Dr. Mary Hallowell
Obituary
Obituary for Dr. Mary Hallowell
April 7, 1926 – July 18, 2023
Dr. Mary Hallowell graduated from Leeds Medical School in 1950. She worked in many United Leeds Hospitals mainly in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics whilst preparing for higher qualifications in these subjects. Official Training Programs were non existent and in order to become a pediatrician in England higher qualifications in Internal Medicine were necessary. In 1956 she obtained M.R.C.P.E and a few years later was elected to the fellowship.
She subsequently worked for two and a half years in Birmingham Childrens Hospital renowned at the time for its work on Coeliac Disease. Intestinal Biopsy had just been introduced and she carried out many of these procedures.
She emigrated to Canada in 1960 and set up her first Consulting Pediatric Practice in New Westminster. Initially she worked mainly in the Hospitals in New Westminster, Surrey, and occasionally in Maple Ridge. She treated many children with acute gastroenteritis, respiratory infections, meningitis, leukemia and complications of infectious disease. It was a great time to work as hospital beds were easily accessible and there was little political interference with medicine.
As many childhood diseases became controlled by immunization and medicare became available to all the incidence of very sick children fell. Allergic Diseases became more common and in 1976 she studied them in detail. She finally retired from solo practice in 1986. A few months later she started part-time work in Careplace Medical Clinic in Surrey where she worked for the next twelve and a half years.
Part time work allowed her to pursue her love of tennis and in 1996 she won the Canadian Senior Doubles Championship in the 70 age group and in 2002 the 75 Singles Championship. She won many senior tournaments in British Columbia and some in the Pacific Northwest. She was privileged to play in two Senior Friendship Cup Teams – Suzuka Japan in 1997 and Portschach Austria in 2002.
She was president of the BC Senior Women’s Committee, represented B.C. on the P.N.W Senor Women’s Committee and was on the board of the World Medical Tennis Society for 25 years. The later enabled her to compete with doctors from many different countries.
She travelled extensively with and without her tennis racquet. She continued to do so until the age of 97 much to the surprise of her travel agent.
At the age of 88 she sustained a bad shoulder injury and had to give up playing. She was fortunate in finding an excellent physiotherapist and returned to the court 17 months later.
After moving into the city of Vancouver in 2002 she started to attend courses at S.F.U Downtown and joined the Senior Lifelong Learners. She took courses in history, geography, comparative religions, economics and art history. She also enjoyed attending operas and concerts at the Orpheum. She always remained interested in advances in pediatrics and changed in medical practice.
She enjoyed wining and dining her friends. Initially she did this mainly at home, but in later years took friends to the Vancouver Lawn Tennis and Badminton Club more frequently.
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