Sidney Bramwell Effer

Beloved husband of the late Patricia Mae Effer (nee Evenden).

Loving and caring father aka Papo to Brian, Grant and his wife Lauren, and Brenda. Beloved GrandPapo to Leanne (Matthew), Scott (Ashley) and Luke. Special Great GrandPapo to Jonathon, Nathan, Rebecca and Corbin. Loved uncle to many nieces and nephews. Sid was predeceased by his adored brother, Gordon. He was brother-in-law to Len & Polly Evenden of Vancouver and predeceased by Eleanor & Carl Moyer and Gwen & Don Perry.

Sidney Bramwell was born in Santos Brazil to British Salvation Army missionary Officers Colonels William Effer & Ethel Harland. At age 9 his family went home to England to visit with relatives. On the cusp of WW2 Sid and his brother practiced rowing a boat in a pond to ensure that if anything happened to them while travelling in the convoy back to Brazil they could row to safety. Although much of the convoy didn’t survive the transatlantic voyage, the ship they were on landed them safely on shore. This was the beginning of an adventuresome life that next took him to live with his parents in Cuba and then back to Brazil for his first job. It wasn’t long after, that Sid followed his big brother, Gordon, to Canada settling into life and work. Always up to a good challenge and a bet or two with friends, Sid next found himself studying pre-med.

He married Patricia at the end of the year in 1954. And she happily « put hubby through » university studies. There was a brief interlude working in Labrador to further fund his studies. After receiving his medical degree from University of Toronto, he began his medical practice in Sudbury and later his residency at University of Western Ontario in London. Throughout, he strived to improve maternal-fetal medicine. Perhaps his drive and inspiration stemmed from his own difficult birth experience.

This led to worldwide travels with a fellowship in maternal fetal medicine under the renowned Dr Roberto Caldeyro-Barcia in Montevideo Uruguay in the mid-60s. This experience would be a foundation for life-long research in pre-term pregnancy that impacted many lives, both mothers and babies, that would not have otherwise survived. Author of numerous research papers, medical journal articles, presenting at worldwide conferences all the while actively practicing obstetrics and bringing over 7000 lives into the world including the smallest at 1 lb 10 oz. He was at the vanguard of a new era in high-risk pregnancy and delivery.

His expertise in practice and teaching led naturally to development of centres of excellence first at St Joseph’s Hospital in London, Ontario in the late 1960s, followed by the Tertiary Maternal Care unit at the new McMaster Hospital in Hamilton, Ontario in the 1970s and then at the Tertiary care unit of the Salvation Army Grace Hospital (BC Women’s Hospital) in Vancouver in the 1980 and 1990s.

Later travelling for teaching conferences and vacation included Denmark, Portugal, Greece, Moscow, Vienna, Uganda, New Zealand, Galapagos Islands and China.

Ever searching for a way to improve maternal health, in retirement he was an impetus for teaching missions to Uganda that saw training to improve maternal fetal medicine in rural communities, thereby returning to his parents’ missionary roots in eastern Africa.

Sid spent his last few years in the Schlegel Riverside Glen Village in Guelph first in retirement care and subsequently in long term care. Many thanks to the administration, especially to Bryce, and the staff for their care, notably Angela, Dawn, and Tara.

The celebration of life memorial service will be held on August 10, 2024, in the chapel at Gilbert MacIntyre Funeral & Son Home at 11:30 am with visitation at 10:00-11:15 am. Reception to follow.

Expressions of sympathy can be made as donations to The Salvation Army Guelph Citadel or The Salvation Army Partners in Mission Fund in support of international development efforts or the Wilfred Schlegel Hope Fund for employee assistance.