Biography:

Dr. Thomas Huntington McColl was born near Wallacetown, Ontario on the 28th of April, 1875.  Dr. McColl’s parents were farmers and he was the only child born to his parents Samuel Thomas McColl and the former Sarah Ann McIntyre.  Dr. McColl was just 2 years old when his father died on the 14th of May, 1877.   Mr. McColl was buried at the McColl Cemetery in Elgin County.  Dr. McColl attended local schools in Dutton, before attending the Model School in St. Thomas.  Dr. McColl became a teacher and saved his earnings to attend medical school.

According to the 1901 census, Dr. McColl was attending school in Toronto and he was living in a rooming house.  He graduated M.D. from The University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine in 1903.  Dr. McColl did post-graduate work at Grace Hospital in Toronto and the Public General Hospital in Sarnia.

Dr. McColl joined the College of Physicians and Surgeons on the 24th of June, 1904.  He leased the medical office of Dr. Arthur Atkinson Milligan in Tilbury in 1904.  Dr. Atkinson moved to Toronto and Dr. McColl would serve the community of Tilbury until his death in December of 1944.

Dr. McColl married Christine McAlpine in Paynes Mills (Elgin County), Ontario on the 15th of March, 1905.  Mrs. McColl was born on the 19th of December, 1874.  She was the 9th of 11 children born to Neil McAlpine and the former Mary Ellen Currie. Her parents were farmers and her siblings were; Elisabeth “Betsy” McAlpine, Duncan Alexander McAlpine, Mary Jane McAlpine, Neil M. McAlpine, Joseph McAlpine, Euphemia “Effie” Marcia McAlpine, Margaret “Maggie” McAlpine, John A. McAlpine and twin sisters Fannie Mable McAlpine and Flora Maud McAlpine.

Dr. and Mrs. McColl had a daughter named Marion McColl, born on the 28th of May, 1911 at the Public General Hospital in Chatham.  A son named Thomas “Duncan” McColl was born on the 28th of April, 1913 in Tilbury.  At the time of their son’s birth, Dr. and Mrs. McColl resided on Market Lane in Tilbury.  Dr. McColl’s mother Sarah lived with Dr. and Mrs. McColl until her death in 1932.

Dr. McColl appears in the 1913 Bell Telephone Directory.  His home and office were located on Queen Street when the directory was published in October of 1913.  His office telephone number was 31a and his home telephone number was 31b.

Dr. McColl was active in the community serving as a Public School Board Trustee and on Tilbury Town Council and the Tilbury Library Board. He was designated as a Medical Officer of Health and he was a Coroner.  He was the President of the Kent County Medical Society in 1941.  Dr. McColl was a member of the Coronation Lodge of the I.O.O.F. and the Chatham Rotary Club.  Dr. McColl served as the Chairman of the Red Cross Blood Donors’ Clinic until 1 week before he died.

In his spare time, Dr. McColl enjoyed lawn bowling, baseball and golf.  Mrs. McColl was a life member of I.O.D.E.

Dr. McColl died at the Public General Hospital in Chatham on the 14th of December, 1944.   His funeral service was held in Duart.  Mrs. McColl died at Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario on the 25th of December, 1953.  Dr. and Mrs. McColl were buried at the McColl Cemetery.

*Dr. McColl’s son, Dr. Thomas Duncan McColl became a dentist.  Captain Thomas Duncan McColl served during WWII in the Canadian Army Dental Corps.  Dr. McColl’s son died in 1992 and he was buried at the McColl Cemetery.  

**Dr. McColl’s daughter Marion (McColl) Ruston died in 1998.  She was buried at the McKillop Cemetery in Elgin County. Her husband Major Francis George Ruston served overseas with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps.

***Dr. Arthur Atkinson Milligan also appears on the Chatham-Kent Physician Tribute website.

****Currie Road in Elgin County was named for Mrs. McColl’s grandfather Donald Curry, an early settler in Elgin County.