Biography:
Dr. Packham was born to Haney and Annie Packham in 1925, and raised on a dairy farm in Caistor Centre, Ontario. He attended a small schoolhouse in Caistor Township for elementary school, and then Smithville District High School for his secondary education.

Dr. Packham enrolled in Queens University, where, during his undergraduate years, he worked at a sanatorium in Kingston, and developed a lasting interest in tuberculosis. He graduated in 1949 with both a Medical Degree, and a Master of Surgery degree. He spent the following year completing an internship at St. Joseph’s Hospital, in Hamilton. Realizing he preferred anesthesiology, Dr. Packham spent a year and a half at the Montreal General Hospital, where he completed post graduate work in anesthesiology.

In 1952, Dr. Packham came to Chatham to take over the practice of Dr. A. Stewart. He worked full time administering anesthesia at both the Public General Hospital, and St. Joseph’s Hospital. Dr. Packham served as the secretary of the Kent County Medical Society from 1961 to 1964. He was a delegate to the Council of the Ontario Medical Association, and was the Chief of Staff at the Public General Hospital. He was also on the Chatham Board of Education from 1960 to 1963.

Dr. Packham was very involved in the Kent County Tuberculosis Association. In addition to serving as the association’s president for a period, he, along with his first wife Barbara, did Tuberculin testing at area high schools. Dr. Packham was also a Charter Member of the Chatham-Kent Crime Stoppers, and was the founder and Charter President of Wildwood (Rondeau) Leaseholders Association

Dr. Packham was one of the founders of the ‘Anesthesiology Association.’ In this association, Dr. Packham and fellow anesthesiologists Dr. Jack Perry, Dr. Henry Peco, and Dr. Bill Reid, united to bring all of the anesthesiology bookings into one office. Prior to the development of this association, Dr. Packham recalls that the wives of the anesthesiologists acted as ‘booking agents,’ taking calls from surgeons who needed to schedule surgeries.

After retiring from anesthesiology in 1985, Dr. Packham worked as the plant physician at International Harvester for four and a half years. He then spent a year as the Kent County Medical Officer of Health. Dr. Packham concluded his medical career by spending four and a half years as an officer on the Worker’s Compensation Board.

In his spare time, Dr. Packham enjoyed working on needlepoints and gardening. Dr Packham began needlepointing over 40 years ago, as it was a good way to “keep his fingers nimble”. He had three children: William, Carolyn, and Diane, and was married to Ann Baxter. Dr. Packham passed away February 27, 2009.