aviation and continued his love of flying on a personal level, attaining his private pilot’s license, and ultimately achieving the highest levels of technical certifications as a private pilot, allowing him to effortlessly crisscross Canada and the US, when timing away from hospital or family allowed.
While Neil travelled the world extensively for both work and leisure, the simplest pleasures in life brought great joy to him. A voracious reader, he also loved an afternoon with friends and family, especially at his beach condo in Port Stanley, perhaps sometimes with a glass of wine in hand. He was an accomplished athlete on the rugby and cricket pitches as a young man, and through his adult years he was an equally accomplished squash player. In quieter moments, he relished playing piano and classical guitar, or getting lost in a diabolical level game of Suduko. Long walks with Maureen through their North London neighbourhood, along the beaches in Port Stanley, or playing frisbee on the beach in Port with the grandkids would give no end of satisfaction.
Neil received exceptional care from St. Joseph’s Hospice, Parkwood Hospital and University Hospital. We are tremendously grateful for all the efforts that these teams put forward to care for Neil through his end of life.
Neil is survived by his wife, Maureen; his two sons from his former wife, Edward, and Anders (wife Anjanette, and their children, Liam, Lars, and Annika); Neil’s younger sister Sheena (Richard) and older brother, Seaton (deceased).
Visitation on Saturday, April 13 from 2-5pm at Harris Funeral Home, 220 St. James St. at Richmond, with remembrance remarks at 3pm. Private cremation and interment, will follow at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Joseph’s Hospice London or the Neil McKenzie Chair in Cardiac Care at Western University.