Michael Christopher Guard

December 12th 1927 – April 3rd 2020

Michael Christopher Guard, BA, MB, BCh MRCS, LRCP died suddenly and peacefully at the Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver, Friday April 3rd 2020 at the age of 92. He will be dearly missed by his children Jeremy, Jonathan and Clare (Reuben), grandchildren Rebecca, Harriet, Gemma, Adam, sister-in-law Carmen and many other relatives and friends in Vancouver and England. He is predeceased by his wife Penelope and his brother David.

Dad was born December 16th 1927 in London, England. The family moved to Andover where his father “Popsy” became Mayor. Dad acquired his strong constitution from an early childhood bout with tuberculosis during which time he was kept outdoors and home-schooled for many months by his mother, Dorothy.

He attended St Edward’s School, Oxford and went on to study medicine at Corpus Christi, Cambridge. He took up bow position on the varsity rowing team there. He was then stationed as a medical officer in Bonn for his National Service where he met Mum who was working for the British Foreign Office.

They married and moved to Guernsey then Tunbridge Wells before emigrating to Toronto and finally settling in Vancouver. Dad was Chief of Medical Staff at Lions Gate Hospital and had a bustling practice in West Vancouver.

In the late 70s, his adventurous spirit took him to Stewart, BC where he was the sole doctor for the employees and their families at the Granduc copper mine. Here, he was on call for everything, - from delivering countless babies, dealing with the aftermath of drunken brawls, conducting autopsies on dolphins on behalf of the Vancouver Aquarium, caring for the British cast and crew on a glacier while shooting “Bear Island” to name but a few examples.

On his return to Vancouver, Dad worked for the CU&C Health Services Society in Vancouver, mentoring young doctors who, to this day, continue to pass on his clinical advice to their students.

Mum and Dad were part of a lively ex-pat community of doctors. Their parties were legendary as were the drinks Dad poured to the guests as they arrived. No one could remember how the party ended but everyone knew how it started!

Mum and Dad moved house relentlessly. While Mum renovated the interiors of houses, Dad kept busy planning and creating beautiful English cottage gardens. Many gardens in West Vancouver owe their early beginnings to Dad’s tender loving care.

There are many accounts of Dad’s hair-raising sailing trips with family and friends. Whether it was sailing with Jonathan across Georgia Straight in a Wayfarer dinghy during a small craft warning, to being nearly catapulted overboard in a trip from Tahiti to Hawaii, Dad always managed to return safely back to shore.

Dad also enjoyed playing bridge and travelling by bus to classical music concerts at the Chan Centre, the Orpheum or to a cinema for live streaming of the Metropolitan Opera. Those who knew him well will also remember him as a complex, highly intelligent man who had a penchant for playing the mischievous eccentric.

Sadly, Dad suffered from a number of mini strokes in his late 70s which led to the onset of vascular dementia. He spent his final 6 years as a resident of the Lynn Valley Care Centre. The family is grateful to the many dedicated nurses and care team for their compassion and care during this time. A celebration of Dad’s life will be held when social distancing rules permit. To be notified of the date, please email [email protected]. Please also consider donating to Doctors without Borders in Dad’s memory.