Kathleen Robinson was noted for her serenity, warm charm, wisdom and skill. These characteristics must have been largely inherited, but were nurtured in a happy family life that started on 25 May 1911 in Eccles, near Manchester. She was the third of five children, her father being a professional engineer and company director, whose opinion was sought all over the world. When she was three years old, the family moved to Colwyn Bay, North Wales, for the benefit of an elder sister who had contracted tuberculosis of the spine. Kathleen started at Penrhos College at the age of six as a weekly boarder and she went on to do very well at school, particularly in mathematics. Her mathematics teacher was disappointed when she chose medicine as her career and entered the London School of Medicine for Women (later the Royal Free Hospital Medical School). Again, she excelled as a student and, after qualifying, she completed house surgeon appointments at the Royal Free Hospital, the Royal Cancer Hospital (later the Royal Marsden), the Samaritan Hospital and Queen Charlotte's. She gained a very wide experience, both in general surgery and in obstetrics and gynaecology, much of it during the difficult war years when she held appointments at St James's Hospital, Balham, the City of London Maternity and Bearsted Memorial Hospital and was outpatients' surgeon at the Samaritan. She was already beginning to win a name for herself as a teacher. Finally, she held the all-important post of resident obstetrician at Queen Charlotte's Hospital, where she subsequently became the first woman to be elected to the honorary staff in 1946. Her appointment as consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology at the Royal Free Hospital soon followed. There she became something of a legend. Her clinical sense and operative skills were outstanding, but she was noted also for her teaching, and above all for the cheerful atmosphere of calm and serenity that she engendered around her. Her colleagues and their spouses always turned to her with their personal problems and she devoted much time to their care. Her practice was guided by her own strong Roman Catholic faith, but this never obtruded itself on others. In 1959, she became an examiner to the University of London and in later years became a visiting examiner. She and her husband thoroughly enjoyed their visits to the West Indies, where they made firm friends. Kathleen had married Vincent Sherry when they were both on the junior staff at Queen Charlotte's Hospital. Vincent subsequently went into general practice in South London and they had a very happy family life there bringing up three children, two girls and a boy. One of the girls and a granddaughter have both gone into the medical profession. Kathleen retired in 1976, but owing to some problems in the department continued to do locum work there for some years. She and her husband enjoyed some few years of her retirement, travelling widely about the world. Sadly, she had first one and subsequently two further strokes, which left her badly incapacitated. Vincent looked after her devotedly throughout this time. With her death on 2 December 1998 her family, friends, former colleagues and students all felt a very deep sense of loss of someone with quite exceptional gifts.