John Gillespie

I knew Jack for many years at both the Holy Cross and Rockyview Hospitals. We often had coffee together in the doctor’s lounge. Lots of great memories . I also got to see Jack recently at the old docs coffee morning. We will miss him

Dear Ann and family,

May you have only happy memories of your beloved Jack.

Warmly,

Betty Sherwood

Asli Yilmaz

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Jack will be very much missed. His warm presence was part of RGH Pathology even after his retirement. We cherished his routine visits and beautiful photos he took that marks the memories in the department. My deepest condolences.

Asli

Dear Ann and family:

My deepest sympathy on Jack's passing. He was a valued colleague and I enjoyed our numerous discussions on a number of important life topics. I will always cherish the beautiful photos he took the time to share with me. After Jack retired he remained a part of the Rockyview General Hospital Pathology Department. We enjoyed his Thursday morning visits and could count on his steady hands behind the camera to mark the special moments in the life of the department.

Doreen Paslawski

I was so saddened to hear of Jack's passing. He was one of the most welcoming colleagues I have had in my profession. He always had a good word to say, and an amusing anecdote to add. One occasion that I shall always remember is a round of golf we shared at the Banff Springs course in 2004 at the time of the annual pathology course. Jack was already affected by his back problems, but could hit the ball quite consistently, if not too far down the fairway. Then, on the elevated 10th tee, he wound up and with the flair that would befit a scratch golfer, drove a 200 yarder smack down the middle - the best shot of the day amongst the foursome. We regularly reminisced about that shot when we bumped into each other. Jack will be surely missed by all. My heartfelt condolences.

Vince.

Jack was a friendly, warm and thoughtful colleague whom we already miss. He set a standard for how we all hope to be remembered by colleagues. I hope the fond memories that many of us have of Jack will help you to overcome the pain of his loss.

Leland Baskin

I was reflecting recently that I had not seen Jack for a while at the Thursday evening (CLS) rounds.

I have known Jack for about 19 years since we moved to Calgary. He always had something funny to say and also took time to recount his experiences related to our topic of conversation.

His inquisitiveness and interest in medical and scientific topics was impressive.

I wish to convey my deepest sympathies to Jack's family at this difficult time.

-Ranjit

I was deeply saddened by Dr. Jack Wootliff departure. He was one of my remarkable pathology teachers/mentors. He loved his work and he was kind to people he worked with. He was a gentle soul and had a keen ability to listen. He will be missed by many fellow pathologists who still fondly remember sharing cases/conversations and comradery with him.

My sincere condolences to Dr. Wootliff's Family;

Iwona Auer

Greatest sympathies are extended to the entire Wootliff family on behalf of the Larsen family. My father knew Jack as a colleague long before I did, and I had the pleasure of working with Dr Wootliff for many years. He was always a great story teller and we enjoyed the fact that he kept in touch with us all after retirement. My entire family passes along their condolences.

Ave atque vale Jack!

The first time I met Jack was at my job interview at the Rockyview Hospital twenty years ago. Sensing my unease and anxiety, at one point Jack brushed lightly with his hand over my shoulder and said "You don't have a chip on your shoulder, take it easy", immediately relaxing me. This is something that I have never forgotten and it speaks about Jack's compassion and who he was as a human being, having an instant power to sense and relate to the soul and the mindset or whoever was across from him.

Jack was a gentle soul, hiding behind his serious facade. Jack was a gentleman, a true and unique character, a great listener and conversationalist. Jack also knew everybody - and everybody knew Jack, in a sense being the face of the lab in the hospital. He had a great sense of humor. I am smiling just thinking about the stories he had when he was a doctor in charge of the lab testing during the Calgary Olympics in 1988...as he was also certifying the gender of the athletes competing there!

Jack loved photography and had an eye for the beauty. He would share his photos of nature, or simply anything exquisite he captured, after his retirement, opening his mails with "Good morning Sire"!

Jack regularly visited the Rockyview Hospital and his old department after he was retired, and we felt that Jack always remained part of his "work family". We will miss him and will remember him warmly!

Good buy Jack - fare well Sire, may you rest in peace and surrounded by beauty!

I am saddened to hear of Jack’s passing. He and I first met when I moved to Calgary in 2005. He was nearing the end of his active pathology career by that time. I got to know him better in his years after retirement, as he attended many Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine continuing medical education events and Calgary History of Medicine Society meetings in which I was involved. It was also entertaining to talk to him. I will miss his great sense of humor. I offer my condolences to his family.

Jim Wright

Dear Peter and Anton,

I am so sorry to hear this.

I did not get to know your dad until I started meeting with the old docs on Thursdays. I always enjoyed his company, admired his intellect and wondered at the profound thought he extolled on many occasions. We kindred spirits of his past and vintage will miss him.

My condolence to you and all his family,

Warren Hindle MD

As a trainee under Jack, I was touched by his kindness and his willingness to include me as part of the team. He had a vast knowledge of much subject matter and was an animated storyteller. He will be missed. My condolences to his family. Shaun Medlicott

I think back to the many years I worked with Jack at the Rockyview. We had lunch together every day and we curled together on Sundays. We were a small tight knit group at the Rockyview, and I am grateful to have had Jack play such a big role in my career. My condolences to Ann and the boys and the whole extended family for your loss.

Steve Rasmussen

Ann and Family:

A loved one's passing is never easy. Today and always may sweet memories of Jack bring you strength, comfort and peace.

With Deepest Sympathy,

Paula Janes (nee Sebastian)

Ann and Family our sincerest condolences for your loss.

I've worked worked with Jack for over 30 years and got to know him well. Enjoyed his sense of humour. We transitioned with the Lab scene several times and I know it was hard for him when the Holy Cross closed. Nevertheless he became part of the Rockyview and enjoyed his time with us. He was always concerned for the well being of all he worked with. In these later years after retirement he would appear in the department to "check-in" and "check up" on his former colleagues.

We will all miss Jack as a friend and colleague.

Allan (and Sharon)

I was deeply saddened to hear of Jack's passing and do wish to express my condolences to his family. I knew Jack from the Rockyview General hospital for all the years he worked there, spending time discussing the myriad medical problems endemic to a city hospital. His medical knowledge was vast, only exceeded by his knowledge of literature and human nature. Funny haircut and goofy smile would always cheer me up making bumping into him in the corridors or doctor's lounge a real pleasure.

We did communicate by email and text for a while but as time passed and I left the hospital our friendship became less close. I will miss his abstruse/oblique quotations and sometimes puzzling turn of words when he expressed his ideas which, when considered again, just showed his skill at language and deep intellect.

I respected Jack immensely and will continue to have fond memories of our conversations.

Eugene ADAMIAK

Dear Ann and family.

My sincerest condolences in the loss of your loved one Jack

Leona Sebastian

I fondly remember my first meeting with Jack when I was hired to work in AP at the Holy Cross Hospital. I learned a great deal from Jack and always enjoyed his dry sense of humor. I worked with Jack and others during the Olympics in the testing of the athletes and enjoyed the challenges he requested of all in the lab who worked with him.

Our love of photography would find us at times discussing nature shots instead of doing our work.

Jack was there to visit when both my children were born at the Holy and he relished telling me how much I would enjoy the highs and lows of being a new father.

Anne please accept my deepest condolences at your loss, he will be missed but never forgotten.

Peter Renault

He was always trying to get me to send him a list of my family on a tree. He was the first person to inform me of my family in Russia my great grandfather and grandmother. I only saw him once after he went to Canada that was when he went to a memorial dinner in Manchester and broke his flight and stayed overnight in Amsterdam I went from Antwerp to spend the evening with him we dined and drank super red wine and some and reminisced about Leeds UK where we were born. Jack was my senior by a couple of years. I shall miss our telephone conversations. May he rest in peace.

His cousin Stanley

We all just needed a few days to start processing before letting everyone know. Last night when my brother Peter and I reviewed the obituary on the funeral site it really hit us.

These are especially hard times for everyone right now. Especially hard for my family in that we cannot even travel back to Canada to help support my mom. Thankfully my brother Peter is there with her in Calgary. I am certainly sensitive to what other families are going through around the world.

I have very fond memories of my dad being one that enjoyed the outdoors. Taking our family out for regular outings to cross country ski, downhill ski, and even earlier than that being pulled in toboggans to sample maple syrup poured over shaved ice in Ontario.

He was a strong man who enjoyed a strong hug. There was no question you knew you were sincerely loved.

I remember looking forward to making surprise visits of him in the pathology lab of the various hospitals he work in. In one particular visit at the Holy Cross Hospital, I remember him leaned over one of his new Leica Microscope's taking pictures of a slide with a built in camera. Photography would become dad's passion either inside or outside of the lab. He loved taking pictures in the Rocky Mountains... especially of flowers and wildlife.

On another occasion when I visited the lab, a maintenance worker came in and asked for dad's advice on a personal matter. It didn't matter who you were, dad was always approachable and would treat you with the greatest dignity and respect. This was a formative life lesson for me. That was how dad taught lessons. He would lead by example. Later in life, I had the pleasure of having deeper conversations with dad on life in general, philosophy, photography and managing people, which I will sincerely miss.

As for passing away on April 1st, I think that was dad's way of having the last laugh. He would never miss an opportunity to play a joke on someone and find levity in any situation. If there ever could have been another brother to Groucho Marx, it would have been dad.

For those of you that had the pleasure of knowing dad, I encourage you to share those happy memories on his "In Memory of" site.

We all love you dad. Safe travels.