Obituary of E.Douglas Wigle O.C.F.R.C.P.

E. Douglas Wigle O.C. Passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 3, 2013 at Kensington Hospice, Toronto, with his loving wife, Anne (nee Gordon) by his side. He was born in Windsor, Ontario on October 30, 1928, the son of the late Douglas Wigle and Marjorie Lyon. Brother of the late Seymour and Sally. Loving father to Doug Jr., Cam, Lindy, Jill (Lorena Zarate) and Bruce, and grandfather to James, Jeffrey and Alfred. Loving stepfather to Peter and Katie Little (Michael Roland) and their children, Olivia, Audrey and Mattea. He will also be missed by ex-wife and mother of his children Mary 'Marnie' Wigle (nee Littlejohn). He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto (U of T) in 1953. Following seven years of postgraduate study in Canada, England and the United States, Dr. Wigle joined the staff of the U of T and Toronto General Hospital (TGH) as a cardiologist in 1960 and became Director of the Cardiac Investigation Unit in 1962. In 1972, he was promoted to Full Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at U of T, and became Director of the Division of Cardiology at TGH until he stepped down in 1986. He formally retired in 2010. In his long career at TGH, Dr. Wigle developed one of the first all-encompassing cardiology units in Canada and one that has become pre-eminent in North America. His leadership and development of the Cardiology Division at Toronto's University Health Network (UHN) has led his colleagues to describe him as one of the "fathers of modern cardiology". Dr. Wigle is internationally recognized as one of the leading researchers of the condition of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), which affects about one in 500 people and is the most common cause of heart-related sudden death in people under 30. Dr. Wigle pioneered the early discovery of this condition and its treatment, publishing no fewer than 120 peer reviewed scientific presentations and 88 manuscripts on the subject, and treated patients from Canada and around the world. As a result of his research into this disease, the HCM Clinic at the TGH, founded by Dr. Wigle and now under the direction of Dr. Harry Rakowski, today includes a world class team of scientists, specialized cardiologists, clinical geneticists and other healthcare professionals, and has become a national and international referral center for the diagnosis and treatment of this disorder. In recognition of his achievements, Dr. Wigle became an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2007. Dr. Wigle was a gifted athlete, who played varsity football and basketball at U of T in his early twenties. He enjoyed summers at the family cottage on Georgian Bay, where he often woke his children to his trumpet rendition of "When the Saints Go Marching In" and other personal favourites. He enjoyed traveling the world with his wife Anne, and had a personal affinity for museums and art galleries. He was also a longtime member of the Rosedale Golf Club where the only Olympic gold medal in golf now resides, won by his maternal grandfather, George S. Lyon, in 1904. His family wishes to give special thanks to Dr. Harry Rakowski, Dr. David Tang-Wai and staff at the TGH, personal caregiver Gloria Salolog, and Dr. Gary Rodin and staff at the Kensington Hospice for their wonderful care. The family will receive friends at the HUMPHREY FUNERAL HOME A.W. MILES CHAPEL LIMITED, 1403 Bayview Avenue (south of Davisville Avenue) from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. and from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 10th. A Remembrance Service will be held in ROSEDALE UNITED CHURCH, 159 Roxborough Drive on Thursday, July 11th at 4:00 p.m., with reception to follow at THE YORK CLUB, 135 St. George Street. In lieu of flowers, donations made to the E.D. Wigle Fellowship in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Research Fund of the Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation (416-340-4430 or visit www.tgwhf.ca) or to the Kensington Hospice (416-963-9640 or visit www.kensingtonhealth.org) would be appreciated. Condolences and memories may be forwarded through www.humphreymiles.com. M.D. F.R.C.P. (C)