Dr. Bruce Williams was born in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. He completed his Bachelor of Arts Degree at Acadia University and then entered Medical School at McGill University, graduating in 1955. He completed residency in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at McGill University, and was awarded a McLaughlin Travelling Fellowship. He was “Board Certified” at the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons, Canada, and the American Board of Plastic Surgery.
Dr. Williams was Chairman and Program Director of the McGill Plastic Surgery Division from 1976 – 1996 and Surgeon-in-Chief at the Montreal Children’s Hospital from 1992 – 2007. He served as President of many Societies including the Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons, the American Society of Reconstructive Surgery and the International Microsurgical Society.
Dr. Williams was a philanthropist “par excellence” at the level of the Montreal Children’s Foundation by combining his passion for people and golf. With the Golf Committee, he has been able to raise funds generously to support people in their learning endeavours or at the start of their careers and to support the creation of research Chairs for the Department.
Internationally recognized for outstanding contributions in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, he received many awards. To name a few: the Clinician of the Year Award an honorary award from the American Association of Plastic Surgeons, Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Canadian Society of Plastic Surgeons and from the Montreal Children’s Hospital CPDP and in 2014, the Order of Canada for his work in plastic and reconstructive surgery.
Regrettably, Dr. Williams passed away on March 24th, 2017. He leaves behind two sons, Bruce (Beatrijs) and David (Bethany) and five grandsons.
Please link to the programs for the H. Bruce Williams Pediatric Surgical Research Day of previous years:
14th Annual H. Bruce Williams Pediatric Surgical Research Day
Jean-Philippe Vaccani, MD
June 20, 2024 
Program (PDF)
13th Annual H. Bruce Williams Pediatric Surgical Research Day
Michael H. Handler, MD
June 8, 2023 hbwilliams2023_program.pdf
12th Annual H. Bruce Williams Pediatric Surgical Research Day
Jessica J. Kandel, MD
June 2, 202 Program (PDF)
11th Annual H. Bruce Williams Pediatric Surgical Research Day
David G. Hunter, MD, PhD
June 1, 2021 Program (PDF)
10th Annual H. Bruce Williams Pediatric Surgical Research Day
David Andrew Spiegel, MD
June 6, 2019 Program (PDF)
9th Annual H. Bruce Williams Pediatric Surgical Research Day
Alaa El-Ghoneimi, MD, PhD
June 14, 2018 Program (PDF)
8th Annual H. Bruce Williams Pediatric Surgical Research Day
John B. Mulliken, MD
June 15, 2017 Program (PDF)
7th Annual H. Bruce Williams Pediatric Surgical Research Day
John R.W. Kestle, MD
June 2, 2016 Program (PDF)
6th Annual H. Bruce Williams Pediatric Surgical Research Day
Blake C. Papsin, MD
April 20, 2015 Program (PDF)
5th Annual H. Bruce Williams Pediatric Surgical Research Day
Thomas C. Lee, MD
June 2, 2014 Program (PDF)
4th Annual H. Bruce Williams Pediatric Surgical Research Day
David L. Sigalet, MD, PhD
June 3, 2013 Program (PDF)
3rd Annual H. Bruce Williams Pediatric Surgical Research Day
Randal R. Betz, MD
June 2, 2012 Program (PDF)
2nd Annual H. Bruce Williams Pediatric Surgical Research Day
D. Douglas Cochrane, MD
June 6, 2011 Program (PDF)
1st Annual H. Bruce Williams Pediatric Surgical Research Day
Ronald M. Zuker, MD
June 7, 2010 Program (PDF)