It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of retired anesthesiologist and pain specialist Dr. Wen-Mei Pan.
She was predeceased by her late husband, family physician Dr. Ah-Yin Eng, and her late son-in-law, Peter Brendan Nahan, and is succeeded by her children Susan, David, Helen and Arthur, grandchildren Megan and Ethan, and daughters- and sons-in-law, Cindy, Olimpia and Anders.
Dr. Pan's medical practice spanned more than 50 years. She served Pembroke and the Ottawa Valley first as a general practitioner, then as an anesthesiologist, and then as a pain specialist at the Pembroke Regional Hospital. She was characterized by a generosity of spirit and kindness to all who knew and worked with her.
Along with her husband, the late Dr. Ah-Yin Eng, a noted family physician who passed away in 2021, she contributed so much to the quality of life and health of people in the Ottawa Valley. Her impact was felt through her focus on public health awareness (including campaigns on non-smoking, fluoride, sex education, AIDS awareness, doctor shortages in Canada, etc.), her work bringing the first ventilator to the Pembroke Civic Hospital and establishing the PFT lab, and her work with the Heart and Stroke Foundation and Lung Association over the years.
Dr. Pan's and Dr. Eng's philanthropy extended to many aspects of the community. These included the Runway Project for the airport, support of the Kinsmen Pool as a longtime patron, support for the Butterfly Project at Miramichi Lodge (Wing 1A), donations to equip surgical wards at the Pembroke Regional Hospital, and donation of their house and office property to raise funds for the MRI at the Pembroke Regional Hospital. Her advocacy and support extended to a wide variety of community-focused organizations such as the Renfrew Country Multicultural Association, the Renfrew County Non-Smokers' Association, the sponsorship of Vietnamese refugees, and her behind-the-scenes pro-bono work with people who couldn't afford treatment.
We all knew that her work as a physician was the most important thing in her life and, as part of the first husband-and-wife medical team of Asian descent in the Ottawa Valley, we and the community benefited immeasurably from her legacy. She was a noted pain specialist in Ontario, well-respected by colleagues, patients and friends, and dearly loved by her family. She will be missed.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Alzheimer Society of Canada in memoriam are gratefully received.