When Dr. Robert Watson began practicing general surgery more than 40 years ago, he started the practice of keeping “history cards” for all of his patients. They were all numbered, and by the time he retired, those numbers had topped 44-thousand. Of those 44-thousand faces, there are many he remembers because they were exceptional people. Bob and Rags Atwood are among those people. 

Dr. Watson was honoured to pay tribute to the Atwoods at the Ross Memorial Hospital Foundation’s Tradition of Giving Reception on October 4th. This event recognizes donors who are continuing the tradition of giving that began when the hospital opened in 1902. At that time, James Ross, in consultation with the town council, decided that he would fund the $80,000 cost of establishing a community hospital in memory of his parents. 

The Atwood’s contributions began more than ten years ago. And the details are part of a story that reads like a romance novel.   

Dr. Watson remembers Bob and Ragnhild Atwood with a smile. “I met Bob and Rags around 1995 when they were in their eighties. But never have I met people more young at heart. The pair of them had a “joie de vivre” you didn’t expect in people that age.”

Ragnhild was born in Norway in 1908. Her father, Martin Gundersen,  moved her family of five to Minnesota with very little, but in time, they built a lumber mill business. In fact, Rags’ father became the Mayor of their hometown, Tower. He was so successful in the timber and banking industries, he was able to leave a legacy to the town … 12-thousand acres of timberland. 

“Rags told me she wanted to be a nurse when she was young, but her mother discouraged her. So she studied music and got a teacher’s degree, ” Dr. Watson says, “she actually used her musical skills to entertain the troops as a U.S.O volunteer during World War II.”

At the same time, Bob had grown up in Berlin, New Hampshire, and was working in sales for Firestone. After the war, he bought a camp on the Pickerel River near Parry Sound. It was a 6-acre island with an old fishing lodge. 

Bob renovated the lodge and built guest cottages. He fixed up a boat so he could float his supplies and materials 15 miles down the river from Port Huron. He had visitors come from as far away as Ohio. 

In the summer of 1953, friends of his from Cleveland brought a guest, named Rags. By the time the visit was over, Bob and Rags knew they were meant to be together. And before the year ended, they were married.

That old lodge would become their happy home. In fact, Bob’s wedding gift to Rags was a little cabin that housed the first flush toilet and sink on the island. It must have been a rustic experience for Rags, who had modeled for such stores as the May Company, which became Macy’s, and Mercedes Benz. 

Bob and Rags’ son-in-law, Bill Yanick, describes them as “true partners”. Their loving relationship could be read in their faces, and their dynamic natures attracted people to them. That magnetism helped them as they operated the Atwood Island Lodge together. Bob would choose the guests they would host at the Lodge, and regale them with his story-telling talents, and Rags would create magnificent meals and spoil the guests with attention. 

It’s a practice they kept up even after they sold the lodge in 1963. That’s when they moved to Lindsay. They bought 90 acres on the Scugog River across from what’s now Wagstaff’s Riverwood Park Campgrounds south of Lindsay.

 Bob worked for Keith’s Real Estate. That’s how he found what would become their second home … 500 acres on the Rainy River, with a home overlooking Rags’ beloved Minnesota. 

In the late 70’s, the Atwoods moved to a home near the old Beehive, Eganridge as we know it, on Sturgeon Lake.  They golfed and sailed. Bob kept another sailboat in Florida. Both his  boats were named for Rags.

Bob was not only a master bridge player and a Master Mason, he also played the stock market with great skill. “He was an artist with anything from a paint brush to a chainsaw,” according to Bill. “He was successful at everything he put his hand to.” 

But he wasn’t just blessed with skills and smarts, he had a generous heart. After one of Rags’ stays at the Ross,  Bob was convinced that Dr. Watson and his team had saved the life of his true love. He donated a cheque for 50-thousand dollars. It would be the first of many. 

"In 1997, I had the honour of presenting Bob and Rags with a plaque that recognized their contributions to the Hospital," Dr. Watson says, "It's mounted at the entrance to the Intensive Care Unit. During their lifetimes, the Atwoods donated $400,000 to the Ross. With their bequest of $800,000 their total gift to the Hospital amounts to $1.2 million. It's a very special legacy - one that's fitting for such a special couple."