Michael Templeton Scott-Kerr

We are sad to announce that on Feb 26, 2023, Mike passed away at home, surrounded by his family, after a courageous battle with cancer. Mike is survived by his loving wife Eleanor, sons Christopher (Debbie) and Ian (Vanessa), and grandchildren Connor, Chloe, Annabelle, and Mikayla; his brother Dougie (Enid); and his niece Fiona (James) and family.

Mike was born in Eccleshall, Staffordshire, UK, on Oct 19, 1935. His family moved to Cheltenham in 1939. With the war breaking out he was evacuated with his mother and brother to Northern Wales to attend boarding school. He returned to Cheltenham in 1943 to finish his schooling at Cheltenham College, where he excelled at sports, achieving awards in rowing (he rowed the stroke for the college four), handball, and track. Mike was a member of the Boy Scouts for many years. During his time in Scouts, Mike became a first-class scout with honours, a troop leader, and travelled to Norway with them. After the war, the family would vacation in France, with stops at his uncle's winery in Nuits-Saint Georges, a commune in the Burgundy district of Eastern France. After high school, Mike embarked on a 3-week cycling holiday through Normandy, France, with a friend.

Mike attended Pembroke College at Cambridge University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Surgery, and a Bachelor of Medicine. He completed his residency at Guy’s Hospital in London, winning the Golding Bird Gold Medal in Obstetrics and Gynecology and being admitted to the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Royal College of Physicians of London in 1960. Shortly after qualifying as a doctor, he did a tour as a ship’s doctor aboard the M.V. Glengyle, the "Lucky" Glen, where he travelled through the Suez Canal to the Far East with stops in Egypt, Singapore, Shanghai, and Japan. This experience had a profound impact on his life, and he talked extensively about this trip. He worked in London as a general practitioner before immigrating to Canada in 1963. Mike arrived in Edmonton and started a one-year residency in anaesthesia at the University of Alberta Hospital, where he met Eleanor, a nurse who would become his wife. After completing his residency in anaesthesia, he and his fiancée moved to Nelson. They were married shortly after arriving in Nelson, and Mike started working as a GP/anaesthetist at the clinic.

After a year in Nelson, he relocated to the Medical Arts Clinic in Nanaimo, where he worked for 8 years. While in Nanaimo, Mike and Eleanor started a family and settled into island life. He decided a career change was needed and returned to school to specialize in anaesthesia. The family moved to Vancouver, where Mike studied at Vancouver General Hospital and completed his specialization in 1975. Mike worked as an anesthetist at St. Mary’s Hospital in New Westminster until he retired in 1994. He returned to Vancouver Island and did some locum work in Nanaimo before fully retiring in 1998.

Mike enjoyed bridge, travelling, gardening, history, geology, and most of all, wine. He spent much time in retirement sourcing grapes and, making wine, which he shared generously. During his working years, he enjoyed golfing, and squash. The family went on summer vacations across Canada and the Western United States as well as Spain to see his parents.

Mike enjoyed many trips with Eleanor to Mexico, exploring much of the country. Mike and Eleanor, also travelled to Hawaii, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, France, New Zealand, and the Cook Islands, as well as many other destinations. Mikes’ passion for travelling started at an early age, with his favourite location being Rome. Travelling allowed him to indulge his interest in history by visiting the historic sites he had read about. At age 60, he got his basic cruising certificate, bought a small sailboat, the Lung Ta, and enjoyed cruising around the Gulf Islands.

Mike was a wealth of knowledge on many subjects. He enjoyed playing chess, which he taught his children and grandchildren. Was a member of the Cowichan Bridge, and wine clubs for many years and made many friends through his life. Mike will be deeply missed.

We would like to thank his team from the cancer agency and palliative care, including the home care team from Island Health, Drs. Bacsu, Vergidis, Murchison, Wade, and Gustafson-Vickers, for their exceptional care, empathy, and support during his illness.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the BC Cancer Agency or the Victoria Hospice.

A celebration of life is being planned for May 7, 2023 from 12 to 3 pm at the Monterey Recreation Centre in Oak Bay. Please email [email protected] for details.