DR. ABRAM HERMAN NEUFELD

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DR. ABRAM HERMAN NEUFELD At St. Josephs Hospital, London, on Thursday, February 19, 2004, Dr. Abram Herman Neufeld, M.D., C.M., Ph.D., F.C.I.C., of London in his 97th year. Born in the Ukraine region of Russia in 1907 and emigrated to Canada in 1923. He graduated from the University of Manitoba in Honors Chemistry 1934, M.Sc. 1935 and Ph.D. in Medical Biochemistry 1937. In 1936 he commenced work at McGill University with Dr. J. B. Collip as a Professor in Biochemistry, Endocrinology and as a Research Associate. From 1943 to 1946 Dr. Neufeld served as a major in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps and liaison officer to the Office of the Surgeon General in Washington. For his war service he was awarded the War Medal, the Defense Medal, the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, and the Degree of Officer of the United States Legion of Merit. After the war Dr. Neufeld studied medicine and graduated from McGill University Medical School in 1950. For the next ten years Dr. Neufeld was Chief of Biochemistry and Nuclear Medicine at Queen Mary Veterans Hospital and a lecturer at McGill. In 1960, Dr. Neufeld become Head of Pathological Chemistry at the University of Western Medical School and Head of Clinical Pathology at Victoria Hospital, London. Dr. Neufeld was named Emeritus Professor upon retirement in 1972. Dr. Neufeld has always had a deep interest in Medical Research as evidenced by his numerous research grants, publications and continuous activity in many learned societies. He has served as editor of the Canadian Medical Association Journal and the Medical Services Journal of Canada. He was one of the founders of the Canadian Society of Clinical Chemistry, the First President of the Canadian Association of Medical Biochemists and an Honorary Member, an Honorary Secretary of the Canadian Federation of Biological Societies and a member of the US National Research Council Committee on Hemoglobin Standardization. Dr. Neufeld was awarded a Senior and Life Member of the Canadian Medical Association, a life member of the London and District Academy of Medicine, an Emeritus Member of the Canadian Haematology Society, the Canadian Association of Pathologists and the American Society of Haematology, the Canadian Society for Clinical Investigation and the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States and a Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada. Dr. Neufeld with his wife Lily enjoyed many years of retirement through visiting family and friends, reading and travel. His writings did not cease with his professional years. In retirement, he translated and wrote a book "Herman and Katharina, Their Story" which documents the pre- and post-revolutionary years in rural Russia, taken from his fathers diary as an itinerant minister in the Mennonite Church: it is a horrifying tale of a country in transition. Dr. Neufeld and his wife Lily are sadly missed by his daughters, Muriel Anne Norcross (Greg) of Woodstock, Dr. Lorna Katherine Rees-Potter of Montreal; grandsons, Kevin Curtis-Norcross (Sylvia) of London, Scott Norcross (Tara Harris) of Ottawa, Gary (Pre-deceased) great-grandchildren, Andrew Lipcsik, Alexander Harris and Lilly Curtis-Norcross. Cremation has taken place. Friends will be received one hour prior to a service celebrating Dr. Neufelds life being held at the A. Millard George Funeral Home, 60 Ridout Street South, London, (1-877-246-7186) on Saturday, February 21, at 11:00 a.m. Interment of cremated remains to follow at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, London. Memorial donations would be appreciated to the University of Western Ontario Medical School c/o Foundation Western, Room 11, Alumni Hall, London ON N6A 5B9, or the Alzheimer Society, 555 Southdale Rd. East, Suite 100, London ON N6E 1A2. On line condolences accepted at www.amgeorgefh.on.ca

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Feb 20, 2004