Biography:

Dr. William James Reid was born in Merlin, Ontario on the 28th of August, 1913.  Dr. Reid was the eldest of 2 children born to Dr. Frederick Irwin Reid and the former Annie Arlie McLachlan.  His father was a well-respected family physician in Merlin at the time of his birth.  Dr. Reid’s mother was a nurse and he had a younger sister named Elizabeth “Betty” Mary Reid who was born in Merlin on the 11th of July, 1917.

Dr. Reid’s father did postgraduate surgical studies at Harper Hospital in Detroit, Michigan from 1919 until 1921.  After 1921, Dr. Frederick I. Reid practiced medicine in Chatham.

Dr. William Reid initially attended public school in Merlin but after his family moved to Chatham in 1921 he attended the Central School in Chatham. After graduating high school from Chatham Collegiate Institute, he attended The University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine. He graduated M.D. in 1938 and interned for 1 1/2 years at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.

Dr. Reid married Isobel Crawford McCullough on the 7th of September, 1940 in Fort William (now known as Thunder Bay), Ontario.  Mrs. Reid was born in Fort William, Ontario on the 13th of November, 1914.  She was the eldest of 3 children born to Dr. Crawford Campbell McCullough and the former Grace Margaret Campbell MacTavish. In 1921 the McCullough family resided at 225 N. Syndicate Road in Fort William (Thunder Bay).   Her father was a surgeon and her siblings were; Donald Robert McCullough and John C. McCullough.

After their marriage, Dr. and Mrs. Reid resided at 312 Lonsdale Road in Toronto.

Dr. and Mrs. Reid had 4 children, 3 sons and 1 daughter; Donald, John, Robert and Ann.

In April of 1940, Dr. Reid enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force Medical Corp during World War II.   He was deployed to England and Italy.  Dr. Reid was a squadron leader.  Dr. Reid was seriously injured in an airplane crash on the 21st of November, 1944.  He was discharged and sent home to Chatham to recover.

After he convalesced, Dr. Reid began a general medical practice in Chatham with a specialty in anesthesiology.  He served as the President of the Kent County Medical Society in 1948.

Dr. Reid died in 1992.  Mrs. Reid died at the Public General Hospital on the 5th of May, 1973.  Dr. and Mrs. Reid were buried at Maple Leaf Cemetery in Chatham.

*Dr. Reid is also featured on the ‘Gathering Our Heroes’ website.

**Dr. Reid’s father Dr. Frederick Irwin Reid also appears on the Chatham-Kent Physician Tribute website.

***Mrs. Reid’s brother Sergeant Donald Robert McCullough was a pilot during WWII.  He was killed in action on the 12th of December, 1941.