Beloved New Brunswick doctor leaves behind huge legacy
Dr. Sheldon Rubin, a trailblazing doctor who became New Brunswick's first oncologist, died Monday at the age of 75.
"I felt I was married to a hero," his wife, Sharon, said Wednesday. "I really felt I was married to a hero."
After studying at Dalhousie University, Rubin came to Moncton in 1975 to work as an oncologist at the Moncton Hospital. The next year, he established a chemotherapy clinic there to treat patients in eastern New Brunswick.
In 1988, he set up the first comprehensive hemophilia clinic in the province, in conjunction with the New Brunswick Hemophilia Society.
His wife said family members always knew they had to share Rubin with his profession.
"He was just a wonderful, wonderful loving man," she said. "He loved his family and he loved his profession and his patients."
Rubin started the first HIV clinic treatment program in the province and the first hepatitis C program.
Dr. Mahmoud Abdelsalam, the current chief of oncology and hematology at the Moncton Hospital, said Rubin was well known around the Atlantic region for his work.
"I joined the hospital in 2012 and it was a great honour to work with him because actually you learn from him how to give more than medical care to your patient — how to give them the medical care, plus [to] be dedicated to give them love and moral support," Abdelsalam said.
He said Rubin gave his knowledge to the people of New Brunswick, but also his heart. There are many stories about Rubin's kindness, he said.
"He bought a bicycle for a young boy who lost his mom to cancer," Abdelsalam said.
"Another story — that he attended a high school graduation for a patient with a short time left for him, so he was not only like a physician treating his patients and dedicated to his patients, he used to give them lots of support other than medical support."
Abdelsalam said Rubin also participated in many clinical trials and published papers. And he shared his knowledge with medical students.
Rubin leaves behind a lasting legacy, he said.
"I hope I leave 10 percent of what he left." Dr. Abdelsalam said.
Rubin received many honours for his work, including The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Order of New Brunswick and the New Brunswick Medical Society's Dr. Garfield Moffatt Medal for excellence in patient care.
Sharon said the recognition meant a lot to him. She said her husband loved his family, children Gabrielle and Mitchell, and grandchildren Ethan and Madison, but he was often drawn away to attend to patients.
"I got many notes thanking me for allowing him to spend his days and his nights out taking care of him," she said. "I got some beautiful letters from people just thanking me and realizing [what] he'd given up — going to hockey games or soccer games or school plays.
"His heart was in the right place. He had to do what he had to do."
He could get angry if things weren't done properly, she said, but he always acted in the best interest of his patients, and he would want to be remembered for that.
"Just as a fine physician who had very very high principles and he stuck by them."
Sharon said that even though the couple were married for 45 years, it wasn't long enough for her.
"I was proud to be Mrs. Sheldon Rubin."
The funeral is Wednesday at 3 p.m. at Tiferes Israel Synagogue in Moncton.
