Loved and respected by those who met and worked with him, David passed away at the Vancouver General Hospital on July 10. David was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on April 7, 1928 where he lived with his parents, Alexander and Roberta Bolton and his two brothers, John and Sandy where the three boys attended Heriot’s School. At the age of 20 David graduated from Edinburgh University with a BSc in Forestry. From his early boyhood David was fascinated with the information he had collected and the books he had read about Canada and although his heart was always in Scotland he resolved to emigrate. He was offered a position with a Canadian Company called Price Brothers in the province of Quebec. He had no idea that French was a required language. Being a doughty Scot he obtained recordings and immersed himself in the language and learned to speak with a particularly good accent. After five years as a forest engineer new life challenges beckoned. He had long had an abiding interest in medicine and applied for, and was accepted into, Premed and then Medical School at Laval University where he graduated with honours. Not long after graduation he was exposed to the beauties and temperate climate of British Columbia and moved with his family (his wife, nee Suzanne Langlois) and his two children, Brian and Carol, to Vancouver where Michelle was born. David enjoyed six very busy years in General Practice before taking a break to travel with his family. His career change took him to Philadelphia and employment by Merck & Co. where he had editorial responsibilities in the publication of the Merck Manual. Once again his comfort level was in Canada and he returned to Vancouver where he became Executive Secretary to the British Columbia Medical Association. The BC Ministry of Health invited him to take a position in Victoria as Senior Medical Advisor to the Ministry. He went on to become Chair of the Medical Services Commission. He was frequently asked to take on other medical responsibilities and in 1990 prepared a response to the Royal Commission of Health Care and Costs for the BCMA. He also served as Director of Corporate Affairs with the BC Bio-Medical Laboratory. In 1994 in respect of his dedication and capabilities he was elevated to Senior Membership in the Canadian Medical Association and in 2000 was awarded the most prestigious honour of the BCMA, the Silver Medal of Service. Since living on Salt Spring Island with his wife, Phyllis (nee Wakelyn), David has taken part in many community activities, most notably the Greenwoods Eldercare Society and the Greenwoods Foundation. David has been described as being kind, sensitive, passionate, a sage advisor and a fine “scrapper,” but was always respectful to and of others. David has been predeceased by his brother John and is survived by his brother Sandy (Joyce) Bolton in Edinburgh. He will be forever loved and missed by Phyllis, married in 1980, his children Brian (Julie) Bolton, Carol (Wayne) Olafson, Michelle (Craig) Bentley and grandchildren Nathan, Ryan, Jori, Kyle, Cara, Jesse and Darius. His passing will be mourned by many other relatives and friends as well as his step-children Robert (Linda) Whittome, John (Catherine) Whittome, Jimmy and Janet Whittome and grandchildren Robert, Graeme, Melanie, Kathleen, Emily and Sophie.
A service for David will be held at 2pm on July 24 at All Saints Anglican Church in Ganges on Salt Spring Island and all are invited to a Scots celebration of David’s life at 121 Teal Place following the service. Very much appreciated by him would be donations to the Greenwoods Foundation c/o The Greenwoods Eldercare Society, 133 Blain Road, Salt Spring Island, BC, V8K 1Z9.