Stephen Copeland was a leading shoulder surgeon, known worldwide for his unique and innovative approach, as one of the pioneers of shoulder arthroscopy and the 'father' of shoulder resurfacing and stemless arthroplasty. He was born on 7 May 1946 in Shropshire and grew up in Cheshire. He was educated at Nantwich Grammar School and studied medicine at St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School in London from 1965 to 1970. After general surgical training, he returned to St Bartholomew's to study on the higher surgical orthopaedic rotation programme. In 1977 he was appointed as a lecturer in upper limb surgery at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, London, with Lipmann Kessel. Working with 'Lippy' Kessel intrigued his natural curiosity about the shoulder, and initiated his interest in what was quite a neglected joint at that time. He started investigating and researching the field of shoulder surgery, studied the results of the 'Stanmore shoulder', described the technique and studied the results of thoracoscapular fusion for facioscapulohumeral dystrophy while working with Richard Howard at Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. Steve was one of the pioneers of the use of arthroscopy, both of the knee and for the shoulder. He began research into shoulder arthroscopy and developed simple and reproducible techniques for arthroscopic subacromial decompression and arthroscopic acromioclavicular joint excision arthroplasty. He continued, together with his colleagues and fellows, to later develop many other more complex arthroscopic shoulder reconstruction procedures. In 1979, at the age of 33, he was appointed as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, and in 1982 he was awarded the ABC travelling fellowship to the USA and Canada by the British Orthopaedic Association. This ABC fellowship and visit to the USA had a significant effect on his career. During this fellowship he met with Charles Neer at the Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York and they became very good friends. On his return from the ABC fellowship to Reading, he organised the first Reading shoulder course, the first of its kind in the world. Both Lippy Kessel and Charlie Neer were guest speakers on this course. Only Steve Copeland, with his inspirational character, could get these two giants of shoulder surgery together! The Reading shoulder course has continued to run biannually since that time and is regarded as one of the leading shoulder courses, attended by British, European and international surgeons. In the early 1980s Steve started to develop his surface replacement prosthesis, different from all other shoulder implants at the time. The first 'Copeland shoulder' was implanted in 1986. Initially, the 'shoulder world' would not accept that a prosthesis for arthritis does not need a stem. Only daring orthopaedic surgeons used the Copeland surface replacement. He could not get his results published in the orthopaedic journals. It was not until the late 1990s, after we managed to publish excellent results of the Copeland shoulder resurfacing with more than 10 years follow-up, that the tide started to turn. Nowadays, it is a well-accepted principle and most of the shoulder implants are going shorter if not stemless. He was the game changer! Steve was a founding member and president of the British Elbow and Shoulder Society and one of the first members of the European Society for Surgery of the Shoulder and the Elbow (ESSSE) and its president from 1999 to 2001. He was invited to become the first international non-American corresponding member of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons in 1986 in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the field of shoulder surgery. Steve was the third chairman of the International Board of Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (from 2004 to 2010). He was an honorary member of the shoulder surgery societies of Australia, Spain, Argentina, South Africa, Korea and Japan. He was made an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 2004 and was the Robert Jones lecturer for the British Orthopaedic Association in 2005. He wrote four books on shoulder surgery and many scientific papers, and was invited to lecture worldwide. Despite his normally gentle nature, behind the wheel of a sports car he became a ruthless racing driver. He always had a passion for sports cars and racing, and was well-known for his Aston Martin, whose acceleration was experienced by every visiting surgeon. When I suggested that he join me at the F1 Grand Prix in Monza, he didn't hesitate for a second, despite objections from his wife, Jenny. He was awarded the accolade of the 'world's fastest shoulder surgery racing driver' after racing a go-kart during an ESSSE meeting in Frankfurt in 2007, where he ruthlessly overtook us all. After his retirement he replaced the Aston Martin with a red Ferrari, and built a kit racing car, planning to race it in different circuits around the world. Unfortunately, he could race it only once before he became ill. I was Steve's shoulder fellow in 1997 on a one-year sabbatical from my university hospital in Israel. I extended my stay for another year, at his request, as we had such a great time working together. Working with Steve was like a dream. He was my mentor and my good friend. His clear thought, knowledge and excellent surgical skills made every complex operation seem so simple. In 1999 we established the Reading Shoulder Unit together as an international centre for excellence in shoulder and elbow surgery. Even after his retirement in 2010, he always provided a listening ear for advice and guidance with his wisdom and kindness. In spite of being so busy and productive in his work, and his involvement in national and international societies, he was a dedicated family man. Throughout his career Steve was supported by his loving wife, Jenny, whom he met during medical school. They had two children, Sara and Matthew, and five grandchildren. Stephen Copeland passed away peacefully on 10 April 2015 in his home at Henley-on-Thames, surrounded by his loving family, after bravely fighting a relapse of lymphoma. He was 68. He was a masterful teacher, an excellent surgeon, a great friend and a caring family man. Above all, Steve was a true gentleman whose natural humility belied his eminence.