Mildred Faulkner (née Warde) was born in Knowsley, Lancs, on 18 February 1897 the daughter of Wilfred Brougham Warde who was medically qualified holding a London MD. She was educated at Hamilton House, Tunbridge Wells, and studied at Manchester University from 1915 to 1918. She studied medicine at the School of Medicine for Women at the Royal Free Hospital, London, and was the first woman to be awarded the gold medal in the examinations for the MS. She went on to become a surgical registrar at the Royal Free and had an ENT practice in Harley Street. She was on the council of the Medical Defence Union. In 1931 she married Mr O T Faulkner and gave up surgery. She brought up her husband's sons by his previous marriage, Denis and Alan, and had two of her own, Henry and Tony. When her husband died in 1958 she took up painting and was chairman of the Norfolk and Norwich Art Circle. She was still painting a few weeks before her death. She was also a Samaritan helper, manning the Norwich telephone at even the most unpopular times. She died on 8 October 1982 survived by her sons and eight grandchildren.