Dr. David Symington

Emeritus Professor at Queen's University

Born in Glasgow, Scotland, David graduated from the University of Glasgow medical school in 1951 and completed residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in London, England in 1955. David, along with his family emigrated to Vancouver in 1957 where he was the Assistant Medical Director at the G. F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre and Greater Vancouver Cerebral Palsy Clinic. The family moved to Seattle, Washington in 1962 where David was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Washington.  He was recruited in 1966 by Queen's University to establish the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and in subsequent years established the School Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy. He was also the Founding Director of the Regional Rehabilitation Centre for Eastern Ontario.  Throughout his career he was involved in numerous committees locally, provincially, nationally and internationally, including being a member of the World Health Organization, Expert Advisory Panel on Rehabilitation, and the National Research Council of Canada. He was invited as a keynote speaker by numerous universities and hospitals across Canada, the United States and countries including Sweden, Poland, Switzerland, Scotland, Portugal, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Estonia and New Zealand. He was a pioneer in vocational rehabilitation services and strongly believed in and advocated for giving people with disabilities support in returning to independence and community living. "People with disabilities need a hand up, not a handout" was his common refrain.

He was a visionary and global leader in the practice and teaching of Rehabilitation Medicine. He was well respected by his students, patients, staff, and friends and deeply loved by his 6 children, 10 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. An absolute treasure to all he met.

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David "Dave" Symington

 

My brother Dave had a catastrophic injury when he was 19 years old, leaving him with a C5-6 quadriplegia.  Dave went on to support 100’s of persons with catastrophic injuries by co-founding the Vancouver Adapted Musical Society (VAMS) and the Jericho Adapted Sailing Center with Sam Sullivan. Dave is greatly missed by his family, his friend, and all the lives he touched.

- Vivien Symington, Founder of Symington Symbiotic Foundation

 

This fund supports vocational rehabilitation and adults with support needs