On Aug. 29, 2024, in Ottawa, Ont., Dr. Donald Stewart Beanlands passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 91. Don is survived by his loving wife, Rhona Rowdon-Beanlands; his children, Rob (Geneviève Moineau), Heather (Daniel Cattran), Bruce (Holly Ananny) and Ian; his beloved grandchildren, Angela (Geordie Wright), Nolan (Meghan Yuen), Sarah, Joshua (Lauren Doty), Rachelle (Lianne Berne), and Hannah; and his six great-grandchildren.
Son of Stewart Beanlands and Francis Hubley, he was born in 1932 in Halifax, N.S. With brothers, Leslie and David, and his late sister, Betty-Lou, he grew up in a home that valued family, generosity, audacity, honesty, a sense of humour and hard work, traits he carried with him throughout his life. In Halifax, he served in the Canadian naval reserve. Following medical school at Dalhousie University, he and his family moved to Toronto where he trained at Sunnybrook Hospital to be a cardiologist. He later became chief of cardiology at the Toronto Western Hospital. In 1975, he and his family moved to Ottawa, where he co-founded the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and was its first chief of cardiology. He was also its deputy director general until his retirement in 2008. Through his leadership and commitment to his patients and their families, his trainees who now practise across Canada and around the world, and the staff who respected him, it has been said that "he changed the practice of medicine and cardiology in Ottawa and Canada forever." His legacy will always be carried in the hearts of those for whom he cared, and those he mentored and guided.
Most of all, Don enjoyed spending time with family. He also loved camping trips, fishing (especially for salmon) on the Eagle and other Canadian rivers, a good joke or row, cheering for the Senators or a book on the dock at Lac St. Sixte. While his achievements in cardiology, patient care, teaching and the special ethos he created will all have a lasting impact, what people will remember most is his kindness and that he truly cared for and respected every individual for who they are. We know he will continue to encourage and guide us. The family expresses its deep gratitude to the entire Promenade Retirement Residence team, the Nurse Next Door staff and his other health-care providers for the kind and compassionate care in his later years. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the University of Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation.