Dr. Scott Geddes was known as an exceptional surgeon, a man determined to have Cambridge Memorial Hospital serve as a vibrant community hub, a place of caring and healing. It’s what his son, Dr.
Chris Geddes, called “a noble cause.” His father accomplished this goal through his humble and gentle leadership as chief of surgery for more than four decades. “There was a sense of pride,” said Chris when asked how he felt about his dad.
“Everywhere we’d go in Cambridge, someone would know him. “You’d get that feeling ‘your dad is someone special.’” Chris also noted his father had two distinct personas: the outgoing community booster and the quiet family man.
He excelled in both worlds. Scott was born March 8, 1947, in Hanover, the result of a short-lived relationship between Connie Snider and Ruston “Rusty” Lamb. The Canadians met during the Second World War in England, where Lamb served in the Black Watch regiment as a major and Snider worked as a nurse.
The unexpected pregnancy required difficult decisions for Snider, who decided not to tell Lamb about the baby. Both had moved on with their lives since returning to Canada. Snider chose to give birth in Hanover, far from her Kingston home and gave the baby up for adoption.
Scott’s adoptive parents were Homer Geddes, a Hanover pharmacist, and his wife, Ruth, a nurse. The couple had previously lost two babies shortly after birth, so being able to welcome Scott into their home was a blessing for the coup.
