William Hedley Jones was born on 18 December 1930 at Morriston, near Swansea, the son of W J Jones, a sales representative. He was educated at Cardiff High School and at Swansea Grammar School. He received his medical education at University College, London and University College Hospital and qualified MB BS in 1955. After various house appointments at numerous hospitals in London he became FRCS in 1962. Hedley Jones was a splendid all-rounder at work and sport. He had a fund of original ideas and in his all too short career he carried out several successful research projects. As an undergraduate he spent a year under J Z Young at University College where he made a special study of the hippocampus and was awarded a BSc in anatomy. He was especially interested in intrathoracic problems and conducted research in lung transplantation under Professor D Slome at the Buckston Browne Research Farm. He was awarded the Legg Prize in 1966 for an essay on the application of bronchostomy to the experimental study of transplanted pulmonary tissue. He spent a year as a fellow in cardiovascular surgery under Dr Michael DeBakey at Texas Medical Center, Houston. Hedley Jones was a keen athlete and enjoyed squash and swimming. He was a quiet, modest man of gentle character, but extremely tenacious, energetic and a perfectionist in all he did. He died on the 31 December 1968.