SF orthopedic surgeon John Callander dies
As a medical school student, when convention reasoned he couldn't practice without the ability to hear the body's internal acoustics through a stethoscope, he went on to become an orthopedic surgeon anyway.
As an older man, he battled to become a national squash doubles champion just a few months after undergoing open-heart surgery.
"Really, my story is that if you have a problem you can get over it and do a half-decent job," he told San Francisco Medicine, the journal of the San Francisco Medical Society, in 2009.
Dr. Callander, a San Francisco native, died on June 9, of old age, a few days after celebrating his 90th birthday. He spent his life in the service of others through medicine, volunteerism and philanthropy.
Friends and family remembered him as a community activist and top-notch physician who frequently put family and community first.
"He never left a conversation without saying, 'What can I do to help you?' " recalled Rob Conolly, president of the San Francisco Boys & Girls Clubs, where Dr. Callander was a board member for 50 years. "It was just part of his character."
Born in 1923, the son and grandson of physicians, Dr. Callander grew up enamored of the medical arts. He attended Johns Hopkins Medical School, where he was told he couldn't learn diagnosis without a stethoscope. A mentor, hard-of-hearing herself, taught him to diagnose by feeling the instrument's vibrations instead. The experience inspired him to take many young doctors and students under his wing.
"He set an example that most doctors can't live up to," said Dr. Frederic Bost, a mentee and partner at California Pacific Orthopedic and Sports Medicine, which Dr. Callander founded in 1972.
His list of charitable efforts - as lengthy as it was varied - included stints volunteering with the San Francisco Free Clinic, where he cared for patients, and the San Francisco Ballet, where he tended to dancers.
"He felt strongly that the community was something you gave back to and made better," said his daughter Sara Stephens, a Bay Area nurse.
He often scheduled surgeries late at night as a younger man to make sure he was home for dinner with his wife and six young children. His children were often in tow when he made his hospital rounds.
Dr. Callander is survived by his wife of 64 years, Barbara Callander, his sister, six children, 16 grandchildren and two great-granddaughters.
A celebration of his life will be held at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. Those who knew Dr. Callander and wish to attend are asked to contact the family for details.
Kristen V. Brown is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: kbrown@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kristenvbrown
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