POINTE CLAIRE — John Bray was more than a doctor. To his patients, he was a confidant and a friend.
The West Island ob-gyn delivered babies at the Lakeshore General Hospital for over three decades. Throughout the years, he came to be regarded as one of the best.
“I used to drive from Ottawa to see him,” said Chantal L’Italien, who was Bray’s patient for 17 years. “We moved to Ottawa and I kept seeing him once a year.”
A caring man and a compassionate doctor, Bray earned the admiration of patients and colleagues alike.
“What can I say, just incredible,” said Dr. Jane Nayar, a West Island family physician. “Always professional, but compassionate. Extremely, extremely well educated. He was just an amazing man.”
READ MORE: West Island mourns a beloved doctor
Across the street from the hospital, Dr. Bray’s office door is now shut. A small note instructs patients on how to recover their medical files, but they say replacing doctor bray will simply be impossible.
“I don’t know what we’re gonna do,” said Jody Claridge, a long-time patient. “There will never be another doctor like him. There will never be another Dr. Bray, ever.”
Saturday morning, hundreds came together at Cedar Park United Church in Pointe-Claire to mourn the loss of a man who meant so much to so many.
“I felt a real sense of unity and family,” said Sylvie Larocque, who was one of Bray’s first patients. “He just made everybody feel like part of his great big extended family, so, it was beautiful. The church was full, and I didn’t expect anything less.”
Beyond his profession, Bray was a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend. He leaves behind not only his loved ones, but a legacy that won’t soon be forgotten.
WATCH BELOW: Many west islanders come out to pay their last respects to the community leader who delivered and cared for children over the last 39 years.
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