Dr. Brian James Sealey passed away peacefully in his sleep at 88 years of age in the early morning of March 28, 2024, with his beloved wife, Janice, and his two precious Samoyeds, Holly, and Sophia Alexandra at his side after spending a remarkable evening and night together at Margaret’s Place Hospice, an idyllic hospice which shares space with Spring Creek Ravine in Dundas, Ontario.
Brian was welcomed to the hospice by extraordinary staff and three deer grazing just outside his patio door. Ten days later, after experiencing the best of medical, nursing, and volunteer care imaginable, five deer arrived at the patio window to witness Brian’s passing. It was a sacred moment.
Brian was predeceased by his father and mother, George and Ellen Sealey, his brother Terrance and his wife Sheila, his daughter Jane, and his brother-in-law and previous medical student, Dr. Douglas M. Clark. He is survived by his children, Robert, Alexander, Ellen, Astrid, and Ole Bernard.
Brian graduated in medicine from the University of Birmingham, England. Upon completing graduate studies in internal medicine, he further specialized in respirology and cardiology. He practiced medicine in England, Africa, Norway, Northern Ontario, and ultimately in Hamilton, at McMaster University where he joined the faculty of medicine and practiced cardiology. At the tender age of eleven years, Brian knew his mission in life was to practice medicine, a mission he deeply loved and successfully fulfilled until fully retiring in 2023. Brian loved his patients and grieved not being with them when he retired from consultative practice in 2018. Throughout his career, Brian enjoyed the academic stimulation of working collaboratively with medical colleagues. Along with two colleagues, he wrote the seminal article on ‘Black Water Fever’ while working in Africa, an article still referenced in Tropical Medicine. Bringing his expertise in cardiac exercise testing from Norway and Europe, Brian initiated and developed the Cardiac Exercise Testing Laboratory at the Hamilton General Hospital along with colleague Pamela Rathbone and later initiated the Cardiac Exercise Testing Laboratory at the Henderson General Hospital, now known as Juravinski Hospital, where he was Chief of Cardiology. Brian assisted Dr. Arnold Johnson in advancing the accuracy and ease-of-use of the finger oximeter widely used today.
Brian was known as the ‘renaissance man’ by colleagues, family, and friends. He had an encyclopedic knowledge of medicine, history, music, philosophy, literature, film, art, and architecture. Brian was a musician, playing trumpet from the age of 12. He created a jazz band, ‘The Seals,’ while studying medicine and thoroughly enjoyed playing with McMaster and Mohawk Jazz bands under the direction of his dear friends, Ian Townsend, Terrance Basom, and the late Rick Tait. He also loved playing and listening to classical music.
Sailing captured Brian’s interest in his forties when he realized becoming one with wind, water, and sailboats gave him great joy, a sense of peace, and eventually wonderful camaraderie on Lake Ontario with his wife Janice, his brother-in-law Douglas Clark, and friends Ian Townsend, and Terrance Basom. Brian was forever grateful for and thankful to his colleagues, Drs. Peter Kraus, Corey Sawchuck, Victor Chu, Douglas Holder, Ted Warkentin, Jennifer Everson, the outstanding nursing staff, and associate staff in ICU West at the Hamilton General Hospital in the spring of 2007 for preserving his life and giving him another wonderful 17 years of life. Most recently, Brian was thankful for compassionate care given to him by Dr. Sebastian Hotte and Chris Thom BScN as Brian experienced end-stage bladder cancer. Throughout Brian’s illnesses, Dr. Bonnie Loewith, family physician, faithfully and generously cared for Brian for which Brian was deeply thankful. While at home over the course of the last year of his life, Brian was grateful for the excellent care provided for him by his Home and Community Care Support Services case manager, Maria Kurucz RN, Chantal Bithia-Matshi PSW, and Ashley Likavec BScN.
Brian and Janice were thankful for dear friends, Dr. Graham Turpie, Judy Johnson, Catherine Steel, Dr. David and Jenny Leaney, Dr. Fred and Kate Fraser, Ian and Margaret Townsend, Terrance and Gerten Basom, Pam and daughter Rebekah Rathbone, Grant Howley and partner, Gerard McNeil, Joe and Grace Amaral, Alex and Judy Tabakoff, and Teresa Kuzminski and her family for walking closely with them throughout Brian’s life and latter illness. Brian and Janice were grateful to sister Jennifer and her husband Michael, and Brian’s sons, Robert, Alexander, and Ole Bernard for their always compassionate, loving support. While at Margaret’s Place, Brian was deeply moved by spiritual and philosophical discussions with Margaret’s Place Chaplain, Wojtek Kuzma. Margaret’s Place amazing staff under the direction of Don Davidson CEO, Jenn Morritt, Dawn Martin, Brianna Kennelly, and Vanessa Alkema walked full circle with Brian and Janice from Brian’s arrival at the hospice through to a private celebration of Brian’s life in Margaret’s Place, Great Room.
A private burial was conducted by Chaplain Wojtek Kuzma and organized by Circle of Life under the able and caring direction of Karin Schuett. If anyone wishes to remember Brian through donation, donations to Margaret’s Place Hospice would be appreciated.
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