Dr. Alan Roxburgh Robertson, MD MRCPsych (London) May 11th, 1932 – October 24th, 2023.
It is with great sadness that we announce that Alan Robertson passed away peacefully on October 24th, 2023, after a short illness. He is survived by his wife Rona and daughters, Susan MacPherson (Bruce), Elizabeth (Jerome) and Lynne (Brett) who were by his side in the final days.
Alan was born in Larbert, Scotland and grew up in Lennextown where Alan and his twin brother Kenneth sang in the famous Kirkintilloch children’s choir. The choir was very much a family to Alan and in those formative years it instilled in him a deep love of music which lasted his lifetime. He studied medicine at Glasgow University where he met Rona, who was also studying medicine. Shortly after their marriage in 1959 they moved to Canada to start a new life with their three young girls. During his career as a psychiatrist Alan served as director of the Saint John Mental Health Clinic and then medical director of CentraCare Hospital. He was the first forensic psychiatrist in New Brunswick, serving on several boards and committees. He continued to work into his 70’s in private practice and these years were some of the happiest of his career.
Alan had a deeply fulfilling life together with his wife Rona, enjoying their shared sources of happiness; classical music, golf, gardening, reading and travel. Alan shared freely his love, wisdom, and quirky sense of humor with his grandchildren, Ryan, Sarah, Alex, Andrew, Emma, Meagan, Kate, and his two great grandchildren, Elle and AnnaLynne, all of whom will remember him always, and miss him greatly.
Alan’s family would like to thank Dr Brian Reid as well as the nursing and support staff at the Oromocto Hospital for their exceptional care.
A private celebration of Alan’s life will be held by the family. He will be dearly missed, and forever loved.
Poetry by Robbie Burns was often quoted by Alan and resonated with his life philosophy and experience. Alan would have wanted all of us to not take life’s gifts for granted and live in the moment with great energy and love.
"But pleasures are like poppies spread,
You seize the flower, it’s bloom is shed.
Or, like the snow-fall in the river,
A moment white, then melts forever."
- Robert Burns