‘He was a role model’

Beloved family physician with a passion for learning made sure to be there for family, friends, community

By: Janine LeGal

Former patients and medical school classmates and colleagues noted his genuine and personalized care for people, his kindness, compassion and thoughtfulness. He took the time to listen. For every joyful moment, every milestone and celebration, for all things meaningful and important, Dr. David Crawford was there, for his community, his patients and his family.

Not one for fanfare, he preferred to be called Dave, sometimes Dr. Dave. The husband, father, grandfather and physician was down to earth and fully present for everyone he interacted with.

Crawford died on Sept. 20, 2024, at age 69 from complications related to prostate cancer.

Born in Winnipeg, Crawford had a passion for learning, and led an active lifestyle from a young age. He was involved in Boy Scouts and recreational sports. While attending St. John’s High School in Winnipeg’s North End, his interest in math and the sciences took hold, laying the foundation for his career.

He attended the University of Manitoba, majoring in pharmaceutical sciences. There, his academic excellence earned him a silver medal, a testament to his dedication and talent in his chosen field.

His career led him to various pharmacies across Winnipeg, including Glows and Hartford Drugs, where he formed lasting friendships with colleagues and some of his fondest memories in the profession.

In 1975, Crawford met Carla, who became the love of his life in an instant.

“The story goes that my mom saw him skating on the ice during an outing at the local rink in Kildonan Park,” said daughter Gillian. “She liked what she saw. She thought he was cute. She purposely dropped her mitt. He picked it up and that was it. It was love at first sight for both of them.”

Their Kildonan Park love story grew quickly, and not long after, the couple married and started a family, eventually welcoming their children, Gillian and Aaron.

“Kildonan Park is a special place for us,” added Gillian, who remembers tobogganing and skating there well into the night and past her bedtime. “Dad took my brother and I there; now we take our two boys there,” she said.

Always seeking to expand his knowledge, Crawford wanted more of a challenge with his work, so he returned to the University of Manitoba to pursue his medical degree. Upon graduation in 1987, he began a successful career in Family Medicine that spanned 31 years.

“He was a busy doctor starting out. Sometimes his schedule must have been nuts, but he always made time for his kids,” said Gillian, whose earliest memories are marked by a special closeness with her father. “He was playful, affectionate and loving; he was my person,” she continued, remembering the times he would take her on hospital rounds with him when she was little.

“We were respite for the stress. I never have to question how much joy he got from my brother and I. Sometimes he would come home, I would wake up, we’d hang out for a bit, watch TV and snuggle. He was a gentle man, a family man. He had a good heart and he valued family.”

When he did have leisure time, Crawford the movie buff enjoyed watching quirky comedies, and cherished family camping adventures with the trailer, exploring nearly every province in Canada and spending days at the family cabin in the Whiteshell. More recently, he travelled with Carla to tropical destinations where he found pleasure in scuba diving and local cuisine.

After his retirement, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Winnipeg Jets fan often attended sporting events and enjoyed unwinding with his cat, Oz. He shared a special bond with his two grandchildren, Christopher and Clifford, who brought him immense joy and laughter.

“He just loved being a grandparent,” said Gillian. “My kids gave him some life. When he was quietly struggling, they really infused life into him.”

Being a nurse herself meant Gillian and her father would readily have deep clinical talks about things they encountered, theories and models of care.

“We shared the same kind of language and that brought us closer. I feel like we could talk about just about anything. He was a safe space,” said Gillian, adding that she and her dad discussed everything from medicine to the North End to quantum physics.

“He always had great stories to tell.”

After receiving his cancer diagnosis and then accessing every treatment available in Manitoba, Crawford was running out of options and feeling the pressure. He became involved with an experimental drug trial through CancerCare. He responded well to the treatment, and was able to live another five quality years of life because of it, Gillian said.

“We are so thankful. It was absolutely life-changing. In that time he got to meet his grandsons.”

Despite battling cancer, Crawford remained an avid cyclist, even riding his bicycle to CancerCare appointments.

“We were so worried about him riding his bike with his health, but he rode it to the end and I am grateful for that,” said Gillian.

Gillian has taken her grief and created a memorial fund and a living grief project in honour of her father to support prostate cancer research, students and hope for a brighter future.

“We don’t have public expressions of grief,” she said. “It is the most isolating experience I’ve ever had. With this … I have found community,” she explained.

Gillian gave new life to an old discarded desk from her neighbourhood. She dragged it home, gave it some attention and it now sits on the front lawn on Cathedral Avenue between Main Street and Scotia.

“People will do a pilgrimage to it … People leave cards, mementos, all kinds of things. People have filled it with the most beautiful and heart-breaking things,” she said, of the public art installation outside her home, which will be brought in for the winter and returned outdoors next spring.

Crawford believed in life-long learning and taught his children that education is a key that can unlock doors.

“There’s so many options and avenues to commit to bettering yourself in that way. I do see this positive ripple — caring for your community — effect, since my dad’s passing. I’m interacting in community myself.

“I’m raising my children to be good stewards, to take care of each other. I’m not sure if Dad fully appreciated his impact on his family and his community. He was a role model. He was proud of us, and he let us know.”

Visit: Dr. David Crawford Memorial Fund on Facebook or Instagram.

fpcity@freepress.mb.ca