DR. SANDY JAMES PRITCHARD
M.D., F.R.C.S. (C)

Sandy passed away peacefully at home on October 9, 2021, surrounded by his four children. He was tragically diagnosed with glioblastoma in early 2020. Sandy is survived by his mother, Nancy; his sisters, Jane and Brenda (and their families); his four children, Logan, Hunter, Madison (Jake), and Baylie; and newborn grandson, Rowan. He was predeceased by his father, Dr. Wilmer (Bill) Pritchard.

Sandy was born on November 17, 1953, to Bill and Nancy Pritchard in Leamington, Ontario, on the shores of Lake Erie. Music was central to Sandy’s childhood, whether the big-band sounds of his father’s ensemble, the Motown radio of nearby Detroit, or the evening serenade of a family piano. Sandy grew up a multi-instrumentalist - piano, double bass, flute - and handed down the musical tradition to his own children. Miraculously, he continued to sight-read Oscar Peterson even after he had lost his ability to read the morning paper.

In his youth, Sandy excelled at Leamington District Secondary School (1972) and worked as Head Lifeguard at Point Pelee National Park, the southernmost point of Canada. He was a natural athlete, a point that did not go unnoticed, later in life, by a journalist who asked him to pose shirtless as the Sunshine Boy. Sandy never forgot his small-town beginnings, where he was “Streak” to his closest friends.

Sandy left Leamington for the University of Western Ontario and, after one year of undergraduate studies, he was admitted early to the University of Western Ontario Medical School, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1977. He completed his medical and surgical training in Toronto and emerged a Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon and Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1982 at the young age of 28. He served as a full-time staff Plastic Surgeon, as well as a lecturer, in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto.

Sandy went on to build a renowned private practice in aesthetic plastic surgery which he operated for over 35 years in Yorkville. His happy clientele and loyal staff are testament to his integrity and talent as a surgeon. He genuinely loved his craft - a combination of arts and science - and preferred a low profile with a focus on achieving exceptional results for his patients. During surgery, he played music from his childhood and scrubbed in his young children for the occasional demonstration. Sandy served on the Executive Board of the Canadian Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery and as its President from 2013 to 2014.

Lasting friendships emerged out of athletic camaraderie at The Devil’s Pulpit & Paintbrush, Toronto Lawn Tennis Club, and Toronto Golf Club. Sandy’s mastery of golf’s short game was no doubt a product of his surgical finesse and Scottish heritage. After long days, he savoured a cold martini - Tanqueray, shaken, twist-of-lemon, no vermouth - and gave all his energy to his children.

Sandy’s proudest achievement was raising his four children, to whom he devoted himself completely.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to our friend Dr. Mark Bernstein. We are grateful for the attention and care of the Neuro-Oncology Centre at Toronto Western Hospital, the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, the Odette Cancer Centre at Sunnybrook Hospital, and the Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care.

The family will hold a private service at Rosedale United Church this weekend. In lieu of flowers, we ask that you consider a donation to the Neuro-Oncology Clinic at Toronto Western Hospital.