NB news: Dr. Eilish Cleary passes away
A former chief medical officer of health for New Brunswick died on Friday in Fredericton.
According to an obituary posted on McAdam’s Funeral Home, Dr. Eilish Cleary died of ovarian cancer at age 60. Cleary, who was born in Dublin, Ireland, served as the chief medical officer in New Brunswick for eight years.
Cleary’s obituary states she became the youngest doctor in Ireland at the age of 22 and moved to Canada in 1998. She worked in Manitoba before moving to New Brunswick.
Cleary was dismissed from her position as chief medical officer in 2015, which shocked and angered many New Brunswickers and even sparked a campaign to have her reinstated.
“It’s probably not a bad thing for people to have to go through things like that at times,” Dr. Cleary told CTV News regarding the loss of the position. “It makes us realize we’re all human, and life is tough at times. We have to adapt to the challenges.”
Cleary’s obituary says she enjoyed travel and adventurous water sports. She bought a house in Penniac and built walking trails in the woods behind it.
“Eilish Cleary’s memory will live on in all of those who knew and loved her,” the obituary states.
