Date of Birth:
Friday, February 20, 1931
Date of Death:
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Age:
80 years old

Dr. James Roy McPherson

Dr. James Roy McPherson – Rochester

Dr. James R. McPherson, age 80, of Rochester died Saturday, April 23, 2011 at St. Marys Hospital. A funeral Mass will be celebrated 10:00AM Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church with the Rev. Msgr. Gerald Mahon officiating.

Born in Winnipeg, Canada, February 20, 1931, to Helen and Donald McPherson, preceded in death by brother Alan and sister Katherine. Survived by his wife of 54 years Elizabeth, children Michael (Pat), Patricia, Catherine, Teresa and Daniel (Lisa), 5 grandchildren, Mark, Ian, Olivia, Sophia and Ethan and his sister, Audra Ryan of Oklahoma City.

Jim attended St. Paul’s College High School where he excelled in sports and academics, being named to all-city, all-star teams in basketball and football, and awarded the Ernie Devlin Trophy for Academics and Athletics two consecutive years.

He received his M.D. degree in 1954 from the University of Manitoba Medical School and was the recipient of the General Practitioners Award for Excellence. While attending medical school, he played professional football for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for five seasons, 1949 through 1953. He was named to the Western Canada All-Star Team in 1952, Liberty Magazine All-Stars in 1953, as well as the Sports Writers All-Star Team, and also played in the Grey Cup.

After two years of family practice in Winnipeg, he entered the Mayo Graduate School in 1956 as a Fellow in Internal Medicine and was a recipient of the Noble Foundation Award for leadership at Mayo’s first awards convocation in 1960, the year of his appointment to the permanent staff of the Mayo Clinic.

Throughout his entire career at Mayo from 1960 to February 1994, he had significant roles in education while continuing his practice of internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. These roles included Vice-Chairman, Department of Internal Medicine; Director of Residency Programs, and Academic Affairs Dean, Mayo Medical School.

He was a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, a member of the American Gastroenterology Association, certified and recertified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, and certified by the Specialty Board in Gastroenterology. He was an Endicott Professor of Medicine and Master of Science Medicine.

At Mayo Foundation, he was the founding chair of Humanities in Medicine Committee, authored 17 medical publications; developed enhanced opportunities for education for residents and interns, including research presentations and with Dr. Anthony Windebank, initiated a program to foster integrity in medical research.

After retirement in 1994, he worked on a part-time basis in Mount Airy, North Carolina, in Industrial medicine. He was an active member of Mayo’s Value’s Review Committee for 10 years and served as its chairman.

Jim was also interested in Paso Fino horses, and was national president of the Paso Fino Horse Association He also enjoyed growing flowers, music, and watercolor painting. He thoroughly enjoyed people he met throughout his life and career, but most of all he loved his wife of 54 years, his 5 children and grandchildren.

Visitation will be held from 5:00PM to 7:00PM on Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home and one hour prior to the services at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to St. John the Evangelist Music Liturgy, the Saint Paul Conservatory of Music (26 E.Exchange St, Suite 500, St. Paul, MN 55101), and to Dr. William Fryda’s Nairobi Mission, in care of American Foundation for Children with Aids, attn. St. Mary’s Mission Hospital desk, 6221 Blue Grass Avenue, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 17112