In Memory of Dr. Francis Glorieux

On behalf of the Canadian Osteogenesis Imperfecta Society (COIS) it is with enormous sadness and heavy hearts that we say goodbye to Dr Francis Glorieux OC., MD who passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Monday June 2nd. 2025. 

It was Dr Glorieux and the team at Shriners Hospital in Montreal who advocated for the reactivation of COIS and it was his determination that this was successfully achieved in 2017. He was a proud founding board member and Chair of the COIS Medical Advisory Committee. He embodied all that was good with a compassionate, committed and determined approach to push for better care and research for his OI family in Canada and around the world. He was, and continues to be, our inspiration as we were so very proud to have successfully launched the Francis Glorieux Research Fellowship last year to honour all that he gave to the OI community and to ensure his legacy lives on. By developing a new generation of research talent, we will take his work forward for future generations.

We are incredibly proud and pleased that Dr Glorieux could enjoy his legacy in action. He was part of the selection process for inaugural Francis Glorieux Research Fellowships and had the opportunity to present them in person at the Shriners Hospital in Montreal as part of their Centenary event. This was a very fitting venue given this is where the OI treatment 'magic' began under his leadership and with his very talented team. The two inaugural fellowship recipients Dr Joseph Petrucelli and Dr Ezgi Aydin, are now part of Dr Glorieux's great legacy to improve the lives of those born with OI. 

At our 2nd annual COIS charity golf tournament yesterday in support of the Francis Glorieux Research Fellowship, we once again, albeit through tears, acknowledged our collective gratitude and appreciation of a generous life well lived. The event was enriched with presentations from his new fellows sharing their research work, demonstrating their commitment to building on his great legacy. 

We are grateful to the Glorieux family for sharing Francis with the OI community in Canada and globally. We, the other family, mourn with you in your loss vowing that the memory of Dr Francis Glorieux will not only live on in our hearts but in the legacy that we are building in his honour.

With deepest sympathies to the Glorieux Family,
Jacinta Whyte 
President & Chair 
COIS -SCOI. 

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For Donations of Shares or Other Gifts please contact COIS -SCOI by emailing info@cois-scoi.ca