Dr. Mary Ann Chance, editor of the Chiropractic Journal of Australia and co-founder of the Association for the History of Chiropractic - Australia, passed away in June. DC obtained the following tribute of Dr.
On 18 June more than 200 people gathered in Wagga Wagga to join Dr. Rolf Peters in a celebration of the life of his wife, Dr. Mary Ann Chance. 'MAC,' as she was very affectionately known to many of her friends, left this life on 12 June 2008.
The service was a very beautiful and moving one, reflecting MAC herself, and was strongly influenced by her Bahá'í faith. Bahá'í prayers were offered before a series of family, colleagues and friends presented eulogies paying tribute to various areas of her remarkable life. Her three children and a stepdaughter shared their memories of MAC as a mother, a representative of the Bahá'í faith told of her commitment, and a local friend spoke of her involvement in her community, particularly at 2AAA-FM Community Radio.
Her involvement in the chiropractic profession was presented from three perspectives by three of her long-time colleagues and friends. Chiropractic historian Dr. Stanley Bolton conveyed the long history of her family's service to the profession. MAC was born in Muscatine, Iowa, just down the Mississippi River from Davenport, the location of the Palmer School of Chiropractic. Her grandfather was Professor of Neurology and Head of Student Clinics at Palmer, and her father was a lawyer who was employed by B.J. Palmer to defend chiropractors against legal persecution for practising medicine without a licence. He later became Executive Director of the International Chiropractors' Association.
CAA National President Dr. Dennis Richards detailed her massive and multi-faceted contributions to the advancement of chiropractic. He began by noting the esteem in which MAC was held by the profession, read a letter of condolence from World Federation of Chiropractic (WFC) President Dr. Stathis Papadopolous and noted the flower tribute sent by WFC Immediate Past President Dr. Gerry Clum and Mrs Clum.
Dr. Richards then told the story of MAC and chiropractic. After graduating from Palmer in 1959 and setting up a chain of clinics in Melbourne and rural areas with her Australian husband, Frank McLeod, she devoted much time, energy, intelligence and charm to forwarding chiropractic. Her accomplishments include:
- Federal Executive Secretary, Australian Chiropractors' Association.
- Lecturer in chiropractic history and principles, International College of Chiropractic/Phillip Institute of Technology, Melbourne.
- Editor, Journal of the Australian Chiropractors' Association and the Chiropractic Journal of Australia.
- Chair, Chiropractic Research Journal Editors Council.
- Member, Editorial Board, the Journal of Chiropractic History.
- Recording Secretary, Australasian Council on Chiropractic Education.
Her memberships included:
- Foundation member, ASRF.
- 1959 to present, member of the Chiropractors' Association of Victoria, the ACA and the CAA.
- International Chiropractors' Association, American Chiropractors' Association, Canadian Chiropractic Association, European Chiropractors' Union.
- American Medical Writers' Association, Council of Biology Editors, Society for Scholarly Publishing, Foundation member, Council of Chiropractic Research Journal Editors.
- Co-founder, Association for the History of Chiropractic - Australia.
Her exemplary contributions to the profession had been recognised with many awards:
- 1980 - Chiropractor of the Year, ACA (Victorian Branch)
- 1982 and 1988 - ACA Meritorious Service Awards
- 1993 - Fellow, International College of Chiropractors
- 2002 - Life Membership, CAA
- 2005 - ASRF Humanitarian Award
- 2006 - Fellow, Australasian College of Chiropractors
MAC's knowledge and abilities were recognised in the fact that she was invited to present numerous papers at many different conferences, including two at the 1988 International Chiropractic Congress in Sydney, three at the 1995 Chiropractic Centennial Congress (Davenport, Iowa), and many at CAA state and national conferences.
Dr. Richards concluded by remarking it was a measure of MAC's contribution that, while very few members ever receive the ACA's or CAA's highest award, the Meritorious Service Award, she had received it three times, in 1982, 1988 and 1998.
Head of RMIT's Division of Chiropractic, Associate Prof. Phillip Ebrall, informed those present of her efforts as journal editor, including the fact that she had served in that position for JACA and then CJA for a quarter of a century and nearly 100 issues. In an e-mail tribute, Dr. Dana Lawrence, former editor of JMPT, wrote, "I looked to Mary Ann as the best of all editors, someone to emulate and from whom I learned a great deal, both about editing and our profession, and, more importantly, about life, spirituality and the world. She is utterly irreplaceable."
The list of prominent chiropractors who attended also indicated the esteem in which MAC was held. They included NZCC President Dr. Brian Kelly, Macquarie Head of Department and NSW Registration Board President Dr. Sharyn Eaton, Macquarie's Dr. Peter Bull and Dr. Ray Hayek, former UCA President Dr. Ed Devereaux and Mrs. Devereaux, former CAA NSW President Dr. Tom Cole and Mrs. Cole, former CAA NSW President and current Registration Board member Dr. Peter Cowie, and Wagga Wagga practitioners Drs. Gary Roberts and Ian Hope. CAA NSW was represented by Ms. Christine McGillion and ASRF by its CEO, Mr. Roley Cook.
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