Grenadian diaspora mourns ‘People’s Doctor’ Dr. Roland Purcell

Grenadians across the diaspora are mourning the passing of renowned Brooklyn-based surgeon Dr. Roland Purcell, affectionately known as “the People’s Doctor,” who died suddenly on March 25 in Brooklyn. He was 73.

Tributes have poured in from community leaders, patients and colleagues, including Grenada’s Consul General to Toronto, Gerry Hopkin, who described Dr. Purcell as a towering figure in Caribbean healthcare.

“Dr. Roland Purcell… will be remembered as an accomplished Grenadian-Caribbean-American stalwart in healthcare, who never stopped pushing for improvements in Grenada’s healthcare and medical tourism, an outstanding human being, a healer, a philosopher, a sage, and the people’s medical doctor whose practice encompassed emergency medicine, critical general surgery and vascular surgery,” Hopkin wrote in a Facebook tribute.

Hopkin, who said Dr. Purcell served as his physician for many years, recalled the personal care he provided to patients.

“Having been a surgical patient of Dr. Purcell, I can readily say that he treated each patient as an individual whose life matters and whom he cared about making whole in the best ways available,” he said.

“He got to know each patient and his or her health problem; he treated each one in a manner intentionally meant to heal, using the best available practices and encouraging faith, positive thinking and a willingness to follow healthy guidelines.”

Hopkin also reflected on the unique atmosphere in Dr. Purcell’s office, noting the calming environment and thoughtful conversations.

“I would never forget the soothing music, mostly jazz, he therapeutically played in his office, the extensive discussions we had on politics, philosophy and history, and the countless times I left his office around midnight, due to his heavy workload and his unhurried way of taking care of his patients,” Hopkin added.

“I was often the last, or one of his last patients of the day, and for me that was always a privilege which afforded meaningful, helpful and enlightening results.”

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Born in Curaçao to Grenadian parents, Dr. Purcell spent his early childhood there before moving to Grenada. He attended Grenada Boys Secondary School and later studied medicine at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus in Jamaica.

After graduating, he completed his internship at Port-of-Spain General Hospital and later worked at the General Hospital in St. George’s, Grenada. He subsequently completed a general surgery residency at Interfaith Medical Center and a vascular surgery fellowship at the Texas Heart Institute.

Dr. Purcell later returned to Interfaith Medical Center, where he served in the Department of Surgery and completed two terms as president of the medical staff. He was also affiliated with Brookdale Hospital Medical Center and SUNY Downstate Medical Center.

Hopkin extended condolences to Dr. Purcell’s family and loved ones, urging others to honour his legacy.

“May the soul of Roland Purcell, MD, rest in peace, as we celebrate his life and emulate his humane, holistic, caring, problem-solving approach to life, which was of benefit to all of his many patients, relatives, friends and colleagues,” he said.

Viewing for Dr. Purcell will be held on April 10 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Guarino Funeral Home. A reflection service will follow from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., with a repass at American Legion Hall.

The funeral service is scheduled for April 11 at 11 a.m. at Holy Family Church.

Dr. Purcell’s passing marks the loss of a respected physician whose decades of service impacted countless lives across the Caribbean and the United States.