About William Anthony Paddon
Lived 1914 – 1995 (aged 80). William Anthony Paddon was a Canadian physician, surgeon and lieutenant governor.
William Anthony Paddon, (July 10, 1914 – January 5, 1995) was a Canadian surgeon and the seventh lieutenant governor of Newfoundland from 1981 to 1986.
Born in Indian Harbour, Labrador, Newfoundland, the son of Dr. Harry Locke Paddon (1881-1939) and Mina Gilchrist, a physician and a nurse, respectively, with the International Grenfell Association. He received a Bachelor of Science in 1936 from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. He received his Doctor of Medicine in 1940 from New York Medical College. During World War II, he served with the Royal Canadian Navy as a surgeon.
After the war, he returned to Labrador with the International Grenfell Association, serving as physician at the North West River hospital. He was the director of the IGA from 1960 until his retirement in 1978. He married Sheila Fortescue, also an IGA nurse.
In 1981, he was the first, and so far only Labradorian to be appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador. He served until 1986.
In 1986, he published his autobiography, Labrador Doctor: My Life with the Grenfell Mission.
In 1977 he received an honorary doctorate from Memorial University. In 1978, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada and was promoted to Officer in 1988.
On 21 June 2014, a new building at CFS St. John's was named after him.
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Important facts
People in William Anthony Paddon's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped William Anthony Paddon's
Frequently asked questions
Who was William Anthony Paddon?
Canadian physician and Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland (1914-1995)
When was William Anthony Paddon born?
William Anthony Paddon was born on 10 July 1914 in Labrador.
When did William Anthony Paddon die?
William Anthony Paddon died on 5 January 1995.
What was William Anthony Paddon's occupation?
William Anthony Paddon was a physician, surgeon and lieutenant governor.
What nationality was William Anthony Paddon?
William Anthony Paddon was Canadian.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: William Anthony Paddon
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). William Anthony Paddon. https://biography.guide/william-anthony-paddon/
MLA: "William Anthony Paddon." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/william-anthony-paddon/.
Chicago: "William Anthony Paddon." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/william-anthony-paddon/.
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