COUNCIL AWARD
Beloved Rural
Physician
Receives
Council Award
Dr. Raymond Anderson
D
r. Raymond Anderson, a rural family phy-
sician in Essex County, is one of this year’s
Council Award recipients. For more than
40 years, Dr. Anderson has been an inte-
gral part of his community of Comber, running a busy
private practice, where he attends to generations of local
families, makes hospital rounds and house calls, and is
seemingly available to his patients whenever he is needed.
Dr. Anderson was nominated for this award by the
members of his community. In letter after heartfelt letter,
dozens of patients and their families described his dedica-
tion, acts of kindness and understanding, giving voice to
the high esteem in which he is held.
Dr. Anderson was raised in Windsor and earned his
medical degree in 1973 from the University of West-
ern Ontario. When he and his wife Suzanne moved to
Comber in 1975, the community had been without a
steady family physician for four years. At one point, Dr.
Anderson had a roster of more than 6,000 patients.
“He stands out in that he has such a pleasant and car-
ing demeanour,” said Mayor Tom Bain of Dr. Anderson.
“He has that unique ability to initially put his patients
at ease and then is able to very caringly discuss with the
Above right: Dr. Anderson with his wife, Suzanne
Bottom: Dr. Anderson with the Lakeshore Town Council
patient their medical problem or problems,” he said.
Comber is part of the larger township of Lakeshore, a
town on Lake St. Clair. As a mark of his deep affection
for his community, Dr. Anderson chose to receive his
Council Award at the Lakeshore Town Council meeting.
That meeting was standing room only as current and
past patients showed up to honour their beloved family
doctor.
We recently spoke to Dr. Anderson about
his career.
Tell us about your childhood and your decision to
choose a career in medicine.
I was born in the UK and when I was about eight years
old, my parents decided to move to Windsor, Ontario.
My mother’s sister was already in Canada and she
convinced my parents to come over. My dad and mom
both worked in hospital supply. It was a fairly ordinary
upbringing, I think. In high school, I was interested in
engineering and medicine. But in the end, medicine was
my chosen course, mostly because I thought it would be
nice to help and work with people.
ISSUE 4, 2018 DIALOGUE
19