Peter Leslie Szego, MD
(1938–2025)

The world has lost a kind soul. Peter Leslie Szego, MD, aged 86, passed away peacefully in Montreal. He leaves behind his beloved wife of 54 years, Mary (née Uttal); his children, Erika (Tommy Wharton) and Michael (Joby McKenzie); his cherished grandchildren Quincie, Payton, and Calvin Szego, and Maddie and Sadie Wharton. He was predeceased by his parents, Margit (née Miltz) and Paul Szego.

Peter arrived in Canada in 1957 at the age of 17 as a refugee from Hungary, a pivotal moment that would shape the course of his remarkable life. He learned English while completing an Honours Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and went on to pursue Medicine at McGill University. His academic journey continued with residency at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal and at University Hospitals in Cleveland, where he met the love of his life, Mary.

Peter returned to Montreal, where he spent his career practicing at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (the Queenie) and the Royal Victoria Hospital. A pioneer in the field of gastroenterology, he introduced ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography) to McGill in the 1970s, forging a strong collaboration with Radiology. Peter’s leadership was widely respected—he served as Physician-in-Chief at the Queenie and later as Director of the Division of Gastroenterology at the Royal Victoria Hospital. Throughout his 50 years of practice, he taught and mentored several generations of gastroenterologists. He was loved by his patients and colleagues, and his famous saying, “keep a cool stool,” will be remembered fondly by many.

Outside of medicine, Peter led a rich and fulfilling life. He loved spending time with his family and was an adored Nagypapa to his 5 grandchildren, especially at the family cottage in Magog, where they spent many seasons together skiing at Owl’s Head and boating and swimming in Lake Memphremagog. He also doted on his furry children (dogs) Kutya and then Mira. Peter enjoyed bird watching, gardening, and reading. A lover of classical music and opera, he often remarked that he came from a time when Verdi was pop music. His talent for barbecuing with charcoal (never gas) was well known, as was his ability to fill the air with smoke, sometimes drawing the attention of the fire department due to his trusty charcoal chimney starter.

In 2021, Peter had a stroke that severely impacted his speech. He faced this challenge with his signature strength and determination, diligently working through rehabilitation, continuing his speech language pathology sessions after returning home. Following another stroke in late November 2024, Peter demonstrated his quiet strength, tenacity, and resilience right until the end.

The family would like to express their deep gratitude to the staff on the 4th floor of the Neuro for the exceptional care they provided, and to the palliative care team who provided comfort care for the final stage of his life. We also thank his speech language pathologist, who worked with Peter for 3 years and enabled his engagement with the world.

A service will be held at Kane and Fetterly (5301 Decarie Blvd) on February 16, 2025, at 2:00 PM, followed by a reception. The service will also be livestreamed (please consult the Kane and Fetterly website for more details  (https://www.kanefetterly.qc.ca). In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to either the Montreal Neurological Institute, where Peter received such excellent care, or to the McGill University Health Centre, where he took care of so many and in turn so many looked after him.