Max House remembered as innovator, pioneer in telemedicine

Max House is being remembered as an innovator who saw his dreams through to reality.

Newfoundland and Labrador's 10th lieutenant-governor died Thursday, at 87.

House was a founder of Memorial University's medical school — and was also considered a pioneer of telemedicine around the world.

Dr. James Rourke is the university's current dean of medicine, and a friend of House.

"He was one of those most inspiring people, who had wonderful ideas — but not like so many dreamers, he was a champion of those ideas, and he was a doer to see them through," said Rourke.

"He was so bold, that the second satellite sent up by Canada in the 1970s contained a telemedicine transmission module for the Memorial University medical school."

Rourke said that allowed the idea of telemedicine to evolve around the world.

House founded the telemedicine centre in 1976, an audio teleconference network that connected health care officials and teachers with students in isolated communities around the province.

In addition to receiving many prestigious awards during a medical career that spanned four decades, House was presented with a special award of recognition in 2010 from the Canadian Association for University Continuing Education.

He was also appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada.

House, born in Glovertown in 1926, served as lieutenant-governor from 1997 to 2002.  

His funeral is set for Monday at Gower Street United Church in St. John's.