Biography:
Dr. Rees was born at the Toronto Public General Hospital to Marjorie Rees. He attended Weston Public School and Weston Collegiate Institute for elementary and high school. As a teenager, Dr. Rees worked at the Weston Golf and Curling Club as both a caddy, and a groundskeeper.

Dr. Rees graduated from University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine in 1951, and in 1952 he completed an internship at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Toronto. That same year, he began his medical career as a general practitioner in Palmerston, Ontario, where he joined the practice of Dr. John Riddell.

Dr. Rees moved to Chatham-Kent when he learned, through a travelling drug representative, that the Blenheim practice of Dr. Pickering was for sale. Dr. Rees purchased the practice, and moved to Blenheim in 1956. He continued to serve the Blenheim area as a family physician for forty years, until his retirement on March 12, 1996.

Dr. Rees’ vision of supporting his community was realized by the creation of the Dr. Howard J. Rees Foundation in 1992. The foundation was established to support the arts, health, and education in the Blenheim area. Since its inception, the foundation has provided academic scholarships, assisted in the expansion of the Gable Rees Rotary Pool, and made it possible for school-aged children to receive swimming lessons.

In 1994, Dr. Rees was awarded a Lifetime Membership in the Ontario Medical Association. Dr. Rees was also recognized with the Glen Sawyer Service award for his many years of dedication to the community and his profession in 2002.

Dr. Rees died February 9th, 2010.