Esias Renier van Rensburg

Esias Renier Van Rensburg

1963-2022

Division of Developmental Pediatrics

By Jennifer Balfour and Nancy Lanphear

Esias Van Rensburg was born in South Africa on Sept 6, 1963. He was the oldest of four children and cherished by his family. He went to medical school and the story goes that he attempted to switch out to engineering on the first day after being confronted by the morgue and multiple cadavers by an over eager professor. His Dad was said to calmly connect him to a physician who encouraged Esias to stick with his first plan, assuring him that live patients were in fact the main theme to come, and not to give up. Fortunately for the many patients that received his skilled, compassionate warm-hearted care, he stuck to the path of medicine.

Esias had very hands on pediatric training in South Africa, honed his skills in acute care, and gained vast amounts of experience. Esias had a fantastic personal skill of always playing the hand he was dealt in life, no complaining, just moving forward. Looking to fully live freely as his true self, he bravely left his home country to move to Saskatchewan in 1996. His story of arriving in Prince Albert in November in minus forty degree weather with no winter coat would have us all in stitches. Again, he almost turned around, but then stuck with his game plan, found a coat, and went on to face down the winters and his Canadian pediatric exams. Esias flourished as a remarkable and respected pediatrician and then pediatric emergency room doctor in both PA and Saskatoon. Esias met his beloved life partner Dean, and they built a life together, first on the cold prairies, and in 2001 relocated to Vancouver Island.

Esias joined a five-person community consulting pediatric practice in Nanaimo. Dean and Esias made the most of coastal life, with home renovations, travel, art collecting, dinner parties, cool drives in the red convertible BMW, and doting on their two dogs. He was a much-respected colleague who could be counted on to manage the most emergent complicated situation, and always astonish with his ability to motivate a team, to collaborate, and to shine light on the success and abilities of others. His commitment to the full scope of community pediatrics ultimately led him to a new twist, and he started his fellowship in Developmental Pediatrics in 2006 at Sunnyhill Hospital in Vancouver.

It was his initial intention to return to the Island after training. He elected to remain at Sunny Hill/BCCH and worked in acute rehabilitation and the neuromotor program including taking on the medical lead role for this. When asked why he did not work within the autism diagnostic program, he related feedback received during his training that he needed to repress his exuberance because all kids interacted with him! He worked tirelessly and was often on the go. Families and kids loved him and this was evidenced by the smiles he brought to faces.

Along with his clinical skills and knowledge, Esias was an educator at heart. He took on the Developmental Pediatrics subspecialty residency program and our Division education lead role. He was supportive, organized, and with all things brought a lot of heart into this endeavor. His last role within our division was assuming the role of Senior medical director in 2020. His leadership was obvious as he helped Sunny Hill simultaneously navigate the early months of COVID and still prepare to move from our Slocan site.

When confronted with his diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, a terminal disease, Esias again reconsidered his options, and recreated himself and a new life. He took up many hobbies, needlepoint perhaps being the most unexpected. Seeking meaning, purpose, community, and a strategy against despair, he took up tennis, golf, birdwatching, crafting with bronze wire, the infamous needlepoint, and was discovering remote controlled aircraft in his last year. Esias is remembered by his friends, family, and colleagues as a gem of a human, who made infinite room for others, who motivated and celebrated, who loved to laugh and joke, and who referred to every child he cared for as “just beautiful…” and to every parent no matter their challenges as “trying so hard.” His optimism and grateful bearing were with him in his final moments with last words being “thank you” and “I love you,” and his lovely soul burned brightly until his final breath. The entire community of British Columbia Pediatricians and staff mourn with the family and send their deepest sympathies to his husband Dean and family.

Esias requested that there would be no formal memorial. In its place, he hopes to be remembered by the people who knew him. Please honor this request by sharing stories. In this way, his presence with us will remain.

He is survived by his husband Dean, and siblings Mia (Louw), Jerry (Linda), and Andre (Susan), and his nieces and nephews Mia, Jeremy, Leah, Andreas and Gaffie. Predeceased by his parents Andreas and Marita, and nephew Andre. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to BCCH/SHHC, BC Cancer or the SPCA in his memory.