Remembering Dr. Garry R. Humphreys
January 13/2020
The DLSPH community mourns Dr. Garry R. Humphreys — a DLSPH alumnus and smoke-free community advocate — who died on December 13, 2019.
Dr. Humphreys was the inaugural resident in DLSPH’s Public Health and Preventive Medicine Residency Program and a distinguished alumni, according to Dr. Chandrakant (Chan) Shah, a Professor Emeritus at DLSPH.
“Garry really cared for Indigenous People. After realizing that nearby Curve Lake First Nations Community lacked public health services, he forged a relationship with the Chief and provided needed support, which was the first such collaboration in Ontario,” said Shah, describing Humphreys’ impact in the Indigenous community north of Peterborough.
“He also invited the Chief to join their health board, who eventually held the position of Chair of the Board of Health. He was a great relationship builder,” said Shah.
Dr. Humphreys served as Medical Officer of Peterborough Public Health (formerly the Peterborough City-County Public Health Unit) for 17 years before retiring in 2008. He was known for making Peterborough the second city in Ontario to become smoke-free.
Click here to read Dr. Humphreys’ obituary in the Peterborough Examiner.