Biography:

Dr. William Roy Waddell was born near Metcalfe, Ontario on the 18th of May, 1897.  Dr. Waddell was the 2nd of 4 sons born to William Dempsey Waddell and the former Margaret Robertson Henderson.  His parents were farmers and his siblings were; Thomas Kenneth Waddell, James Archibald Waddell and Donald Waddell.

Dr. Waddell attended Ottawa Normal School before enlisting in WWI in 1918.   He was discharged from the Royal Flying Corps as a Second Lieutenant in 1919.

Dr. Waddell entered Queen’s Medical School in Kingston, Ontario in 1919.  He graduated M.D. in 1924, but sadly his father died on the 9th of June, 1922 and did not see his son graduate.  While at university Dr. Waddell enjoyed playing hockey and rugby.

During the summer of 1924, Dr. Waddell was known to be practicing medicine in Merlin, Ontario.  Later that year he entered into a residency in obstetrics in a New York City hospital for one year.  He did post-graduate work for a year studying general surgery at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore.  In 1926 Dr. Waddell moved to Detroit, Michigan and studied internal medicine and gastrointestinal diseases until 1928.  He opened his medical practice in Windsor, Ontario in 1929.

Dr. Waddell married Jeanette Marie Lotan at Deer Park United Church in Toronto, Ontario on the 13th of July, 1932.  Mrs. Waddell was born in Detroit, Michigan on the 16th of February, 1902.  She was the eldest of 4 children born to James Lotan and the former Mary Ann “Maud” Macfie.  Shortly after her birth, her parents moved to a farm located at lot S1/2, Concession 1 in Ekfrid Township (Middlesex County), Ontario.  Mrs. Waddell’s parents were farmers and her siblings were; Gertrude Maud Lotan, James Harold Lotan and Marjorie Elizabeth Lotan.  Mrs. Waddell was a nurse.  At the time of their marriage, Dr. Waddell resided at 711 Ouellette Avenue in Windsor.

Dr. and Mrs. Waddell had two children, William “Bill” Roy Wardell Jr. and Martha Waddell.

Dr. Waddell was the Chief of Medicine at Grace Hospital in Windsor from 1940 to 1948.  He was the President of the Medical Staff at Metropolitan Hospital (Windsor) in 1950 and President of the Essex County Medical Society from 1952 to 1953.  Dr. Waddell was Chairman of the Board of the Governors at Metropolitan Hospital in 1953, 1956, 1959 and in 1960.

Dr. Waddell was a member of Rotary and he was a member of the Windsor Chamber of Commerce.  Dr. Waddell enjoyed playing golf.

Dr. Waddell retired from the practice of medicine in 1978.

Dr. Waddell died at Metropolitan Hospital in Windsor on the 14th of August, 1980.  Mrs. Waddell died at Salvation Army Grace Hospital in Windsor on the 16th of December, 1990. Dr. and Mrs. Waddell were buried at Victoria Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Windsor.

*Dr. Waddells brother, Thomas Kenneth Waddell served with the Canadian Armed Services during WWI.  

**Dr. and Mrs. Waddell’s son, Dr. William “Bill” Roy Waddell Jr. practiced medicine in Kingston, Ontario.