Dr. Norah Milne (née Symington), a pioneering radiologist (specializing in Nuclear Medicine) and a devoted mother and grandmother, passed away peacefully on April 3, 2026, in Laguna Niguel, California, at the age of 94.

Born on May 9, 1931, in Newcastle-on-Tyne, UK, Norah’s journey began at the University of Edinburgh Medical School. It was there she met her husband, Eric (Nightingale Campbell) Milne, when he joined her medical school class. Their connection was immediate; they were engaged within six weeks and married in December 1953. As young medical students, they lived in a small caravan in a farmer’s field, supporting one another through their studies until their joint graduation in 1956.

Though tiny in stature, Norah was steely strong; quiet but possessing immense strength of character. She loved a good adventure and traveled the world extensively; her journeys took her from Paris to Papeete, and all around the globe to Thailand, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, France, Switzerland, Italy, Greece and more.

Her distinguished career began with internships in New Jersey and in Porterville, California, where she welcomed the first of her five children, Alastair. Later, after a prestigious residency at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, the family moved to Canada. There, Norah became an Assistant Professor of Radiology at the University of Toronto and held a clinical appointment at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). She specialized in the emerging field of Nuclear Medicine, also holding concurrent appointments at the Wellesley Hospital Isotope Laboratory and the Ontario Cancer Institute.

Upon returning to California, Norah worked at the VA Long Beach Healthcare System and at UCI Medical Center, where she was the Director of the Residency Program in Radiology, mentoring generations of future physicians.

She was proud of her contributions to clinical research, especially in Nuclear Cardiology, including studies on ventricular function and the effects of conditions like pulmonary hypertension on the heart. In 2017 she shared a patent for a novel technology - a method for screening subjects to determine their likelihood of developing diabetes by quantifying insulin-producing cells, improving early diagnosis of diabetes and providing a non-invasive tool to measure responsiveness to therapy.

She finished her career heading the Department of Radiology at Good Samaritan Hospital, where her passion for medicine kept her practicing well into her 80s.

She is preceded in death by her former husband, Dr. Eric Milne, and two of her sons, Christopher John and Peter John Campbell. She is survived by her brother Jack Symington and her children, Alastair, Eric Steven, and Penelope, as well as her granddaughter, Norah Marie.

Norah will be remembered for her sharp wit, her resilient spirit, and a life lived with kindness, grace and curiosity across two continents.

Please join the family for a joyful farewell, Friday April 24th, 2026 at 2 pm at The Women’s Club, 286 St Anne’s Drive, Laguna Beach.

If you wish to send flowers, they can be delivered to 286 St Anne’s Drive, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 on the day of the service (April 24th).

If you would like to make a donation in Norah’s honor, we suggest Drs Without Borders, a charity she supported for many years. https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/get-involved/ways-to-give/make-donation-honor-someone