Crowe, John M.
By Canton CitizenJohn M. Crowe, MD, a man of wisdom, caring, and dedication to others, passed away peacefully on September 15 at the age of 91.
Born in Orange, New Jersey, to Charles and Mary (Hughes) Crowe, John grew up in a close-knit family with two brothers and a sister. He attended high school in Montclair, NJ, and graduated from Dartmouth College in 1954 where he was pre-med and rowed varsity crew. John completed Dartmouth Medical School’s two-year program and earned his MD at Harvard Medical School in 1957. He trained as a general surgeon at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston and served two years as a captain in the Air Force in New York and Virginia.
From 1965 through 2002, John had a long and distinguished career in general surgery at Park Surgical Associates in Stoughton and as chief of surgery at Goddard Memorial Hospital and at Cardinal Cushing Hospital, now Good Samaritan Medical Center.
Beyond his duties as surgeon, John was a prolific volunteer. A loyal alumnus, he interviewed Dartmouth applicants for many years. He taught surgery at Harvard and Tufts medical schools, and he served on multiple committees and boards throughout his career and deep into his 80s. He was active in the American College of Surgeons, served on the board of the Massachusetts Medical Society, chaired the Massachusetts Medical Society’s Charitable and Educational Fund, the Massachusetts Medical Society & Alliance Charitable Foundation, served on the Council of the Massachusetts Medical Benevolent Society, and on the board of a medical insurance company and as a trustee of a local hospital.
John’s deepest joy in life was his family. He married his high school sweetheart and the love of his life, Joan Rutty, in 1955. By the time they were 30 years old, they had a full household of three boys and two girls in Jamaica Plain. In 1969 they moved to Canton, where they lived in the same house for the next 51 years, making deep friendships and transforming John into a hardcore Red Sox and Patriots fan. In 1966, he and Joan bought an old hunting lodge on Kezar Lake in Lovell, Maine, and created a magical spot for family gatherings. Kezar Lake was truly John’s place of relaxation and contentment, all the way through the end of his days. Amidst failing health in the final summer of 2023, he insisted on being with his family at Kezar Lake.
Throughout life, John was exceptionally hardworking, with a deep commitment to family, medicine and his patients, always acting with integrity. He is survived by his beloved wife, Joan, his sister, June Croonquist (George), his children, Jeff (Amy), Betsy (John), Bob (Olga), Susan (Alex) and Andy (Carol), 11 grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. His memory will forever live on in their hearts.
A memorial service to celebrate John’s life will be held next summer in Lovell, Maine. In lieu of sending flowers, friends may make donations to the Massachusetts Medical Society Charitable and Educational Fund or to the Kezar Lake Watershed Association.
Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=119384
Posted by Canton Citizen
on Oct 26 2023. Filed under Obituaries.
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