Mats Thölin

THÖLIN, Mats Gustaf
1947 – 2018

Dr. Mats Thölin died peacefully at home in Vancouver on July 13, 2018, a year after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Mats was born in Lund, Sweden on May 25, 1947. His father, Carl Gustaf, was a Lutheran minister and his mother, Sonja, a nurse. As a young boy he was influenced by living for several years in post-war Germany where his parents were helping refugees. Adventure continued as a teenager when he travelled across the USSR on the Trans-Siberian Railway to spend the summer with a Japanese family, and subsequently another summer was spent in Mexico with his sister Eva.

Mats attended medical school in Lund and this was combined with his military service, so that in 1973 he received both his MD and the rank of Lieutenant in the Swedish navy. He went on to achieve his specialist degree in Anesthesia and Intensive Care at the University of Gothenburg in 1977. Not long after, he decided to come and work at Vancouver General Hospital for a year but enjoyed Vancouver so much that he stayed for the rest of his life. He married Harriet Johansson in 1983; their son Marcus was born in 1986 and their daughter Anna in 1987.

Mats spent 37 years at VGH, and from the very beginning he was highly regarded by the people with whom he worked. Not only was he a superb physician, but he provided support to all those around him, particularly when the going got rough.

He loved his work, especially when he was in the Cardiac Surgery ICU, where he was the Medical Director for many years.

A Royal College of Physicians of Canada examiner for five years, he also took great satisfaction from teaching always keeping it practical and interesting.

Mats had a unique influence on his friends and colleagues at work and he used that influence to ensure that the VGH/UBCH Department of Anesthesia operated efficiently and fairly, while providing the highest possible level of care. Few people have contributed as much.

In his private life he was devoted to his family. His other interests were eclectic, and often tended towards the adventurous. As a young man in Sweden he liked to go skiing above the Arctic Circle. Later, diving, hunting and boating were all pursued with his customary zeal. Boating for Mats did not mean cruising the Gulf Islands, it meant heading for the Queen Charlotte Strait in his beloved “Annabelle”.

With Harriet, he travelled all over the world, often with a penchant for the wilderness. Many countries were visited and there were close encounters with most species of large wild animal on land and sea.

In British Columbia the family had a second home on Hardy Island, solidly built by his friends there, just the way he wanted it. Double strength, double thickness, no half measures - this is how Mats liked to do things.

He believed strongly in community participation and his contributions were numerous.

Mats was passionate about sports and for many years he was the sports editor for the local Swedish Press, taking delight in interviewing sports celebrities when they were in town.

The Wallenberg Sugihara Civil Courage Society was another organization that Mats enthusiastically supported. This Society annually presents their ‘Civil Courage Award’ to honor an individual in British Columbia, who at great personal risk made extraordinary efforts to help others by standing up against injustice. Mats felt privileged to be part of the selection process.

In False Creek where he lived since 1980 he was heavily involved with the False Creek Neighborhood Society and his most recent achievement, of which he was very proud, was the successful redesign of bicycle and pedestrian lanes along the False Creek waterfront.

Mats was a loyal and congenial friend; a charismatic personality and much admired. Honest and direct, he always stood up for what he believed was right.

He was an unpretentious man and his favorite place was Hardy Island. There, surrounded by spectacular scenery, he liked to reflect on how fortunate he had been in life, a life he enjoyed immensely.

Mats will be deeply missed by his wife Harriet, son Marcus (Vanessa), daughter Anna, sister Eva Von Oelreich, her sons Jacob and Carl, and his many friends.

The family wish to thank the staff of the BCCA and Dr. Randell Moore who provided Mats with excellent care.

There will be an Occasion To Remember Mats on Sunday, August 26 at 11:00 a.m. in the Stanley Park Pavilion; all who wish to attend will be very welcome.

In lieu of flowers please consider a contribution to a charity of your choice.