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Miller said Lum was devoted to his wife and two teenaged children and the family often took part in active pursuits. They were avid cross-country skiers and mountain bikers, often building trips around the sports.

Miller said friends and colleagues are trying to cope with his sudden death.

“Of all of our friends and colleagues, he was probably the most fit. You just don’t anticipate this kind of thing to happen. It is just hard to imagine. He is going to leave a lot of holes in many ways.”

Lum, who was the head of neurointervention and diagnostic neuroradiology at The Ottawa Hospital, was considered a pioneer in Canadian radiology, said Ray Foley, executive director of the Ontario Association of Radiologists. “The sad thing about sudden departures is it leaves a huge hole to fill. You just don’t find people with those intricate and complex skills.”

Lum specialized in the blossoming field of interventional neuroradiology, in which fine wires and catheters are threaded into the brain to clear blockages, guided by imaging.

Lum was involved in a game-changing clinical trial on endovascular thrombectomy. The procedure, which must be done within hours of a stroke’s onset, involves inserting a thin tube into an artery in the groin and, using X-ray imaging, threading it to the site of the blockage in the brain. A retrievable stent is then used to capture and remove the blood clot. It is a procedure he performed many times, often in the middle of the night after an urgent call.

Dowlatshahi said Lum was skilled, fast and modest about his work.

“He never wanted praise or anything. The most he ever wanted was to meet the loved one and tell them how it went, to shake their hand and walk away. He didn’t want any thank yous,” he said.

“So many people owe their lives to him and would probably never know his name and he wouldn’t want them to.”

epayne@postmedia.com