Obituary of William Klassen

WILLIAM KLASSEN, M.D., CCFP, FCFP Honorary Member, Canadian Medical Association Regina, SK – After a full and rich life, William (Bill) died peacefully on Thursday, March 23, 2017 in his 94th year following a brief illness. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Margaret; his children, Cathryn (Don Taylor), Jacqueline (Frank McDonagh), Robert (Katherine Heath), JoAnn (James Tarrant), and Erin; and his grandchildren, Ryan and Allison Taylor, Will, Sophie and Ava Tarrant, and Eloise Klassen. Bill also leaves his brothers, Peter, Arthur, and Walter; as well as many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his brother Ernest. Bill grew up on a homestead near Rosemary, Alberta. Always interested in science and the human body, he attended the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon as an undergraduate and was accepted to the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, graduating as a medical doctor in 1954. A prairie boy through and through, Bill returned to Saskatchewan to begin a 43 year medical career, practicing as a family physician at the Medical Arts Clinic in Regina. In 1980, he completed a specialty in geriatrics and joined the Family Medicine Unit at the Regina Plains Health Centre, training medical residents as an associate professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. A role model and mentor to many, Bill was honoured as Saskatchewan’s Family Physician of the Year in 1989. After caring for and supporting numerous Regina senior citizens and their families, he semi-retired in 1997, staying active in the community well into his 80’s on issues related to aging, most notably teaching RCMP Training Depot cadets about the neglect and mistreatment of elderly people. Bill’s pride and joy was his beloved cottage at Highwood Beach on Last Mountain Lake, Saskatchewan. You would often find him whistling away in his workshop, steering his boat masterfully around the water skiing route with many a child in tow, or relaxing on the sundeck enjoying the view. Downhill skiing was also a big part of Bill’s life, and he and Margaret drove thousands of kilometres through the Canadian and U.S. Rockies for many years to give their prairie children the thrill of mountain slopes (a thrill for him too, of course!). An avid reader and lifelong learner, Bill spent much of his retirement as a student at the University of Regina, exploring topics such as quantum physics, world religions, and geology. During the past few years, Bill managed through some health issues, remaining positive and accepting his limitations in true clinical fashion. Our family is grateful to Dr. Jennifer Kuzmick, Bill’s family physician, for her exceptional care and attention in his final years and days. We also extend our thanks to the Palliative Care Team at the Pasqua Hospital. Bill’s funeral service will take place at First Presbyterian Church, 2170 Albert Street, Regina, SK on Saturday, April 1, 2017 at 1:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, please remember Bill through a donation to Regina Palliative Care Inc. (RCPI), 200-2150 Scarth Street, Regina, SK, S4P 2H6, www.rpci.org or First Presbyterian Church, www.firstpresregina.ca. To leave an online message of condolence, please visit www.speersfuneralchapel.com