Dr. Elizabeth Perera
Dr. Elizabeth Perera
It is with great sadness that we share the news of Dr. Elizabeth Perera’s passing. She was an outstanding clinician, friend to many, and unwavering supporter in the Department of Anesthesia.
Dr. Perera began her medical career as an anesthesia fellow first in Kingston and then at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto. She went on to become a staff member in the Department of Anesthesia at Mt. Sinai Hospital and spent her entire professional career there until her retirement in 2005 at the age of 69. She had a particular interest in thoracic anesthesia at the time when a large portion of the city’s thoracic surgery was performed at Mt. Sinai. Her department was among the first to use epidural anesthesia for the relief of post-thoracotomy pain. In 1987, she and Dr. Joseph Mallon coauthored a paper describing their experience in 86 procedures on the trachea and bronchi. She was an outstanding clinician both in the operating room and on the obstetrical floor. Dr. Perera was a very highly regarded clinical educator and helped to train an entire generation of medical students, residents and fellows under her watchful eye. She co-wrote the chapter on Mt. Sinai Hospital in the book, A Commemorative History of the Department of Anaesthesia, University of Toronto. Her love of anesthesia extended well past her retirement from clinical duties, and she was a regular supporter of university departmental events such as the Mendelson and Relle Lectures and Shields Day up until just a few years ago.
Dr. Perera was one of the most gracious and welcoming staff members in our University’s Department of Anesthesia. The Pereras regularly opened their lovely home to countless anesthesia residents and fellows and made many loyal and lifelong friends from around the globe. She could always be relied on to know who among the old anesthesia staff was doing what, as she alone remained in contact with all of her colleagues after retirement. She was an inspiration and a role model to all of us who knew and loved her. She made an indelible impression on everyone she met. She will be missed by all who knew her.
A private cremation service has taken place. A celebration of Dr. Perera’s life will be held at a funeral mass at St. Basil’s Catholic Church, 50 St. Joseph Street at Bay, at 10 am, Wednesday, April 10, 2019.
In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation in her memory would be appreciated. We extend our sincere sympathies to her husband, Dr. Norbert Perera and other family members.