In Memoriam: Dr. Harry Hugh Allen
Dr. Hugh Allen
Hugh was born on a farm in Mitchell's Bay, Ontario, on July 22, 1923, to his parents, James Hilliard and Lorene Mildred (Tew). He also had an older sister, Betty Mae. He worked tirelessly on the farm and in the fields with his father, whom he credited with instilling in him the value of hard work. Hugh aspired to go to university and become a physician. Times were tough, but the family managed to pull together enough for the first year's tuition to send him to Western University. Here, Hugh's dreams began to take shape. He decided to specialize in obstetrics and gynecology (OB/Gyn). It was during his internship in Hamilton that he met the love of his life, Patricia (Pat) Furlong (December 23, 1925 - September 8, 2015). They got married on October 6, 1949. Hugh often spoke with deep gratitude about Pat, who always kept things as steady as possible in a household with five active children.
In his quest for excellence, Pat and Hugh moved with their growing family to Europe for a few years, where he learned new ideas and procedures and furthered his expertise in the OB/Gyn specialty. They moved back to Canada and settled in London, Ontario, where he established his practice and began his illustrious career. In the days before OHIP, starting a practice was challenging. Hugh worked many hours to make ends meet, but he would never send a bill to a cancer patient.
Early in his career, Hugh delivered countless babies. As his practice evolved, he specialized in gynecological cancers and went on to become a world-renowned surgeon in his field. He was highly respected by the medical community, who regularly sought his advice and wise counsel in patient care. Hugh took great joy in mentoring residents, eagerly sharing his knowledge, guiding them through complex problems and learning from them in return. He genuinely enjoyed getting to know each of them as individuals. He greatly valued and felt a sense of kinship with the many outstanding nurses with whom he worked. With his patients, he had a remarkable ability to make each one feel as though they were his only priority. He always gave them his full attention and care. As a result, Hugh earned deep respect and admiration. It was almost inevitable that whenever we were out with him, a grateful patient or colleague would approach him to say hello and thank him for the impact he had on their life.
During his career, Hugh travelled to and lectured in 43 different countries. In the later part of his career, he was part of a team that endeavored to set up a cancer clinic in Yemen. He made many missions there to teach and perform surgery. Hugh was disappointed that the mission concluded in 2008 due to safety concerns. Hugh was awarded many prestigious honours for his clinical teaching and acumen, culminating with The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010 and The Order of Ontario in 2015.
A celebration of Hugh's life will take place on Friday, May 2, 2025, from 3 – 6 p.m., with words of remembrance at 4 p.m. at the London Hunt & Country Club, 1431 Oxford Street West, London.
To read the full obituary, click here.
