Dr. Thomas V. Jaeger
Dr. Thomas V. Jaeger, PhD, of Toronto, age 57, left us too soon in the third week of October, 2021. The only child of German Canadian parents, Tom was both scholarly and industrious. He flourished in his early studies in science, earning a BSc Summa Cum Laude, MSc in pharmacology, and PhD in neuroscience all from the University of Toronto. As an instructor of record, he taught at the University of Toronto in the Anatomy Department and became a full-time instructor at the College of Naturopathic Medicine in Toronto. His career path eventually led him into project management in the pharmaceutical industry. He had planned to spend more time in Germany after his retirement, and he was deeply attached to his mother Rose’s family there: his aunts and uncles Michael and Jutta, Evi and Karl-Heinz, and Gerhard and Christel, and to his cousins Ute (and Volker), Carsten (and Kordula), Uwe (and Sabine), Jörg, Götz, Benny (and Mirja), and Dennis (and Christine), and to their many children and grandchildren. Tom’s great gifts to the world are his talented, intelligent, and compassionate children, Jess, Emily, Christian, and Tia (parent of his first grandchild, Saylor), all of whom survive him and whom he loved. His family will miss and remember his wry sense of humour, his affection for the Voice, and his love of good food, travel, and adventure.
Donations in Tom’s memory can be made to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH): https://www.camh.ca/
Ross & Jennifer
We send love and condolences to you, Jess, and to your brother and sisters. So sorry for your loss and the time you might have had with your Dad.
Frances Turk
I’m truly heartbroken to hear the news about Thomas’ passing. My sincerest condolences to all of the kids and extended family. Tom was a dear friend who had helped me through some dark times in my life, particularly when my parents both passed away. He always was available to talk, about anything…one email he said to me after the passing of my parents:
“Coffee and conversation sounds grand. It’s been a while since we chatted. We can speak of many things …of shoes–and ships–and sealing-wax–of cabbages–and kings…
I know this will be a busy and trying time for you, but surrounded by friends and family, you’ll pull through…just as you always have.”
Tom will be missed. He made the world a better place by being in it. I’m truly saddened by this news and will always remember what he did for me.
Frances Turk ND
Maggie Carey
Oh Tom! The world was better with you in it. I will miss you, dear heart.
Maggie
Claire McGregor
Very shocked and saddened to hear the news of Tom’s passing.
I worked very closely with Tom as he transition all of this knowledge to me prior to his retirement, and there was a lot of knowledge to be shared.
We shared some great laughs in between, with most of them being at the expense of my dog, and how she was uglier than his neighbors two pugs combined, he thought ugly dogs were adorable.
He talked with such excitement of his upcoming retirement and first grandchild and I hope he had time to enjoy both before his next great adventure.
He will be remembered fondly and my deepest condolences to all those that knew and loved him
Lindsey Walker ND
Dr. Jaeger (we referred to him as Jaegs in my small student circle) was nothing short of a brilliant professor. He was hard core in the right way. He was clear in expectation. His delivery of academic material was exceptional.
I am so sorry to hear he has passed away. My sincere condolences to all who had the privilege of knowing him.
Lindsey Walker
Ameet
Honestly one of the best anatomy professors one could have. Tom never gave up on his students and completely changed the way I understood the human body. Tom, I even kept your notes from ccnm 15 years after graduating!! You’re the best. Lots of love and thanks 🙏🪔💫
Tina Konstantinou ND
I am absolutely grief stricken. He was one of the most brilliant professors I had in medical school. He made sure we knew anatomy properly, he made sure we knew everything about it as if we were to become surgeons, he kindled my interest in medicine on a weekly basis and his sense of humour made everyone laugh.
Gone too soon…may you rest in peace Dr. Jaeger, you played an important role in how I practice today. Without you, there would be no Dr. Tina and hundreds of others. My sincerest condolences to his family.
Zeynep Uraz
Tom will always stand out as THE best professor of my academic career. He was a gifted teacher and his legacy will live on through all of the students he has taught. His words still ring in my ears after all these years and I am a better clinician because of him.
We will miss you Tom.
Leslie Solomonian
Echoing others, Tom was the best prof I had in medical school, deeply inspiring the way that I now teach. He was ahead of his time in the way he engaged and challenged his learners, made us active participants in our learning. My condolences to his family and loved ones.
Jilla
Hello to the family,
My sincerest condolences. Dr Jaeger was an exceptional anatomy professor.
I am so sorry for your loss.
Sandra Murphy
Dr. Tom was the best professor I ever had. He was a gifted scholar and had a wonderful way of making dense material come alive. My condolences to his family, he is gone way too soon.
Sushma Shah
Dr. Jaeger was an awesome professor, I still have all my notes from his class after 20 years! My deepest condolences to the family, may he Rest In Peace 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Victor Chan
I met Dr. Tom Jaeger 21 years ago when I was a student in his first year anatomy class at the Canadian College Of Naturopathic Medicine. Tom’s course was one of the best that I have ever taken throughout all my years of educational training. The way that Tom taught me about congestive heart failure is exactly the way that I tell patients about this condition to this day. I hope all of Tom’s family and loved ones find some comfort in knowing that this part of Tom’s legacy that lives on.
I remember Tom having a level of intention in his teaching that was so strong that some people were intimidated by it. But as a future naturopathic doctor who people would one day be depending on for their health, I am immensely grateful to Tom for making it crystal clear that the knowledge he was passing really mattered. If has continues to make an impact on my life and the people that I serve.
There is shock and sadness in hearing of Tom’s passing. At the same time, it is an opportunity to reflect on a life that touched so many people’s lives. I celebrate Tom and will remember him fondly. Much love and gratitude.
Ian Brown, ND
Tom was the best teacher. He had a clear way of communicating, and you could tell he had a great spark of intelligence. I hope he is cracking some anatomy jokes in Heaven!
Our condolences!
Gabrielle and Kyle
I had the privilege of working with Tom for several years. Tom was always such a great colleague, always ready to share a laugh and good food. He shared at length his plans for retirement and was so excited for the next chapter of his life. My deepest condolences to the family – your dad (and grandad) was a very good man.
Angelina
Sending my thoughts to the Jaeger family. Tom was an energetic, selfless and passionate individual. Upon retirement he had great plans to enjoy his pilot license. It is with great sorrow that he will not be able to do this. I had the pleasure of working beside Tom as a Project Manager. He was incredibly knowledgeable, and was always thinking of others. The latest conversation I had with Tom which is a prime example of him being selfless; he decided to learn Japanese so he could converse more with the owner of the convenience store he frequented close to home. Tom, you will be missed.
Ashima Suneja-Chauhan
Dearest family and friends of Tom. What a loss we are all feeling. I hope you all find peace through this challenging time.
Tom was an incredible professor and I taught the same course as he did at a different institution. I thank him and remember his classes to this day.
Integrity, honesty and pushing the limits of thought and intellect was his style. I didn’t just learn anatomy – I learned how to teach and how to doctor snd be in the world with others.
Challenge accepted. May your legacy be felt Tom.
With gratitude
Ashima
Sarah Beasleigh
Tom was an amazing professor and his lessons stick in my memory because of the life he brought to the subject of anatomy. He made CCNM a better place and he will be missed. Sending love to his family.
Peter Gibson
So, Tom and I became friends at a lunch table in the cafeteria of our high school – the table relegated to those who didn’t belong to any circle or clique. It’s probably impossible to really understand, or be honest, about that sort of thing, but I think what what drove us away from all others, and drove us together, was an appalling lack of aptitude for conformity.
“One should as a rule respect public opinion in so far as is necessary to avoid starvation and to keep out of prison, but anything beyond this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyranny”. Bertrand Russell makes it sound like something you can choose. For us – at least at that time and in that place – it was wasn’t an option, it was hard-wired.
Was there a connection between that and a love of knowledge? An approach to knowledge that is both rigorous and yet somehow playful? That seems to find as much beauty in it as truth ? I think there is, or at least there was for us.
I am very sad to hear he has passed, but very pleased to hear he found so many others to share his good soul and his beautiful mind with.
Jess Klaassen-Wright
Hi Peter. Thank you for this message. It brings pain and joy to be gifted this window into Tom’s life. Jess
Dr Pamela Hutchison ND
Tom was an astonishingly effective instructor who inspired me as a student to be curious and fascinated by the human body. He had a great way of bringing humour into the class room, and was highly effective at getting the TAKE HOME MESSAGE across in each lesson. He contributed to so many medical careers, the ripple effects of his contribution to this world will continue on for decades.
My condolences to his family who have lost a remarkable human far too early.
Jaime de Melo
20 years after being a student in Dr Jaeger’s class his passion for education, his teaching style and the knowledge he passed on are still positively affecting me, my patients and my students almost everyday I go to work. Tom, I can’t thank you enough for the dedication you put into packing your lectures with useful information and challenging your students to know it so well. You really have helped shaped my career.
My sincere condolences to Tom’s family and friends. I hope his legacy brings some solace to you all.