Michael Arthur John Mandl

February 27, 1939 – October 27, 2025

Michael Arthur John Mandl was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia at the start of the Second World War. He was forced to flee Europe with his parents, and together they built a new life in Sydney, Australia—a beginning that shaped Michael's lifelong gratitude, resilience, and optimism.

An enthusiastic athlete and proud Riverview/St. Ignatius “Old Boy”, Michael made the First XV rugby team at age fifteen and set the school’s 100-meter sprint record —which, he loved to note, remained unbroken for decades. In photos from his childhood and youth, Michael is always grinning broadly, a reflection of the exuberance he carried with him throughout his life.

Michael went on to study medicine at the University of Sydney, where he met his former wife and fellow medical student Nerida Benson. After internship and residency in St. Louis and Denver, he moved to Montreal for a fellowship in allergy and immunology. The family’s plan was to then move back home to Sydney, and Michael purchased a right-hand drive car in anticipation. Prior to leaving, he decided to accept a job offer in Vancouver, which would be a good stop “on the way back” to Australia. Repatriation never happened, and he remained in Vancouver for over fifty years, getting a kick out of the shocked faces of Vancouver drivers when he passed them in an apparently driverless car.

Michael set high expectations for his three daughters, Lisa, Emalee, and Claire. He valued education, and enjoyed celebrating their wide-ranging achievements. Back in his working years, his office staff knew his one unbreakable rule: “If one of my kids calls, always put them through.” Only years later did his daughters discover that during most of those chatty conversations, a good-natured patient was waiting in the next room.

Michael’s medical career spanned decades, and he remained dedicated to his patients well into his seventies. He was especially proud of his outreach work in the indigenous communities of northern British Columbia, working together with his later life partner Jo-Anna Gillespie.

Michael also loved being out in nature - still calling it “the bush,” in true Aussie fashion - and spent countless happy hours hiking the trails of North Vancouver with Jo-Anna and their beloved Weimaraners.

Outside of medicine, Michael was a man of deep curiosity and boundless enthusiasm. He loved history, travel, fine food, good wine, and opera. Joyful Christmas gatherings with family were always a highlight for him. Until his last moments, Michael remained full of energy and inquisitiveness, always planning the next travel adventure.

Michael was predeceased by his father, Benjamin (Benno) Mandl and mother, Katherine Binder. He is survived by his loving partner, Jo-Anna; his daughters, Lisa (John), Emalee, and Claire (Nat); and his grandchildren, Imogen, Colin, Simon, Julian, and Lucy.

Michael left a lasting impression on all who knew him; he will be deeply missed.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Riverview Bursary Program.

https://giving.riverview.nsw.edu.au/participate/donate/bursary-program/