Alastair was born June 4, 1945, in Bebington, Cheshire, U.K. to Dr. Benjamin and Mrs. Barbara Carruthers. He passed peacefully and with dignity Aug. 19, 2024, by MAiD (medical assistance in dying) in the advanced stages of Parkinson's syndrome at his home in Vancouver.
Alastair attended medical school at the University of Oxford in Brasenose College, graduating in 1968. Initial training in internal medicine in Vancouver and Liverpool was followed by dermatology training at St. Thomas's Hospital and St. John's Hospital for Diseases of the Skin in London.
After joining the faculty of the department of dermatology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver in 1977, in 1982 he was given fellowship training at the University of California at San Francisco in Moh's Technique to address the new epidemic of skin cancers. In 1983, he brought this new technique to Canada and was instrumental in setting up the Canadian Society for Dermatologic Surgery.
He was president of the Canadian Dermatology Association in 1999-2000 and the first Canadian president of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) in 2006-2007.
With his wife, Dr. Jean Carruthers, he led the discovery of the cosmetic use of botulinum toxin A. For this generational body of research and teaching, he was awarded the highest honour of the ASDS, the Samuel J. Stegman Award, in 2010. In 2012, with his wife Jean, he received the Philip Frost and Eugene van Scott Leadership award from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).
He was an avid sportsman, having rowed for Brasenose College at Oxford, skied worldwide, biked through Europe and Canada, ran marathons, scuba-dived, sailed internationally, golfed and hunted upland game birds in the Chilcotin and on Kirkland Island in B.C. His encyclopedic knowledge of fine wine led him to become Grand Seneschal of the Chevaliers du Tastevin Burgundy group in Vancouver and then Grand Pilier General for the National Tastevin organization in 2008-2010.
He retired in 2015 to become an undergraduate student once again. This time, he chose to study European and Middle Eastern history at the University of British Columbia.
He soon became aware of mobility issues and he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. He bore these new challenges with the grace and determination he had used on all other aspects of his life.
He is survived by his wife, Jean, children Thomas (m. Jennifer), Robert (m. Mollie), and Graham (partner Steve Hunt), four grandchildren, Ogden, Hazel, Benjamin and Audrey, as well as his sisters Gail Cosbie-Ross and Bobbie Lintott and his great-niece Sally Cotterell (Amy, Josh and Darcy) and nephew Benjamin Cosbie-Ross (Poppy and Daisy).
Our family are eternally grateful for the excellent medical care from Dr. Lauren Fineman, Dr. Ana-Luiza Sayao, Dr. A. Jon Stoessl and Jason, Mateko, Faith and Maria for their companionship.