It is with sadness that the CAR shares the news of the passing of Dr. Douglas MacEwan from Manitoba. On April 1, 2024, at the age of 99, Dr. MacEwan passed away peacefully in his Winnipeg home.
He was predeceased by his wife of 55 years, Elizabeth, in 2007 and is survived by four children and eight grandchildren.
Dr. MacEwan became the Head of the Department of Radiology at the Winnipeg General Hospital and Chair of the Department of Radiology in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Manitoba (1966-83). During his tenure, the Department of Radiology developed a reputation as one of the leading radiology departments in North America and earning a radiology residency at the University of Manitoba became highly coveted and competitive.
In addition to being a longtime CAR member, Dr. MacEwan was also a former CAR President, Editor of the CAR Journal, and RSNA President.
“He had a keen interest in the history of Canadian radiology. I first met him at a CAR meeting in Montreal in 1980,” said friend and colleague Dr. Ian Hammond.
“He became a role model with his inquisitive mind, strong work ethic, and willingness to take on new challenges.”
One of the challenges he took on was to support the Winnipeg arts scene throughout his life. “He seemed indefatigable, which epitomizes his ethos,” said Dr. Hammond, pointing to this feature story from the CBC that highlights Dr. MacEwan’s shoe leather efforts to support Winnipeg’s major arts institutions during the pandemic by walking a kilometer per day for 96 days leading up to his 96th birthday. His daily walking campaign raised $124,000 for the Royal Manitoba Theatre Center, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and the Manitoba Opera. For his tireless support, Dr. MacEwan was named one of the Globe and Mail’s Arts Heroes of 2020 and was presented with the Winnipeg Arts Council’s Arts Champion Award in 2021.
To honour his legacy, the Manitoba Association of Radiologists has created the Dr. Doug MacEwan Lecture at their annual meeting. The inaugural lecture took place earlier this month and was given by Dr. Jonathon Leipsic.
In memory of Dr. MacEwan, his family encourages donations to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet for the MacEwan Scholarship or to the University of Manitoba for The Douglas and Elizabeth MacEwan Endowment Award or the Dr. Douglas MacEwan (Radiology Lectureship) Fund.