Name:
John Arthur Roe 
Location served:
Chatham  
Years in Practice:
1963 to 2005
Area of Specialization:
Obstetrical Gynecology  

Biography:

Dr. John Arthur Roe was born in Chatham, Ontario. He was raised on a farm in South Buxton, the youngest of 4 children, 2 boys and 2 girls. Dr Roe’s parents were Ledson Roe and the former and Darcy Coatsworth and his siblings were; Robert, Betty and Margaret. Dr. Roe was educated in a one-room schoolhouse S.S. #7, in Raleigh Twp and he attended Merlin District High School.

Dr. Roe attended the University of Western Ontario in 1952 and graduated M.D. in 1958. Dr. Roe, interned at Hamilton General Hospital. He specialized in Ob/Gyn at Victoria Hospital in London and Hamilton General Hospital. He completed his course of studies in 1963 and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ob/Gyn also in 1963.

Dr. Roe began his medical practice in Chatham in 1963. While doing his specialty training, he married Eleanor (Palin) Roe at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Chatham on October 24th, 1959.  Mrs. Roe graduated in nursing from Victoria Hospital and the University of Western Ontario. She worked with the V.O.N. in London, Ontario and she was an instructor with the R.N.A. program in Hamilton. Once in Chatham, Mrs. Roe taught at the Public General Hospital. Before Dr. Roe retired, Mrs. Roe worked in his office.

Besides his busy practice, Dr. Roe was Chief of Staff at the Public General Hospital from 1968 to 1975. He was Chief of Ob/Gyn from 1965 to 1996. In the 1990’s Dr. Roe was involved in a multi-national Quality Improvement Implementation program. Rapid Change Cycles were used as a method to reduce the caesarean section rate safely. In 1996 Dr. Roe, closed his office and became a Medical Surveyor for the Canadian Counsel of Health Services, until 2002. Dr. Roe, received the Glenn Sawyer Service Award, presented by the Ontario Medical Association and the Kent Medical Association in 2003. From 2002 to 2005, Dr. Roe assisted at the Southwestern Regional Center in Cedar Springs doing client physical screening. Dr. Roe retired in 2005.

Dr. Roe enjoyed watercolour painting and he sang in the choir at Holy Trinity Anglican Church. Dr. and Mrs. Roe enjoyed traveling to different parts of the world and to their vacation home in the Kawartha Lake District.

Dr. Roe died at the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance on the 5th of May, 2021.