Obituary of Jose Vasconcelos

VASCONCELOS: Dr. José Vasconcelos, age 85, passed away peacefully April 22nd, 2016 at Fairview Home, Brandon, Manitoba. José was born October 6th, 1930, in João Pessoa, the state of Paraiba, Brazil, to Aluisio Peres de Vasconcelos and Alice de Castro Vasconcelos. He spent his childhood in Brazil, the youngest of six siblings. From a young age, José held an unbridled passion to preserve life, a passion that led him to become a physician. He graduated from the University of Recifé Faculty of Medicine in December of 1956, receiving his MD. While a resident in Internal Medicine at the Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, he met a nursing student who would become the love of his life. Ruth Audrey Yost and José Altaniro de Castro Vasconcelos were married June 4th, 1960, at the Piney Groves Parsonage in Baltimore, Maryland. His education and training took José and his young wife to Cincinnati, Ohio; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and São Paulo, Brazil. It was there in October of 1962 that daughter, Daphne, was born. José, Ruth, and Daphne immigrated to Canada in 1963. It was while working at Deer Lodge Hospital that, one year prior to completing his degree, José made the decision to switch specialties from internal medicine to psychiatry. He studied psychiatry at the University of Manitoba whilst working at the Selkirk Mental Hospital. While in Selkirk, their first son, Marcus Allan, was born in March of 1965. In 1966, the family moved to Winnipeg where their second son, David Aaron, was born. In 1968, the now-expanded Vasconcelos family moved to Brandon. The family lived in the doctor's residence on the grounds of the Mental Hospital (later known as the Brandon Mental Health Center), and later moved to Queen's Crescent in Brandon, when José entered private practice with the Brandon Clinic. In 1978, a hobby farm in the Brandon Hills became home (Goat Tree farm), allowing Ruth to nurture her love of animals. Although he loved living in the city, José accepted rural life with a commitment to learn, explore, and enjoy - the same positive approach with which he lived every day. José took courses in welding and learned how to drive a tractor and cut wood. He could often be found out in the farmyard planting trees. He became quite the handy-man, fixing almost anything and everything with his tools of choice: a roll of duct tape, and a hot glue gun. He loved to explore and travel; he encouraged his family to do the same. 'Changa', as he was known by his Brazilian family, made many trips home to Brazil. He loved music; he loved to dance. José was a lover of words. He read dictionaries cover to cover and was fluent in 5 languages. No matter where he traveled around the world, he quickly endeared himself to the people who lived there, usually conversing with them in their native tongue. For more than four decades, José served western Manitoba as a psychiatrist, first at the Mental Hospital and then as a founding member of the Brandon Clinic. Thousands of patients, their families, and his coworkers were touched by 'Dr. V's' compassion, knowledge, and loving personality. His training allowed him to diagnose conditions that were not always psychiatric in nature and refer his patients to other specialists. His knowledge and commitment to continued education made him a well-respected and trusted physician. José retired in 2011 at the age of 80. José's genuine love of and care for the people with whom he crossed paths, whether professionally or personally, built a legacy of kindness and wisdom. The sparkle in his eye and his warm smile live in the memory of all who knew him. José was predeceased by his father, Aluisio Peres de Vasconcelos, mother, Alice de Castro Vasconcelos, brothers Aluilcé, Alucé and sisters Aldacy and Alcy. José is survived by his wife Ruth, sons Marcus (Mary) and David (Lisa), daughter Daphne Vasconcelos (Bill Mielke), grandchildren Maximus, Tiana, Lucas and Amanda, his brother Alucidé and many nieces and nephews in Brazil. A Celebration of José's life will be held at Central United Church, 327-8th Street, on Friday, April 29, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. Donations in memory of José may be made to the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba, 4B-457-9th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 4A9 or the Canadian Mental Health Association, 23 12th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 4L6.