Died January 7th 2024, Toronto, Canada, of congestive cardiac failure
A physician who was born in England, qualified in Ireland, obtained his MRCPE in Scotland, and became a pioneering professor of geriatrics in Canada.
Son of an Irish physician who had moved to England, Rory Fisher went to Downside School where he was noted for his sporting ability. He graduated MB BCh from Trinity College Dublin in 1959, having previously obtained a BA in English literature and Irish history and represented his university at boxing and rugby. He remained an active sportsman through his life, enjoying squash, sailing and ultimately bowls.
After junior appointments in London, the American Hospital in Paris and Torquay, he obtained a registrar post in general medicine and geriatrics in Weymouth, obtaining the Edinburgh MRCP in 1968. He then worked as senior registrar in geriatrics at the London Hospital until 1971 when he obtained the post of Head of the 570-bed Department of Extended Care at the Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto and Associate Professor at Toronto University.
This was a time when geriatrics was emerging from the shadows in Canada and his appointment was an inspired one. His publications tell of a serious academic interest in both diagnostic issues in old age and also, especially, in the management of the problems associated with aging. Alongside this, he acquired a reputation as a teacher of both under- and post-graduates, and as someone who could drive the development of facilities for the elderly. Particular interests he pioneered were end-of-life care, the ethics of elderly care, and prevention of elder abuse.
His work and teaching had an effect throughout Canada. He was elected FRCP (Canada) in 1972 and FRCPE in 1977. He became president of both the Canadian Association on Gerontology and the Canadian Society of Geriatric Medicine, and at the end of his career was appointed emeritus professor at Toronto University. Outside medicine he was an active Roman Catholic, serving on a number of Catholic Medical Organisations and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, in which he was appointed a Knight of Magistral Grace and awarded the Cross pro Melitensi Merito. He also received the Canadian Order of Ontario and the Queen Elizabeth II diamond jubilee medal.
He had met his wife Maeve as a student while visiting London with his university boxing team, and they enjoyed a long an happy marriage. She predeceased him. They leave a daughter Clare, a son Gavin, and three grandchildren.