DR. ROBERT JOHNSTONE WEIR BLANCHARD

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DR. ROBERT JOHNSTONE WEIR BLANCHARD

March 30, 1934 - May 27, 2026

With very heavy hearts we announce the peaceful passing of Dr. Robert Johnstone Weir (Bob) Blanchard on May 27, 2026. He has now joined his beloved wife Madeline, in the presence of our Heavenly Father. Their absence is deeply felt by their loving children Elizabeth (Robert Kroeker), James (Amy Blanchard), Louise (Tom Klos), and Jonathan (Deanna Blanchard).

Dad was deeply devoted to his family, providing steadfast love, joy, support and guidance to his children and his nine grandchildren - Daniel, Bryan, Hannah, Andrea, Sarah, Isabel, Genevieve Samantha and Timothy - and eight great-grandchildren - Desmond, Martha, Oliver, Maya, Seth, Maxine, Wesley and Lillian. With selflessness he supported and cared for each of them, always seeking to find ways to make everyone’s days brighter and burdens lighter. He delighted in the presence of his family and was never too tired to make the effort to help or encourage or pray with his loved ones, even as his health and strength ebbed.

Dad is also survived by his sister, Jane Gibson (Paul), his brother-in-law, Philip Blain and his sister-in-law Barbara Evans (Larry), cousins, and chosen extended family, Farhad and Yasamin Asmat. He was predeceased by his parents, James and Thelma Blanchard.

Dad was madly in love with Mom for more than seven decades. They met in high school, and he soon realized that he wanted to spend his life with her. Together, they embodied the tenets of a loving and supportive Christian marriage, as written in Proverbs 31:28 “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.” He respected and honoured Mom, and he also openly adored her, often saying to us, “Isn’t she wonderful?”. Together, they were an amazing team who had a lasting impact on all whose lives they touched.

Dad was full of love with a marvelous zest for living. He walked closely with God daily, marveling at His creations and seeing beauty everywhere. He had a wonderful and infectious sense of humour, and time spent with him was full of laughter. He had a wide range of interests, which he shared with others. He loved music and his home was filled with music. He had a soaring tenor voice and throughout his life delighted in singing, particularly with Mom in a church choir. He loved the outdoors, especially hiking or canoeing in Canada’s wilderness. He was a skillful photographer, and a masterful fly fisherman, with a beautiful cast that delivered his carefully crafted flies onto pristine waters. He had an indomitable spirit, and loved new adventures, always wondering what was around the next bend. But he also had the gift of being still, and he was never more content than when he was enjoying the simplicity of watching birds with Mom at the cottage.

Throughout his life Dad was dedicated to scholarship and the pursuit of knowledge. He attended Gordon Bell High School, where he was president of the student council, alongside Mom as vice-president. In addition to his academic excellence, he played on the football team, was a lead in several musical productions, and was awarded the Governor General’s Medal (1952). He completed his pre-medical education (Arts) and obtained his MD (Honours) degree at the University of Manitoba (1959). He completed his post-graduate clinical training in surgery at the Deer Lodge Veteran’s Hospital in Winnipeg (1960-61) and at the University of Minnesota (1961-64). In 1965 he received a Master of Science in Surgery and was inducted as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Throughout his undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate education, he received numerous awards and distinctions for academic and research excellence.

After completing his surgical training, Dad embarked on a truly remarkable career as a clinician, researcher, teacher and mentor. In 1966, he followed his calling to become Surgeon and Superintendent at the Bach Christian Hospital in the Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan, providing much-needed surgical care to underserved people from throughout Pakistan’s northern tribal regions. In 1973, he returned to Winnipeg and served in the Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine at the University of Manitoba until his retirement from clinical practice in 1999. His career at the university included a leadership role as Professor and Head of the Department of Surgery from 1985-95. During his tenure at the University of Manitoba he was dedicated to serving patients, mentoring surgical trainees and pioneering important advancements in surgical practice and accountability. In addition, in 1984 he spent a sabbatical year as Visiting Associate Professor in Surgery and Community Health Sciences at the Aga Khan University (Karachi, Pakistan), during which he was instrumental in developing an evidence-based surgical curriculum, informed by a landmark study of the surgical needs throughout Pakistan.

Though his professional accomplishments were many, his family knew that Dad’s true curriculum vitae was indelibly written into the lives of his patients and their families, and the communities he served around the world. We have seen this when retracing some of his paths. A short walk into the hills above Qalandarabad in Hazara District of northwest Pakistan led to an encounter with a subsistence farmer outside his mud-built dwellings, who insisted on serving breakfast and chai to Dr. Blanchard’s relatives, because his son had been cured by Dr. Blanchard decades earlier. In a tiny village north of Abbottabad we encountered the younger generations of a woman who had been paralyzed from the neck down and near death, but had experienced a miraculous recovery from a remarkable surgical procedure by Dad to rebuild a cervical vertebra that had been consumed by tuberculosis. We saw his tireless commitment to serve his patients in Winnipeg and Manitoba; always willing to interrupt whatever he was doing to attend to their needs. We saw how he privately agonized through nights and prayed for wisdom with his most challenging cases, and how he rejoiced when they recovered. Throughout his career, he viewed his role as a solemn responsibility and privilege.

Dad’s life of service was driven by his deep and abiding Christian faith, and he sought throughout his life to follow the teachings and example of Christ. His was not a simple or superficial faith, but one tested and refined by continuous study and contemplation. His wide breadth of knowledge, incisive and curious intellect, and deep wisdom made him a rich source of inspiration and guidance to all who knew him.

His family extends heartfelt gratitude to the physicians who provided him with exceptional care and kindness over the years: Dr. Brian Sharkey, Dr. Evan Orlikow, and Dr. John Rabson.

A funeral service will be held at St. Aidan’s Anglican Church, 274 Campbell Street in Winnipeg, on June 30, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hope Centre Health Care in Winnipeg.

“Born again to a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus.”

1 Peter 1:3

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 06, 2026