Orville Wilson

Wilson, Orville Badham “Dr. O.B.”

Peacefully on November 17 at the age of 96. He was predeceased by the love of his life, Kay, and his sisters Marjorie and Bernice. “O.B.” spent his early years in Antrim, Ontario, initially on the family farm and then in Antrim itself where he helped out at the General Store. His formal schooling was interrupted when he contracted tuberculosis, which sadly also took the life of his sister Marjorie. Financial hardship brought about by the Great Depression necessitated a family move to Ottawa West, where he hit on the idea of becoming a medical doctor. Supported by the hard work of his mother and his sister Bernice, he completed his high school education before enlisting in the RCAF in 1942. The ensuing years of radar technician training, and overseas posting to Ceylon were formative ones and their impact was to remain with him for the rest of his life. On return to Canada he pursued his dream of studying medicine. It was at Queen’s University that he met his future wife Kathleen “Kay” Richardson. A general practice-oriented internship program took them back to Ottawa and he worked briefly in Kemptville before recognizing a need for medical services in Manotick, where they set up a home and office in 1955. O.B. recognized early on the importance of being available for his patients, and all subsequent practice and lifestyle decisions were based on this belief. He held extended office hours, delivered babies, made house calls, and attended to his hospital inpatients. He followed changes in medicine with regular use of continuing education conferences, audiotapes, and journal reading. Although he wasn’t known for a soft bedside manner, his diligence and integrity earned him a faithful following. Always one to plan for the future, he realized that in order to serve the needs of his growing patient population, he would have to expand out of the basement of the family home. His dream to provide local lab, X-ray and multiple family doctors under one roof was realized with the establishment of the Manotick Medical Centre in 1972. O.B. couldn’t have done all this without the support of his gracious and loving wife Kay, who he described as “the heart and soul of the family”. For many years she attended not only to the needs of their five girls, but managed to answer the busy office phone and keep the practice’s financial books in order. She also helped make possible Sunday afternoon family outings and the annual two-week August vacation. Kay and O.B. made the best of epic family road trips as far away as Florida and PEI, and Rideau River adventures in the pontoon boat are the stuff of family legends. With their purchase of a cottage, Wolfe Lake became a favourite gathering place for extended family. Once “Doc Wilson” retired from medicine at the age of 72, he continued to be a significant presence in Manotick. He was active, often at the board level, in Kiwanis, ProBus, and the Legion, and maintained an active interest in the United Church. When Kay died in 2007 he was able to stay on in the family home into his 90’s, until declining health led him to move to the Orchard View Living Centre. More recently as his dementia progressed and until the time of his death, he was compassionately cared for at the Rideau Perley Veterans’ Centre. He is survived by daughters Lynn Heersink (Ewout) in Oakville, Janet Wilson in High River, Bev Wilson in Yellowknife, Pam Hounslow (Richard) in Langley, and Karen Lemaire (Serge) in Wakefield, grandchildren Alysa, Kelsey, Ben, Jordan, Jeremy, Andrew, Kate, Kyle, Madeleine, Genevieve, and Cassia, and great-grandchildren Evelyn and Penny. The family has greatly appreciated the loving care provided at Orchard View and the Perley, and the immeasurable support of community members and family friends, in particular our faithful visitor Stewart Hewlett. O.B. made an impact wherever he went, and he will be missed. Friends may visit at the Kars Chapel of Tubman Funeral Homes, 1610 Rogers Stevens Drive, Kars on Wednesday, November 22, 2017 from 1 to 4 p.m. Funeral Service will be held in the Chapel on Thursday, November 23 at 11a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations to Carsonby United Church or the Kiwanis Club of Manotick, P.O. Box 282, Manotick, ON K4M 1A3 would be appreciated.