John Fairgrieve was a consultant vascular and general surgeon in Cheltenham who, in his youth, was an outstanding sprinter representing Great Britain in the 1948 Olympic Games and reaching the quarter final in the 200m. Although John was English, being born in London, he had Scottish roots as both his father, John, and his mother Grace (née Currie) were born in Ayrshire. His father was distinguished in the first world war, winning the Military Cross on the Somme, and later became the chief mechanical superintendent at the South Metropolitan Gas Company (later part of British Gas). His two elder brothers also became distinguished soldiers, Alex winning a DSO in Burma in 1944 and Hugh wining the Croix de Guerre in Korea, both in the Gurkha Rifles. His sister, Grace, died of an intussception in infancy. John was educated at Cherry Orchard Preparatory School in Charlton and then Abbey School, Beckenham, before proceeding to Imperial Service College, Windsor in 1940, which after two years amalgamated with Haileybury College. John gained a scholarship and spent two further years at Haileybury until he was 18. He had a most distinguished school record, mainly in the sporting context; in rugby as captain of the first 15 (which won the public schools seven asides in 1944) and as captain of athletics. He was company sergeant major in the combined cadet force and a college prefect. In 1944 he proceeded to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge and thence to the Middlesex Hospital Medical School in 1947. His sporting prowess continued. At Cambridge he was a full blue at rugby and athletics, and also had a trial for the Scottish rugby 15. He played in the first Varsity match after the war at Twickenham, where he scored a memorable try watched by King George VI. In the World Student Games in Paris in 1947 he won the silver medal in the 100m and the bronze medal in the 200m, while a year later he was chosen to represent Great Britain in the 1948 'austerity' Olympics, reaching the quarter final in the 200m. Qualifying in 1950, he was house surgeon in urology to Sir Eric Riches and in orthopaedics to Philip Newman and Philip Wiles at the Middlesex and then house surgeon to Philip Ghey at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge. He was then called up for National Service in the RAMC, where he was senior medical officer on troopships going to the Far East with the rank of major. On demobilisation he was a casualty officer at Addenbrooke's and then a senior house officer at the Prince of Wales Hospital, Tottenham, before returning in 1956 to the Middlesex as registrar to Sir Eric Riches and C J B Murray. In 1957 he returned to Addenbrooke's as registrar to John Withycombe, passing the final FRCS in the same year. He then spent a spell as a resident surgical officer at St Mark's Hospital, where he became knowledgeable in proctology, before being appointed a senior registrar on the St Mary's Hospital rotation in 1960. It was here that his interest in vascular surgery was kindled, having originally been intent on a career in urology owing to the influence of Sir Eric Riches. In 1962 he spent a year in Boston, USA, pursuing research at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Francis D Moore's department. In 1966 he was appointed as a consultant surgeon to Cheltenham General, Gloucester Royal and Stroud hospitals, where he practiced vascular and general surgery. He was the first vascular surgeon to be appointed in Gloucestershire and was single-handed in this specialty until 1986, when a second consultant was appointed. With the help of Michael Gear and Peter Morris of Oxford a link was established in Gloucester and Cheltenham with trainee surgeons in Australia and America, allowing an exchange of learning and skills. John was noted as a good and patient trainer of registrars, both in the clinical arena and in the operating theatre. Despite a very busy practice, John Fairgrieve was active in the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland, serving time on its council. He became a surgical tutor at Cheltenham General Hospital and in 1983 was elected a member of the Court of Examiners at the Royal College of Surgeons. In 1987 he was elected chairman of the Court at a time when the FRCS examination was undergoing intensive scrutiny by the Council. In this role he showed great determination to ensure sensible changes as well as considerable diplomacy in his dealings with the Council. He was also an external examiner for the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, an external examiner in Singapore, a member of the Peripheral Vascular Club and of the Grey Turner Surgical Club, where he was honorary secretary for five years. A talented artist in pastels (in later years his Christmas cards always featured one of his own paintings); he also enjoyed gardening and field sports. He kept closely in touch with his old school and became president of the Haileybury Society. He married Drusilla Anne (née Elliot), a Middlesex physiotherapist, in 1960 and they had four daughters; Alison, Susan, Catherine and Helen. Sadly, John's final years were very difficult as he developed progressive motor neurone disease leading to increasing incapacity. He will be remembered as a most careful and caring surgeon with an excellent bedside manner and a man of great integrity. He had immense generosity of spirit, was kind and gentle and bore the difficulties of his final years with great stoicism. He died at home on 20 July 2014 aged 88.