In Memoriam - Dr. Robert B. McGan

Robert B. McGan, MD, 89, passed away December 4, 2022, in New Canaan, Connecticut.

Bob was a colleague of mine, our offices being next to each other for many years on Julio Drive in Shrewsbury. I always appreciated his referrals and the discussions that followed. It was a pleasure to practice with him next door. He was a member of the Worcester District Medical Society (WDMS), joining in 1966. Here is an abstract from his obituary:

A native of Albany, NY, he was born April 24, 1933, to Dr. Harold Patrick and Dr. Beatrice (Belser) McGan. He graduated Georgetown University and, in 1956 attended Albany Medical College where he was President of the medical fraternity Nu Sigma Nu. Dr. McGan was born into a family of physicians. His mother, father, and uncle were all doctors and Medicine was the guiding light that truly defined him. His sole goal in life was to help other people.

In 1959, he married Barbara S. Potter, to whom he remained devoted for 61 years until her death in 2020. Shortly after medical school, they relocated to Tacoma, Washington for several years while he was in the Army, stationed at Fort Lewis, and then finally settled in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. Dr. McGan had a private practice for over 30 years after which he joined Fallon Clinic. Over the course of his 50 years as a practicing physician in the Shrewsbury area, he served as the Medical Director of St. Vincent Hospital and the director of several local nursing homes, as well as a longtime member of the Board of Health.

Dr. McGan was a dedicated “country doctor” held in high regard by colleagues, patients and throughout town. He continued to make house calls with his black medical bag in tow, long after the practice had gone out of fashion. Whenever asked what type of doctor he was, he would smile and respond, “A good one”. He loved being a doctor. He saw his role as not just a healer, but as a teacher, and took joy in mentoring younger doctors throughout his career.

After retiring, he continued as a consultant at Massachusetts Disability Determination Services, embarking on a new adventure in his early 70s, retiring at 83.

Dr. McGan was one in a million: a wonderful man, husband, father, grandfather, uncle, friend, and colleague. He was the King of “dad” jokes, the creative designer of Halloween costumes, the elegant waltzer, the master of jigsaw puzzles, and the loudest cheerleader at his daughters’ and grandchildren’s sporting events. He was an accomplished saxophone player, with a beautiful singing voice who, at 89, still remembered fondly his years at Georgetown as a member of the band and the Collegians. He was a devoted Patriots and Red Sox fan and a devout Catholic who loved his family above all things. +

B. Dale Magee, MD