Dr. Joe Woo, July 23, 1945 – Oct 28, 2023

It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of Dr. Joe Woo.   Dr. Woo was one of the first graduates of our anesthesia residency program at McMaster and he practiced in Hamilton for 38 years. 

Dr. Joseph “Joe” Woo passed away on October 28, 2023 in Hamilton, Ontario at the age of 78.  Joe is survived by his loving spouse, Edith, their two daughters, Grace and Gloria.  He was also the grandfather of three grandchildren, Kirra, Isaac and Asher.  He is also survived by his brother Dominic and sister Winnie.

Joe was a treasured, iconic and legendary anesthesiologist who was amongst the very first graduates from the McMaster Anesthesia Residency Program.  He was born in Hong Kong, obtained his undergraduate medical training at the University of Glasgow, in Scotland.  He served as an intern at Larkfield Hospital in Greenock UK, at the Western Infirmary, and at Southern General, Hospital.  He did his anesthesia training at McMaster, obtaining his FRCPC in 1979. Joe worked at Chedoke-McMaster Hospitals from 1978 to 1997 and at St. Joseph’s Hospital from 1997 to 2016.  He retired in August 2016 after 38 years of practice in Hamilton.  During his career he held leadership positions in the hospital and was the Chief of the Acute Pain Service and Deputy Chief of the Department of Anesthesia at Chedoke-McMaster in the mid-1990s.

He was a founding member of the Acute Pain Service at Chedoke-McMaster Hospitals in 1988 and this service is recognized as one of the first of its type in the Country.  He practiced the full spectrum of anesthesia and he described his practice in 1985 as “over 80% of my clinical time is involved in the administration of anesthesia in the operating room. The case load varies from under 500 gram neonates to geriatric, cardiac and respiratory cripples. The remainder of my time is spent in Labour & Delivery to manage pain relief for the parturient.”  Joe also managed patients with chronic pain. Joe really liked to work and he worked hard.  I first met Joe when I was a resident in the program and I remember hearing how he would locum at other hospitals when he was on ‘vacation’.  Joe did locum shifts in Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Cambridge, Niagara and British Columbia. Joe educated medical students and anesthesia residents and did lectures on outpatient anesthesia, cerebral physiology, recovery room care, and blood gas analysis.  He published 6 studies in the anesthesia literature, including papers on the effectiveness of ranitidine in preventing aspiration during anesthesia, and the anesthesia management for cataract surgery.  After starting practice as an Assistant Professor, Joe was promoted to an Associate Professor in 1985.

Generations of anesthesiologists will remember Joe fondly and they all have stories of his amazing technical abilities in anesthesia and the ability to deal with very difficult situations that would be perplexing to most.  Personally, I remember a case of Joe being able to re-intubate a prone patient who was undergoing spine surgery after their endotracheal tube was unexpectedly dislodged in the middle of the case and I remember him assisting me with a very difficult epidural insertion in a labouring patient and making it look effortless and lighting quick.  Joe was also a curious learner and there is a famous story of him single-handedly dismantling and reassembling an anesthesia machine during his residency training.  This feat has never been repeated at McMaster since.

Beyond his clinical life, Joe lived a rich and fulfilling life.  He enjoyed scuba diving, music, playing Chinese Checkers and reading the people’s palms to predict their future.

In lieu of flowers, Joe would want you to express your love to those you value through a kind gesture.

James Paul, MD, MSc, FRCPC
Professor & Chair
Anesthesia
McMaster