Douglas Arthur Canning ’79

Douglas Arthur Canning ’79 died on May 30 after suffering severe injuries from a bicycle accident. Doug was born on April 27, 1957, and attended Robert Fitch High School in Groton, Connecticut. At Dartmouth Doug joined Kappa Sigma, majored in chemistry, and was on the ski and sailing teams. Doug obtained his M.D. from Dartmouth Medical School in 1982 and completed a residency and fellowship in urology. He served four years in the U.S. Navy in San Diego and then worked for 30 years as a pediatric urologist at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, becoming department chief. Doug was a world-renowned expert in rare urological conditions and was lauded by the Wall Street Journal: “Doug Canning made life better for thousands in ways that go unsung in the broader culture but are miraculous for those who have benefitted.” Doug was married to Annabelle Brainerd Canning ’81—a “43-year tremendous romance”—who survives him with twin daughters Caroline and Anne and son John and his wife, Alexia. Classmates wrote that Doug was beloved for “his enthusiasm for life, engaging personality, and huge grin” and “shattered the axiom that the ‘nicest guy’ never reaches the pinnacle of his profession.” Another added, “Doug’s accomplishments coupled with his modesty are the hallmarks of the truly great: They always make you feel like a million bucks. Doug was universally loved across every facet of his life.”