It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Victor Blanchette, Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Blanchette was an internationally recognized leader in the area of congenital and acquired bleeding disorders of children, a brilliant, dedicated, gentle person and physician, and a wonderful mentor.

Raised in Barbados, Victor completed his medical degrees at the University of Cambridge and St Bartholomew’s Hospital in the UK. He then pursued subspecialty training in pediatrics at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, followed by a fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology at McMaster University. He was recruited to Ottawa as a faculty member, but ultimately landed in Toronto, where – among other major roles – he became the Director of the Pediatric Comprehensive Care Hemophilia Program at the Hospital for Sick Children, and Chair of the International Prophylaxis Study Group .

Victor was widely recognized for his contributions nationally and internationally, and was thus the recipient of numerous prestigious awards from leading organizations. Among these, he was an elected Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of the UK, and the recipient of the CBR’s Sheldon Naiman & Linda Vickars Professorship.

Most notably, Victor spent much of his energy advocating for improved care for the “have nots” of the world, and in 2018 was awarded the Order of Barbados (Silver Crown of Merit), the country of his birth.

Victor was the model of a wise and caring physician-scientist, who left a legacy in his colleagues, disciples, and the many lives that he improved through his efforts. He will be sorely missed.

Please click here to read a tribute written by several of Victor’s friends and colleagues.