Joseph Roger Boulle was born on 23 March 1922 at Tinley Manor on the Natal north coast. His parents were of French-Mauritian origin and he was brought up on a sugar plantation where he acquired manual dexterity at an early stage. After completing his early education he entered the University of Cape Town, qualifying in 1944. He had acquired considerable experience in surgery before coming to Britain in 1949, where he undertook surgical registrar posts at Hartlepool and at the Taunton and Somerset Hospital. He passed both the English and Edinburgh Fellowships in 1957 and then returned to South Africa, where he was appointed surgical registrar at King Edward VIII Hospital in Durban. Shortly afterwards he was appointed consultant surgeon at McCord Zulu Hospital and St Aiden's Hospital in Durban, and St Mary's Hospital, Mariannhill. He was also engaged in private practice. Throughout his life he held strong Christian beliefs, which were reflected in his voluntary work at several Christian mission hospitals. He ardently supported ecumenism and was a Grand Knight of Da Gama. Outside medicine, his hobbies included woodworking - he made most of his own furniture - and cooking. He married Tutta, who was of Norwegian ancestry, while still a student. He died on 18 March 1991, aged 68, survived by his wife and their daughter Pat and sons Jerome, Adrian and Trevor.