Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

August 3, 2012

Beloved doctor and coach Bruce Churchill dies at 57

By Melanie Creamer mcreamer@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

Dr. Bruce Churchill was arguably one of the best obstetricians in southern Maine, known for his exceptional care and his ability to listen and help women feel at ease.

While that work was an important part of his life, nothing topped the love he had for his wife, Cindy, and their three daughters, Cristina, Tessa and Leah.

He coached his daughters when they played volleyball at Greely High School in Cumberland and served as the team's assistant coach for 11 seasons.

He died on Monday after a five-year battle with ALS, also called Lou Gehrig's disease. He was 57.

Churchill was a prominent obstetrician/gynecologist at Coastal Women's Health Care in Scarborough. His colleagues remembered him Thursday as a "gifted obstetrician" who got to know his patients and counseled many families through delicate fertility issues.

His love of obstetrics led him to teach and mentor resident physicians and medical students.

Dr. Kevin Andrews, an obstetrician/gynecologist at Coastal Women's Health Care, noted Churchill's ability to make his patients feel comfortable.

"He could meet patients and they would immediately be able to trust him," Andrews said. "He would connect with people right off. ... Patients felt he truly cared about them, and he did."

Dr. David Ernst, who practiced with Churchill for 23 years, said he had an ability to listen and communicate with his patients.

"Bruce could see a lot of patients and still really give them good care," he said. "His patients were extremely fond of him, and so were his colleagues."

His obituary, which is expected to appear in Sunday's Maine Sunday Telegram, says he practiced for more than 30 years and delivered 6,000 babies.

Those babies include the first child of Kim Block, a news anchor and reporter for WGME-TV. He also delivered the two sons of Cindy Williams, an evening news anchor and reporter for WCSH.

"He was just an amazing man," Williams said. "He was such a great doctor. He always took the time to listen to you. He listened. He heard. He got it. We will miss him."

In 2007, Churchill suddenly found himself in a fight against a relentless disease.

He began to feel weakness in his legs and started having trouble walking. It took doctors about six months to confirm their worst fears: He had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

ALS is a progressive neurological disease that attacks the brain and spinal cord. It has no known cure.

"When Bruce first learned he had ALS, he was devastated," said his wife, who lives in Cumberland. "Then, he became determined to fight it and became an advocate. ... He just really prayed (for) a cure. He believed that it could happen in his time. He was willing to do anything to live longer just to stay with us."

His wife reminisced Thursday about the life they had together. She talked about taking trips to Italy, playing tennis and going camping and hiking.

She said he was active in his daughters' lives and tried hard to make it to their school activities. He almost always got home to eat dinner with his family, she said.

"We spent so much time talking at the dinner table," she said. "He was always looking for opportunities to talk to them and teach them. He never knew how much time he had left."

Cindy Churchill recalled the night last winter when the family hosted a cocktail party. The guests dressed in formal attire and enjoyed drinks and appetizers. They sat around the living room and laughed and told stories.

In March, the family hosted an event at their home that included the University of Southern Maine's Jazz Ensemble and traditional New Orleans food.

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