The passing of a Delta native and co-founder of the Vancouver Marathon and Sun Run, along with SportMedBC, has left the running community in mourning. The recent passing of Dr. Jack Taunton has been shared across social media platforms.
In June, Taunton received the prestigious honor of being named a member of the Order of Canada. The Governor General’s office highlighted his contributions as “an early leader in sport and exercise medicine.” His impressive credentials include serving as a professor emeritus at UBC, engaging in active fundraising efforts, and playing a pivotal role in the establishment of SportMedBC and the Canadian Health and Fitness Institute. “Dr. Jack generously shared his expert medical advice through every injury,” stated Roger Robinson on Facebook.
The School of Kinesiology at UBC reveals that Taunton held the position of medical officer during the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 1984, Seoul in 1988, and Barcelona in 1992. He held the position of chief medical officer during the 2000 Sydney Olympics, in addition to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and Paralympics. He served as a team physician for the Vancouver Grizzlies as well as for the Canadian men’s and women’s national field hockey teams.
Last year, he received local recognition as one of the Seven Over 70 award winners from KinVillage. The Optimist has reached out to the family to gather information regarding any forthcoming memorial services.
The family will soon release details regarding the obituary and funeral arrangements for Dr. Jack Taunton.
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