David Palmer Petrie, M.D., FRCSC
1938-2009 

David Palmer Petrie - 71, of Halifax, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family in the early morning hours of August 15, 2009. He stoically endured frontal temporal dementia for almost a decade before he died of acute complications. Born in Montreal, Que., on April 28, 1938, he was the son of Dr. James Gordon Petrie and Dorothy Jardine Palmer. After spending his early childhood in Montreal, he moved to Fredericton where he graduated from high school in 1956, matriculating first overall in the province that year. He completed a Bachelor of Arts at UNB and then graduated from McGill Medical School in 1964. From there he went on to complete a Fellowship in Orthopeadic Surgery at the University of Toronto before moving back to the Maritimes and starting practice in Halifax in 1970. He dedicated his professional career to healing patients, caring for their families, and improving the health system overall. As a Professor at Dalhousie University, he was a significant contributor to the science of medicine through his research and the art of healing through his wisdom and compassion. He was a mentor to many and multiple winner of the "Resident Teacher of the Year" award which was one of his proudest accomplishments. He was a cofounder of the Canadian Orthopeadic Foundation's Hip Hip Hooray walk for research and has been recognized at the provincial, national and international levels for his active role in advocating for, and achieving, better trauma and orthopeadic care. In 1998/1999 he had the privilege of serving as the President of the Canadian Orthopeadic Association. David had a passion for sports. He was an accomplished high school athlete who went on to play basketball and golf at the university level. During his professional career he combined his calling towards medicine and his passion for sports into a rewarding relationship as the team doctor for the Halifax Voyageurs, the Citadels, and his beloved Saint Mary's Huskies. He was a common presence on the sidelines of SMU stadium, the basketball court, and the arena and hasn't missed one of their many National championships. He was recognized by SMU with an honorary degree in 2001. Balance in his life came from his devotion to his wife and family and their support of him. He had a deep commitment to providing for and protecting his loved ones. He is survived by his wife, Eileen; and his three children, David, Christopher, and Sarah; and his eight grandchildren, Sam, Malcolm, Morag, Isabel, Greta, Ellen, Elsa, and Matthew; and his five brothers; Gordon, Ian, Ross, Andrew, and Stephen. He was an enthusiastic golfer, skier, and sailor and loved to spend time just reading and relaxing at his ocean side property. In his later years his moments of greatest pleasure came in watching his grandchildren play sports, swimming with them on their summer visits, and seeing them grow up in front of him. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Halifax V.O.N. Breakaway Program (7001 Mumford Road Tower 1, Suite 300 Halifax, NS B3L 4N9) or the Canadian Orthopeadic Foundation (www.canorth.org). E-Mail condolences to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it