It is with great sadness that I have to notify all of the untimely death of Dr. Freddy Hargreave. Dr. Hargreave was truly one of the giants of respiratory medicine over the last 40 years and helped change our thinking about the treatment of serious diseases like asthma, chest infections and COPD. In doing so he hugely improved the care of patients throughout the world and his work improved many lives. He taught many students and fellows from many different countries – many of whom returned home and became internationally recognized in their own right. He made our hospital world famous – but more importantly, he lived the Mission every single minute in his work. He cared for individual patients in an exemplary manner with unfailing courtesy, dedication, humility, kindness and, most particularly, in bringing the challenges they faced each day to the research community to find better ways of relieving their suffering.
Our sympathies go to his family. May he rest in peace.
Dr. David A. Higgins
President, St. Joseph’s Healthcare
A lovely tribute to Dad and his work, thanks to McMaster University:
Dr. Frederick (Freddy) Hargreave, a professor emeritus of McMaster University who led international
Dr. Frederick (Freddy) Hargreave, a professor emeritus of McMaster Universit
advancements in the care of asthma patients, died yesterday. He was 72.
Hargreave joined McMaster University in 1969 in the early days of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine after his medical training at the University of Leeds, U.K. and work as a physician in that city and London.
His studies in asthma changed the way the disease is diagnosed, as he developed innovative tests to measure airway responsiveness and airway inflammation and make decisions on clinical treatments. Hargreave was a leader in the change in focus from just treating asthma symptoms to preventing and controlling them. He was known as an excellent teacher, and he trained many of the world’s current leaders in asthma research.
Hargreave was also one of the founders of the clinic which has become the Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health at McMaster and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, growing it to become a world centre for investigation and treatment of asthma and chronic respiratory diseases. Respiratory disease impacts one in five Canadians.
A former student of Hargreave was Paul O’Byrne, now chair of the Department of Medicine of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine.
“Freddy Hargreave will be deeply missed. His scholarship, mentorship and collegiality were legendary and his passion for clinical care, particularly for patients with difficult to treat asthma, was quite unique.”
John Kelton, dean and vice-president of the Faculty of Health Sciences, said: “Before I met Dr. Hargreave, I had heard about his remarkable research that had improved the lives of many people across Canada and beyond. Knowing him, my appreciation grew for his kindness, gentleness and remarkable modesty. It was an honour to know him for many years.”
Hargreave retired in 2004, but he had continued to be involved in research studies. He leaves his wife Alix and three children.
A memorial service will take place in Christ’s Church Cathedral, 252 James Street North, Hamilton at 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 23, 2011 followed by a reception to celebrate his life.
