FORMER QUEEN’S ANATOMY PROFESSOR DR. JOHN V. BASMAJIAN DEAD AT 86
By Jordan Press
The Kingston Whig-Standard
y.aspx?e=955202
March 24 2008
Canada
The music flowed from the basement. Then it came from the living room.
The works of the old masters – Bach, Beethoven and Mendelssohn –
filled the home of the Basmajian family courtesy of the young musicians
practising away. The notes took over the house and no one escaped it
except Dr. John V. Basmajian.
He lay on the couch most days focused on writing his latest research
paper or medical textbook.
Basmajian, who died last week at the age of 86, wrote plenty: More
than two dozen books and almost 400 research papers, many of which
were done during his time as head of anatomy at Queen’s University
in the late 1950s and 1960s.
His research was seen as revolutionary, but he also left an impact
locally after serving on the local school board and on the board of
governors for St. Lawrence College.
"He never wasted a moment. He never wasted a bit of time," said his
wife, Dora, from the couple’s Burlington home.
"We’re going to miss him a great deal."
Basmajian was born to Armenian parents in 1921 in Istanbul. It was
three years after the end of the First World War and six years removed
from the Armenian genocide, which took the lives of 1.5 million people.
His parents, Myran and Miriam, had both been married once before.
Myran lost his wife and children to the genocide, Miriam her first
husband and children.
So when Basmajian entered the world, he was "very precious" to his
parents, Dora said. They decided to leave Turkey, fearing tragedy
would revisit them if they stayed.
They boarded a boat and left Turkey, bribing their way aboard, and
then tried to enter France. Their papers didn’t allow them to gain
entry, however, and they sailed to Canada.
The family suffered through the depression as Basmajian grew up in
Brantford. Despite the financial hardships of the time, "they always
thought they were lucky for being safe," Dora said.
When the family moved to Toronto, Basmajian enrolled at the University
of Toronto and started working toward a medical degree. He worked
his way through school and earned his degree with honours in 1945.
While he was an intern at Toronto General Hospital, he met Dora,
who was a nurse. It was his last name that she first picked up on
and she asked him about it. He became a little defensive, but she
had his attention and the two began talking.
"I’ve been getting his attention about it ever since," Dora said with
a laugh. The couple was married for 60 years.
In 1957, Basmajian moved to Queen’s and became head of the anatomy
department, where he served for 12 years.
It was during this time that he sat through countless musical recitals
and school board meetings. His booming voice filled a room and he
enjoyed the spotlight that came with making decisions, but he enjoyed
the decision-making even more.
"It was natural to him," Dora said.
"He considered his co-workers and students as very special, as family."
His time in Kingston included lots of family time, specifically music
recitals on a regular basis.
He returned to Kingston in 1999 to receive an honorary doctor of
law degree from Queen’s. The degree highlighted his work in anatomy
and rehabilitation medicine, work that has influenced a generation
of doctors.
The family is planning a gathering to remember the man later this
spring. The family asks anyone wishing to make a donation in his
memory to consider the Kidney Foundation of Canada or the Alzheimer’s
Society of Canada.