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Person Record
Metadata
Name |
Leeson, James I., Dr. |
Other Names |
Jim |
Born |
October 23, 1923 |
Birthplace |
Florence, Ontario |
Deceased |
March 3, 2015 |
Deceased |
Toronto, Ontario |
Spouse |
Charmaine Torrance |
Children |
Tanya Natasha Natalie |
Relationships |
Siblings: Ruth and Lucy |
Education |
University of Western Ontario, London, 1951, Medicine |
Occupation |
Dr. Leeson was a popular doctor in the Wiarton area, where he started a practice in 1958 with his wife Charmaine, a nurse. He practised in Wiarton until his retirement in 1999. Prior to Wiarton, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in 1943 as a flight engineer and served in the Second World War. After his discharge, he entered the medical field, interning at Victoria Hospital in London. He then joined the RCAF again, but this time as a medical officer, serving in Greenwood, Nova Scotia; Goose Bay, Labrador; and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. In 1957 he was released from the RCAF with the rank of Squadron Leader. Just before joining Dr. W. A. Wilford in Wiarton, Dr. Leeson gained experience and training as a surgeon at Westminster Hospital, as well as in gynecology and obstetrics. In 1970, being one of three doctors at the time serving 7000 patients in the Bruce Peninsula area, CBC did a story on Dr. Leeson concerning the significant doctor shortage in rural Ontario. For some time, Dr. Leeson was working 14 to 16 hour days, and alone. To help combat the isolation of rural practice, he was a Flying Doctor, flying himself to house calls in the Peninsula and lectures and conventions in Toronto. Aside from his practice, Dr. Leeson was also active in the medical and local communities. He was President of the Bruce Medical Society; President of the Ontario Medical Society in 1975; a preceptor of University of Western Ontario and University of Toronto medical students; a Wiarton Rotarian starting in 1964; a Bruce Peninsula Sportsmen member; a member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 208 in Wiarton; a member of Cedar Lodge #396 in Wiarton; and a Canadian Owners and Pilots Association member since 1962. |
Places |
Florence, Ontario Goose Bay, Labrador Greenwood, Nova Scotia London, Ontario Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Toronto, Ontario Wiarton, Ontario |
Sources |
"Dr. James Leeson Joins Practice." The Wiarton Echo, 1958. Gatis, Sheila. "Wiarton 1880-1980." Wiarton: Wiarton Echo Publishing Ltd., 1980. Print. Gamester, George. "This flying doctor is an ex-farm boy who shuns the city." Toronto Daily Star, 11 April 1970, p. 5. "Leeson, Dr. James 'Jim'" obituary, Bruce County Genealogical Society Surname Collection. "Leeson, James I." Canadian Medical Association Journal, vol. 187, no. 9, 16 June 2015, p. 703. "Popular Local Doctor Featured In Large Daily Paper." The Wiarton Echo, 16 April 1970, p. 1. |
