Date of Birth: August 19, 1930
Date of Death: December 12, 2019
John (Janusz) passed away at the age of 89 at home on Dec. 12, 2019 with his loving and devoted wife Gloria by his side.
John will be lovingly remembered and missed by his wife Gloria; his daughters, Katheryn (Ray, TJ and Kim) and Elizabeth (Brian) and their four children John, Catriona, Luke and Mary. He will be missed by his sister-in-law, Elizabeth Milligan and his nephews, Nelson, Donald and Shawn Milligan and their families.
Left to remember John are his nephews, Michael, Mark, Tim and Todd Yastrub and Paul Yastrub and their families and Bill Shupe and his children, Brittany and Liam. He also leaves to remember him his nephews, Christopher Hudson and family (France) and Jeremy Hudson and family (England). John leaves behind many other family, friends and colleagues who were dear to him especially long time friends Grazyna Radomski and family and Mirek and Lucy Misayat.
John was predeceased by his mother Hanna (1971); father Jerzy (1976); sister Maria (1987); brother-in-law Nelson Milligan (2014); and niece Catherine Milligan (2019).
The son of Jerzy Leszczynski and Hanna Mierzejewska, John was born in Warsaw, Poland on Aug. 19, 1930. The onset of World War II caused the family to flee their beloved Poland in 1939. The family made their way across a war torn Europe with stops in Romania and France until finally finding refuge in London, England. Jerzy and Hanna never saw Poland again but John did return as a member of a Canadian Medical Delegation in 1981 and made other subsequent private visits to his homeland.
The year 1947 saw John secure admission and a full scholarship to complete a degree in Medicine at University College Cork in Ireland graduating in June 1953. John returned to England and practiced mainly in Surgery and Orthopaedics until September 1961 when he decided to continue his practice of medicine in Canada. He joined a group practice in Family Medicine in Melville, Sask. where he met his future wife Gloria who was a registered nurse at the local hospital.
John would go on to practice medicine for 57 years as a Specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Saskatoon, Sask. and as a full professor with tenure in Rehabilitation Medicine and as Department Head for 14 years. John was President of the Canadian Association of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation from 1985-1987. 1988 saw John become a Visiting Scholar at Green College at the University of Oxford, Trinity for one full year and a Visiting Consultant at Mary Marlborough Lodge Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford, England. John would also be Visiting Scholar and Scientist at both the University of New York and the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1997. John sat on many boards both professionally and voluntarily. He was the Chairman of the Examining Board for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and a long-standing
board member of the Saskatchewan Abilities Council.
John had a great love for medicine and it truly defined his life. His decision to retire at age 80 was a very difficult one. John practiced with a deep compassion and commitment for his patients all the while affording them the dignities he felt they deserved.
John, a true gentleman, was passionate about his love of classical music, art, history and the world’s literature. He loved his family deeply and will always be remembered by his grandchildren as their Poppo. He was present at all of their births, gave reassurance and guidance to them throughout their lives and provided a strong moral and ethical compass for his daughters for their lifetimes.
A celebration of John’s life will take place on Friday, Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. at Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Parish Church, 114 Kingsmere Place, Saskatoon. In lieu of flowers please support your favourite charity.
