Ambrose Stevens ('Steve') was born in Colombo, Ceylon, on 4 January 1906, the second son of William Stevens, a missionary. His early education was at the Grocers' Company School, Hackney, London, and at Breeks Memorial School, Ootacamund, South India. He then entered the London Hospital Medical College, qualifying in 1930. After junior appointments at the London Hospital he passed the FRCS Edinburgh and was appointed resident surgical officer at the Connaught Hospital, Walthamstow. Having passed the Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, he went to India as a medical missionary, having been appointed medical superintendent at the Thomas Emery Hospital, Moradabad, in the United Provinces. He remained there until the outbreak of war when he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps as a surgical specialist, serving as officer commanding the surgical division of the Combined Military Hospital attached to the 14th army on the Burma border. He held the rank of lieutenant colonel and was twice mentioned in despatches. After demobilisation in 1946 he returned to England and secured a consultant appointment at Redhill General Hospital, where he was surgical tutor. He was Chairman of the Medical Missionary Association and also churchwarden at Reigate Parish Church. After retiring from the National Health Service he returned to missionary work and was surgeon in a mission hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan. His chief recreations were playing tennis (it was said that few juniors could take a set off him even in his late 50's) and sailing. He married Margaret Pimm in 1936 and there were three sons and one daughter of the marriage. One son entered medicine and passed the MRCP. After returning to England Steve settled in Grayshott, Surrey, and died on 12 January 1991, aged 85, survived by his wife from his second marriage.