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Robert Timothy Stansfield Frankford
August 1, 1939 - August 1, 2015
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<div itemprop="description">Robert Timothy Stansfield Frankford, August 1, 1939 &ndash; August 1, 2015<br /><br />He worked to make the world a better place<br /><br />Dr. Bob, retired General Practitioner, former Member of Provincial Parliament for Scarborough East, Social Democrat, Activist, and Father of three daughters, died on his 76th birthday in St. Michael's Hospital. <br /><br />Dr. Bob was a visionary who felt a need, a duty, an obligation, a desire, a mission in life to change the world for the better. Most everything he did and wrote and said reflected that mission: to help those who could benefit from his help, oppose injustice, and work for the common good. <br /><br />Best known as a champion of the right to health care and access to health care, Dr. Bob's concerns extended to other issues, including racism, homelessness, and inequality in all its forms. A long-time admirer of the work of Jane Jacobs, he advocated for more liveable cities, and he worked at this and other issues at many levels and in many ways. He read the newspaper every day, and when he saw an item with which he strongly agreed or disagreed, he would get in touch with the reporter or columnist or write a letter to the editor.<br /><br />For Dr. Bob, practising as a physician brought with it other responsibilities - to his profession, and to the reform of the primary health care system in Ontario. He was known for his advocacy of universal primary care registration, capitation payment for physicians, and working as a primary care doctor in a team together with other health care professionals. When he started his Health Service Organization in the 80s, very few physicians in Ontario were paid by capitation or worked in teams. Although the current arrangements were not yet to his satisfaction, it should be noted that many family doctors are now working in teams, treating registered patients, and being paid through the capitation system. <br /><br />Dr. Bob worked for his country, his province, his city, his community, his neighbourhood and his profession by volunteering his time to be a member of committees, councils, boards, and non-governmental organizations with missions focused on the good works in which he believed. When he left the Ontario Legislature, he worked for three years as Attending Physician at Seaton House and during and after that time worked on behalf of the homeless in Toronto. He had a special long-term interest in the plight of foreign-trained professionals, doctors and others, and he mentored foreign-trained doctors seeking to practice their professions in Ontario. Since his days as an MPP, when he first encountered the Sickle Cell Association of Ontario, he remained involved with them and had attended a telephone conference meeting a little more than 48 hours before his death. <br /><br />Robert Frankford was born in Nottingham, England, son of Margaret (born Little), an English Quaker mother, and Walter, a Viennese Jewish father, both of whom predeceased him, as did his younger sister Susan Mercer. He did his medical training at the University of London (England) at St. George's Hospital Medical School. He emigrated to Canada in the late 1960s and settled in Toronto. He was very proud of his heritage and just as proud of his legacy: his three accomplished daughters Rachael Frankford (Ed Garibay), Elizabeth MacKay and the late Emma Frankford, who died too young to fully realize the amazing potential of her extraordinary personality and abilities. He missed her terribly. He is also survived by his five grandchildren Malcolm, Lila, Sebastian, Olivia and Theo, of whom he was very proud and for whom he hoped for great accomplishments and much happiness. He will be missed by his nephews Simon and Paul Mercer. He will never be forgotten by his wife, Helen Breslauer, who loved him very much.<br /><br />A memorial to honour the life and work of Dr. Bob will be held the afternoon of September 6th at the Mount Pleasant Visitation Centre. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Toronto Public Library Foundation, the Sickle Cell Association of Ontario, or a charity of your choice would be appreciated.</div>