Memorable Manitobans: Robert Parker Cromarty (1892-1977)

Physician and surgeon, inventor.

Born at Toronto, Ontario on 18 December 1892, son of Robert Brodie Cromarty and Sarah Annie Parker, he was educated at McGill University and the University of Toronto. In 1915 he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force and served in the First World War as a member of the Canadian Medical Corps. He helped to design one of the first working gas masks, one of which is held at the 26th Field Regiment Museum.

In 1920, he came to Brandon to join a medical clinic established by Wilfred Abram Bigelow, working as a physician and surgeon until retirement in 1967. He was the Officer Commanding (OC) of the 59th Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery, then in 1936 became Commanding Office (CO) of the 26th Field Brigade. In recognition of his military service, he received the King George V Jubilee Medal (1935).

On 10 September 1923, he married Helen Jessie McDonald (1895-1975) at Brandon and they had three daughters. He was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion, First Presbyterian Church, and Alpha Kappa Kappa Honor Society.

He died at Victoria, British Columbia on 21 February 1977 and was buried in the Brandon Cemetery.

Sources:

Ontario birth registration, Ancestry.

Attestation papers, Canadian Expeditionary Force, Library and Archives Canada.

Marriage registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

“King to honor many Manitoba men and women,” Winnipeg Free Press, 4 May 1935, page 1.

Obituary [Helen Jessie Cromarty], Brandon Sun, 21 April 1975, page 27.

Death registration, British Columbia Vital Statistics.

Obituary, Brandon Sun, 24 February 1977, page 14.

Cromarty Family Genealogy, FamilyCentral.

Burial transcription, Brandon Municipal Cemetery.

We thank Ted Krasicki for providing information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 30 October 2021

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.

Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:

Custom Search

Browse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z

Browse deaths occurring in:
1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024


Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca

Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements

Help us keep
history alive!