Mark Saddler was born in Adelaide on 31 May 1942 and educated at Prince Alfred College and Adelaide University, at which he won a Commonwealth Scholarship. After qualifying MB, BS in 1966 he held training posts at the Royal Adelaide and Queen Elizabeth Hospitals gaining his FRACS in 1971. He went to England for three years where he held posts of senior registrar at the Norfolk and Norwich, the Papworth Thoracic and Central Middlesex Hospitals, passing his FRCS in 1973. He returned to Adelaide in 1974 where he worked as a senior registrar for two years before going into private practice. There are no details of his professional life after that date. He was a keen bridge player and an expert on French wines which he studied intensely. He enjoyed tennis, squash and cricket and was an 'abroad member' of the MCC. He married Kathryn Elizabeth Saddler in 1968 and she and their son and two daughters survived Mark's death on 2 July 1984.