John Shipman was a consultant surgeon at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage. He was born in London on 20 September 1917. His father, Henry, was in business, his mother was Rachel née Harwich. He studied medicine at University College Hospital, where he qualified in 1941 and after junior posts joined the RAMC, to become a regimental medical officer to the 5th Battalion Durham Light Infantry. He served with his regiment throughout the liberation of France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. On demobilisation he specialised in surgery and, after passing the FRCS, became senior registrar and assistant lecturer at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School Hammersmith, St Marks, and Southend General Hospital, where he was proud to remember among his teachers Robin Pilcher, Lloyd-Davies, Goligher, Franklin, Maingot and Barlow. He was appointed consultant surgeon to the Lister Hospital, Stevenage, where he became a popular and respected teacher. He was the author of a book on operative surgery, and numerous papers on carcinoma of the oesophagus, parotid tumours and aortic embolism. He died from the effects of a severe viral neurological disease on 1 April 2001. He leaves a wife, Betty, a son, Anthony John, and three grandchildren, Alexa, Kate and Fergus.