DESMOND JOSEPH IRELAND, MD, FRCSC

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DESMOND JOSEPH IRELAND, MD, FRCSC November 5, 1929 - September 15, 2018 It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Desmond (Des) Joseph Ireland at the Victoria Hospital at the age of 88. Des was predeceased by his mother Aileen Kate Ireland (nee Britton), father Clarence Ireland, brothers-in-law, Roy Houghton and Michael Wiley, sister-in-law Patricia Wiley, and great-grandson Archie Mosis. Des was fortunate to have both a Canadian family and Australian family. In Canada he will be greatly missed by his wife of 49 years, Donna (nee Madill), daughter Susan (Cameron) Clark of Brandon and grandchildren, Andrew Clark and Laura Clark; as well as niece Lisa (Robert) Thurgur and their children, Cole and Charlotte, and nephew John (Adrienne) Wiley and their children, Ethan and Mya. In Australia he leaves to mourn his daughters, Kim Ireland of Brisbane, Kellie Ireland-Bell (Damien) of Brisbane, and son Damian (Kate) Bell of Sydney; as well as grandsons, Alexander (Liz) Mosis of Brisbane and Jake Bell and Cooper Bell of Sydney. Also saddened by the loss of her big brother is Patricia Houghton of Sydney and her children, Peter Houghton (Anne Browning) of Melbourne, and Alison (Chris) Moutter of Sydney; and great-nieces and nephews, Louis Houghton, Esther Houghton, Finley Moutter, Claire Moutter and Kyra Moutter. In Dad's quiet and humble way, he gave us strict instructions "not to write an obituary that would boast about his accomplishments" (and there were many), but to "make sure we included familial information needed for genealogical purposes". Dad had a passion for a good mystery and I believe this, along with his scientific research abilities, lead to his becoming a "genealogical guru". In his retirement, he would spend hours at his computer sharing e-mails with his sister and others from around the world, solving pieces of ancestral puzzles dating back as far as the 1300s. The only thing that gave him greater pleasure was travelling with, or sharing a meal out with Donna, or learning of, and sharing in, his grandchildren's accomplishments and successes. Des was born in Sydney, Australia and knew from a very young age he would become a physician. In 1958 he left Australia to further his training in Chicago. A year later he settled in Brandon, Manitoba and set-up a private clinical practice in Otolaryngology. He subsequently made the move to Winnipeg in 1975 to carry on his clinical practice and later became Head of the Department of Otolaryngology. He very much enjoyed his time teaching medical students/residents, as well as time spent doing vestibular research with his colleagues. We know that Des touched the lives of many patients, students and colleagues and this makes us so proud of the man he was. Over the years he received many awards (of which he doesn't want us telling you about) but his final distinction prior to his retirement was that of Professor Emeritus in 1998. The family would like to extend their appreciation to all of the medical staff who cared for Des and thank them for their kindness and compassion. In keeping with Des' wishes, there will be a private memorial service at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in memory of Dr. Ireland to the Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Department, Room GB421, 820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3A 1R9, to be used for education and research, or to a charity of your choice. Family and friends may sign a Book of Condolence at www.glenlawn.ca Glen Lawn Funeral Home 204-982-7550

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Sep 22, 2018