Yesterday evening, Dr. J.R. Cunningham passed away peacefully surrounded by family near Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
“Jack” was an exceptional person, orator, and pioneer of medical physics – recognized internationally, with awards received from COMP, AAPM,…. He was recognized nationally for his achievements by the Order of Canada – Canada’s top honour for its civilian population.
More specifically, he developed radiation treatment planning concepts and software, used for decades on clinical workstations across the world. He co-authored the book The Physics of Radiology – used for efficient training of numerous radiation oncology professionals over many decades. In brief, he was one of the founding fathers of medical physics in Canada and beyond, working closely with his colleague, Dr. Harold Johns.