Dr. Walley John Temple, wearing one of his famous hats.Courtesy of family
Dr. Walley John Temple: Surgeon. Mentor. Father. Husband. Born May 8, 1946, in Ann Arbor, Mich.; died Feb. 11, 2026, in Calgary, of cancer; aged 79.
Dr. Walley Temple was a man of many hats – literally and figuratively. He was an innovative and fearless surgeon. This often led him down the road less travelled as he worked with patients with rare tumours that were poorly understood. Dr. Temple is considered by many to be the father of surgical oncology in Canada. But more importantly he was a loving husband, father, a proud grandfather and a dear friend to so many.
Walley, named after his mother’s maidan name, was born in Ann Arbor, Mich., and moved to Winnipeg with his family at an early age. He was 15 when he spotted Doreen Farley, also 15, at a dance in the city. As an icebreaker, Walley convinced his older brother to ask Doreen’s older sister out for a double date. Doreen and Walley never looked back, finishing high school and attending University of Manitoba together.
The couple married in 1966 before heading to Kingston, Ont., so Walley could attend Queen’s University for medical school. Their first daughter, Lara, was born while he was studying and their second child, Claire, was born during his rotating internship at the Ottawa Civic Hospital.
After his internship, the family moved to Churchill, Man., where Walley worked as a family doctor. After a year, they returned to Winnipeg to complete Walley’s surgical residency at the University of Manitoba, and welcomed a son, Phil.
Walley chose to train in a new subspecialty – surgical oncology – in Miami, Fla. And while most of the family flew to Florida, Walley packed up the U-Haul and drove down with Lara, his seven-year-old navigator. He worked at the surgical faculty of University of Miami until 1983, while also welcoming another child, Martha, to the family.
That year, they moved to Calgary where Walley launched a surgical oncology division at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre and the University of Calgary. There was no such thing as surgical oncology in Canada at the time but by the end of his career, there were surgical oncologists in academic centres across the country. This is a legacy he leaves to all Canadians.
Dr. Temple will be fondly remembered for wearing goofy hats and the profound impact this had on his patients and co-workers.Courtesy of family
Walley loved the outdoors, taking the family on winter camping trips, trail-riding adventures and canoe trips. They lived on an acreage in the foothills of the Rockies outside Calgary. His children (and, later, grandchildren) enjoyed growing up around horses, dogs, bunnies and other animals. Here he always had a project on the go. He built fences and pens, sheds for the horse’s hay and made home repairs, including plumbing. He felt he could fix anything. He certainly never wasted anything, even straightening bent nails to reuse.
Walley will also be remembered for wearing goofy hats and the profound impact this had on his patients and co-workers. He had a shamrock for Saint Patrick’s Day, a Canadian flag for July 1; he wore a turkey on Thanksgiving, a jack-o’-lantern on Halloween and Christmas headgear when seeing patients. Most were gifts from patients. One day, his senior surgical resident saw the magic of those hats. They were seeing a patient whose cancer had returned. “Surely,” she thought, “He’s not going to wear that pumpkin on his head?” But he did. The very sick patient looked up at him and her eyes filled with joy, and she smiled. Dr. Temple was not a man in a goofy hat. He was a compassionate, empathetic surgeon showing his humility, his love and respect for his patient.
Walley gave back throughout his career. He did missionary work in Nepal and Ecuador. In his retirement, he developed a program for cervical cancer screening and treatment in Guatemala through the Calgary Rotary Club. For this he received the 2024 People of Action, Champion of Impact Award.
Walley faced his own illness with dignity. He sought advanced treatment when traditional approaches were limited. He continued to teach medical students and colleagues about the importance of hope in caring for oncology patients. True to his teachings, he never gave up hope and let family and friends know he was at peace.
Walley never gave up on life, he remained curious. Walley always lead by example.
Dr. Janice L. Pasieka is Dr. Temple’s friend and mentee.
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