Condolence: So sad to hear of your father's passing. Mom is still with us, but will probably pass soon. Would love to hear from you Susan Hackethorn Kennedy and John Hackethorn

Condolence: Dr Cannon was the best. He took care of four generations of my family. Also, saved my life! Condolences to the family.

Condolence: Dr. Cannon was our lifesaver more times then we can remember. He was my doctor and my husband's when we were kids and also for our 3 kids. When one of our daughters was born with a rare birth defect he was our calming voice and steered us in the correct direction for care. She is now a grown woman and dong very well. We always loved his stories and genuine caring nature. Our hearts go out to you as a family. We will miss him.

Condolence: I am so sorry I could not be with you today. Please accept my sincere condolences on the passing of Dr. John. You are all I my thoughts and prayers during these difficult days.

We now live in Yarmouth Port, across the street from Lester and Ruth Allen, old friends of your dad. If there is anything I can help with here on Cape, please don't hesitate to ask.

Betsy

Condolence: My deepest sympathy for your loss. He was a very special man.
With Live,
Rae

Condolence: Dear family, my sincere sympathy for your loss. Doc Cannon was a wonderful man, like your mom. I miss the old days at Seapit and the fun we had. I fondly remember the staircase there and the tablecloth your grandmother had us sign and embroidered. You are a special family. God bless.

Condolence: Rest in Peace Dr Cannon. You have no idea how you impacted our lives. I remember you coming to our home to give us some sort of immunizations and I locked myself in the bathroom because I was so afraid of needles. Your calming voice made me come out and you gave me a shot. I cried like crazy but you were so kind and caring. thank you so much for all you have done for our family. We are the Waterhouse family from Granby probably 40 or 50 years ago but so fondly remembered. RIP Dr Cannon...

Condolence: Dr. Cannon will always be remembered for the wonderful care that he provided his patients, and for his many contributions to the Town of Simsbury. Condolences to the Cannon Family.

Condolence: So sorry to hear of Dr. Cannon's passing. He was my family's doctor when I was a child, and had remained my parent's physician until he retired. I loved going to the Canon building in the middle of Simsbury, and I remember the large grandfather clock and charm of the old brick building. He was always so kind and caring, a true asset to his profession. He will be missed.

Condolence: Our deepest sympathies are extended to the family of Dr. John Cannon. If there were words that could express the positive difference that Dr. Cannon has made in this world, we have not found them, because he was light-years above his “peers,” of which he had none, in our opinion.

My wife and I first met Dr. Cannon in 1988 in the midst of a family medical crisis to which he responded like no other. He treated the patient as a whole person and elevated the profession of medicine into an art form. His devotion to high standards was absolute, and he feared nothing. Whether the “unknown” was a disease, a medication, a condition, or an organization standing in the way of good care, Dr. Cannon was there.

Dependable, caring, and human.

He came to our rescue any time of day or night, and coordinated medical care in four states, and two countries, and in so many specialties that it would take a full page to list them. But to speak of him as “a medical man” is an injustice. He was much, much more than that. He was a man who stood for integrity in everything he said and did, and could carry on a conversation with a child as well as with the president of a university or of a multi-billion-dollar manufacturer of pharmaceuticals.

He relentlessly wrote letters and met with officials to advance the cause of searching for cures to spinal cord injuries (not to mention a dozen other ailments), and so impressed attorneys that they thought he was one of them.

And after he “retired,” he met with us at the Borders Bookstore at least half a dozen times to write letters to senators and politicians, and even to a recalcitrant insurance company or two that had had the audacity to question why the patient’s life was worth saving (too expensive). And in response to any and all who raised such questions, physicians from Harvard, Yale and two dozen other institutions literally lined up to support Dr. Cannon – and the reason they did so was because of one and only one thing. Dr. Cannon’s judgment was not to be questioned.

Dr. Cannon redefined what it means to be a humanitarian.

Sometimes people are given to clichés like “words cannot express,” but this is one of those times when the old adage about words really hits home. And it does so because Dr. Cannon was not just a man of words – he was a man of action. Words could never begin to express the goodness that Dr. Cannon has brought to this world, and the continuing legacy that will live on forever because of the actions of a man who has meant so much to so many.

To say we will miss him forever is an understatement, and in a time of such great loss, it’s easy to concentrate on the negative. There’s no way Dr. Cannon would tolerate this. Both of us can hear his voice, and we can see his vivid bow tie. So, until we meet again…

Edward and Darlene Orr