Dr. F. Gordon Mack

Dr. F. Gordon Mack, 90, of Halifax, died Wednesday, September 21st, at home after a brief illness. Gordon was born in Halifax in 1921, the son of Dr. Frank and Muriel (Sculthorpe) Mack. He attended the Halifax Academy, and, the third generation physician in his family, went on to study medicine at Dalhousie University. He served as a Surgeon Lieutenant in the RCNVR during WW2, and then did post-graduate work in Urology at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, qualifying as a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada. His subsequent career was based in Halifax, where he held senior staff appointments at all of the hospitals, was Professor and Head of the Department of Urology at Dalhousie University, Head of the Department of Urology at the Victoria General, and President of the Canadian Urological Association. He was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honour Society. He was revered as a teacher, and urological surgeons who trained under him have become leaders in their field in Canada and around the world. Named Professor Emeritus in the Department of Urology at Dalhousie, he remains legendary in his profession for his extraordinary knowledge and skill and for his cool-headedness under pressure. This last was a quality that also served him well in another great passion he held, for sailing. He began sailing the coasts of Nova Scotia in a Roue 20 in the 1940’s and continued, in two beloved subsequent boats, the schooner Hebridee, and the ketch Amasek, to explore these waters and those of Newfoundland, the eastern seaboard, Bermuda and the Caribbean. He was a consummate sailor, setting out with an avidity, a sense of adventure, a degree of self-reliance and skill rarely matched, and in 1972 he was invited to become a member of the prestigious Cruising Club of America in recognition of his seamanship. He also served as Commodore of the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron, and was recognized as a leader, a mentor, and friend to other sailors.

In his 70’s he married his lifelong friend Kathleen (Finley) Mack, and they shared a rich, spirited, and caring life together, deeply engaged in their family, their community, their city, and in the welfare of those around them until her death in 2008. Gordon was a longtime member of the Waegwoltic Club, the Halifax Club, the Saraguay Club, RNSYS, the Royal Naval Sailing Association, the Nova Scotia Schooner Association, the Retired Naval Officers Association, and the Cruising Club of America. He is predeceased by his wife, Kathleen Mack, and sister Margaret Ross, and survived by sisters Mary Willard and Barbara Durham; stepsons Dr. G. Allen Finley (Dr. Linda (Mackie) Finley) and Dr. Robert Finley (Dr. Fiona Polack); grandchildren Linnet, Nigel, Meghan, and Susannah; great-granddaughter Alwynn; nieces Mary Louise Matheson, Jennifer Jones and Susan Nelson; and nephews Bob Ross, John, Tim, and Mark Durham. Gordon had a profound effect on countless lives, through his professional skills, through his great kindnesses, his generosity, and his example. Our community is greatly diminished by his passing. A memorial and reception will be held at 6:00 pm on Friday, September 30th, at Cruikshank’s HalifaxFuneral Home, 2666 Windsor St., Halifax. A celebration of his life will follow at a later date. With the goal of establishing a permanent tribute to his contributions to academic medicine, we ask that donations in lieu of flowers be directed to the "Dr. F. Gordon Mack - Visiting Professorship in Urology Fund". Donations can be forwarded to The Office of External Relations, MacDonald Building, PO BOX 15000, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2. To leave a message of condolence for the family, please visit: www.cruikshankhalifaxfuneralhome.com