Dr. Balfour Mount, who coined the term "palliative care" and whose profound empathy helped revolutionize health-care in North America, died peacefully on Sept. 25 at the palliative care unit that bears his name.
He was 86.
Mount devoted his life to caring for others and alleviating suffering. In interviews, his family and colleagues remembered him as both deeply compassionate and as a fierce advocate for the humanity of those who are suffering.
"There's the legend, Dr. Balfour Mount, who's known worldwide," said James Mount, Balfour's son.
"But not much is known about the father he was, and the amazing presence he had, the love and the support. He wasn't just a friend or a dad. He was also my counsellor. I lost a lot."
Mount was born on April 14, 1939, in Ottawa. His father, Dr. Harry Telford Roy Mount, had served at both Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele during World War I before studying medicine and becoming Ottawa's first neurosurgeon.
"So the bar was set pretty high when Dad came along in 1939," James said.
Growing up, Mount
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