Philip John Leahy

1921 - 2022  (100 years)

• Name	Philip John Leahy
  Born	23 Aug 1921	Lakefield, , Ontario, Canada   [1]
  Gender	Male
  Military	WW1 - RCAF
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-226298
  Died	17 Jun 2022  [1]
  Buried	Sacred Heart Parish Cemetery, Teeswater, Culross Twp., Bruce Co., Ontario, Canada   [1]
  Person ID	I226298	Generations
  Last Modified	7 Nov 2024

  
  

  Family	Theresa Anne Walsh,   b. 1930,   d. 21 Apr 2005, Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age 75 years)
  Last Modified	12 Nov 2024
  Family ID	F61759	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Lifetimes: Family, music, the outdoors enriched a long medical career By Valerie Hill Special to the Record Philip Leahy was one of nine boys born to Agnes and Frank Leahy, an Irish Catholic farming couple in Lakefield, Ont. There were so many males in her sphere that Agnes had the schoolteacher board with them, "just so she would have another woman in the house," said Philip's daughter, Paula Leahy. It was a lively household, filled with traditional Celtic fiddle music, as all nine boys learned to play. There were family concerts at local venues and Sunday kitchen parties. Philip had considered a career in music, but his mother discouraged the idea, given the unpredictable nature of the profession. Philip was born Aug. 23, 1921, and after high school he completed a one-year teaching certification program. His first job was in nearby Apsley. Philip joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1942. Philip served his term as a radar operator on the Pacific coast, part of that in a posting at the infamous Spider Island. The remote and rocky outpost, about 400 kilometres northwest of Vancouver, was established as a radar early-warning station in case of Japanese attack. Conditions were harsh, with extreme isolation, high winds, cold and snow dampening the work effort. At the end of the Second World War, Philip returned to civilian life and took advantage of a government program funding post-secondary education for veterans. He considered medicine but Paula said her dad was unsure of himself. "He was afraid to become a doctor, that it was way beyond him," she said. "He was a farm boy and nobody in his family had any education." Despite those worries, Philip graduated with a medical degree from the University of Toronto in 1952 and opened a practice in Teeswater, a small town in the heart of Bruce County He learned about Bruce County's rich agricultural history in grade school, Paula said. After university, he was touring around the area and stopped at a Teeswater pharmacy to inquire whether there was a local doctor. There was, but he was elderly and didn't hold regular clinic hours. The seed was planted. These were the days before OHIP, noted son Frank Leahy. "It was all cash. "He set up a practice with zero money - he was just married." Philip had met Theresa Walsh, a schoolteacher in Toronto, while in university. They married in 1953. The couple raised six children in Teeswater \emdash Frank, Brenda, Betty Ann, Marilyn, Mike and Paula. With his practice thriving, in 1971 Philip bought a vacation property \emdash a hobby farm outside town that is still in the family. When he was on the farm, "we couldn't get him to come inside," Paula said. There were places to wander on the land, fences to fix, always with his beloved cocker spaniel at his side. Philip installed a tennis court and a lawn bowling pitch on the farm. He took up woodworking as well as handcrafting several violins. In his spare time, he wrote poetry and music. "He was a very active person," said Paula. After running a full-time practice along with daily hospital rounds for 27 years, Philip was growing weary. He tried without success to attract another doctor to join his practice. Offered a 9-to-5 job as company physician for Canada Life in Toronto, Philip and Theresa made the tough decision to leave Teeswater, though they kept the farm, which was the gathering place for the family. In 1986, when he was 65, Philip retired from the insurance company and the couple relocated to Waterloo, where he occasionally filled in for other doctors as a locum. He also got involved in his new community as a volunteer. Philip was interested in theology and philosophy, interests he shared with his children and grandchildren. He wanted them all to think for themselves, to question. "I learned so much from him about life and perspective," said grandson and namesake Phil Leahy, born on his grandfather's 74th birthday. "He gave me confidence." Above all, young Phil learned the importance of being kind to people, making everyone feel important. The elder Phil taught his family five critical points for a happy life: the importance of God, family, education, sports and music, Frank said. Theresa died of brain cancer in 2005. Philip eventually started enjoying life again with a companion, Isabel Almudevar. They lived in their own homes, around the corner from each other. At nearly 101 years old, Philip died June 17 of COVID-19. Valerie Hill is a former Record reporter. She can be reached at vmhill296@gmail.com. "Lifetimes: Family, Music, The Outdoors Enriched A Long Medical Career". 2022. Therecord.Com. https://www.therecord.com/life/2022/07/04/lifetimes-family-music-the-outdoors-enriched-a-long-medical-career.html.

  
  

• Sources

  [S3231] Find A Grave, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/240826061.

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 23 Aug 1921 - Lakefield, , Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth