Edward Francis Lauder BRUNTON

OBITUARY DR. LAUDER BRUNTON (Sir Edward Francis Lauder Brunton, Bart) passed away quickly and peacefully January 1, 2007. He was predeceased by his wife Marjorie Lewis, and is survived by his sister Alice Hoskins, his son James (Beverly Freedman), daughter Nancy Willson (Ian) and their children. Dr Brunton was born November 10, 1916 in Montreal. He took his science and medical training at McGill University, before serving with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps from 1943 to 1945. On returning to Canada he married Marjorie Lewis, his life companion and muse. He completed post-graduate medical training in internal medicine at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal and specialty training in Haematology in Salt Lake City Utah. He joined the medical faculty of McGill University and the Haematology staff of the Royal Victoria Hospital where he practiced and taught until 1973 when he retired to Guysborough, Nova Scotia. His retirement marked the start of a second career in community service in health care and education in rural Nova Scotia. His most important contributions were the recruitment and mentoring of excellent physicians, brokering the construction of a joint hospital-nursing home complex and raising the standards of the local hospital so that it was one of the first rural hospitals in Nova Scotia to receive accreditation. He worked tirelessly to improve the school system in Guysborough County. His most important contributions were the reorganization of the Board structure and procedural rules and the recruitment of outstanding individuals including board members, administrators, and teachers to serve the students. He was appointed to the Executive of the Nova Scotia School Boards Association. In matters of healthcare and education he was a volunteer and a leader, but above all a mentor. He was also a passionate art collector who had a fine eye for visual arts. He served on the Board of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, and chaired the Acquisitions Committee from 1987-1993. He was an Honorary Governor from 1994 until his death. He donated a major collection of art in honour of his wife Marjorie. Lately he battled courageously with physical disability, but was able to live independently due to the caring and selfless devotion of his staff and second family from the area. The body was cremated and a memorial service will be held at Wesley United Church, Guysborough, Saturday May 5, 2007 at 2:00 p.m. Donations in his memory may be made to: Breakfast Program, Guysborough Academy/Chedebucto Education Centre, PO Box 19, Guysborough N.S., B0H 1N0 or Guysborough Memorial Hospital Foundation, PO Box 170, Guysborough N.S., B0H 1N0. Published in the Montreal Gazette on 1/20/2007