Tom Burke was a consultant surgeon at the South Infirmary in Cork, Ireland. He was born in Bandon in County Cork, the youngest child of Edward (‘Ned’) Burke and Mary Burke née Desmond. He was educated at Warner’s Lane National School and, after the family moved to Cork City in 1928, at the Presentation Brothers College. He went to University College Cork before his 17th birthday, where he initially studied Irish and German, spending some time at Bonn University. He was awarded a BA and then studied medicine, qualifying in 1943. At that time only two intern posts were available in the Cork hospitals so, like many others, he had to seek experience outside Ireland. It was wartime, and he was fortunate that opportunities were available in the UK. He held an intern post at Sheffield Royal Hospital, and was then a surgical registrar at Newcastle, where he worked for Norman Hodgson. He moved through other training posts and his final appointment in the UK was at the Royal West Sussex Hospital in Chichester under John Brooks. In 1951 he gained his FRCS. This achievement was a source of lifelong joy to him, and he maintained his affection for and contact with the College throughout his surgical life. Given that he received all his surgical training and experience in the UK, he was very proud to be an English fellow. He returned to Ireland in 1952, but the period after his return was fraught with uncertainty and difficulty. He was appointed to the staff of the Bon Secours Hospital, but practice was limited and unreliable. Positions in public hospitals were few and very competitive. In 1962, however, he was appointed as a consultant surgeon to the South Infirmary in Cork, a teaching Hospital of University College Cork, and he remained on the staff until his retirement in 1984. As a surgeon, whether at the bedside or in the operating theatre, he was self-assured, confident, in a quiet way, and combined sound clinical judgement with excellent technical skills. His personality and surgical method were closely aligned; he was neat, tidy and meticulous, composed and organised, determined and tenacious in solving problems. His letters and notes were models of clarity and brevity, his handwriting perfectly legible (for a doctor), always in ink, written with his Parker pen. His areas of surgical interest reflected his training as a general surgeon, with thyroid, biliary and bowel surgery at the forefront. He had no difficulty in seeking colleagues’ advice with problem cases, and he himself was much in demand as a second opinion. He enjoyed teaching and his approach was one of simplicity and encouragement, with a dash of humour and fun. He was regarded by all as a fair and patient examiner who tried to get the best from students and postgraduates alike. He was a man of the most special charm and warmth. He had a distinctive appearance, dominated by impressive thick spectacles, below which there was an almost perpetual beaming smile. He had a unique and wonderful sense of fun and humour, with a razor-sharp wit, enhanced with eloquence and perfect timing. He was great company. He had a very happy retirement and indulged his many interests. Music was a great passion, and he was an accomplished pianist. In his youth he was a pupil of Tilly Fleischmann, a renowned teacher, and a name synonymous with music in Cork. He loved to play for guests in his home, enjoyed symphony concerts, and, with his wife Kay, was a great supporter of local festivals and musical events. He and his wife had a small holiday home in west Cork and from there he enjoyed walking and exploring the countryside. He loved to travel near and far for many holidays, and overseas trips continued into his last few years. He was a man of many parts, but, quoting the Rosary, described gardening as ‘the First Sorrowful Mystery’. Tom Burke died on 3 September 2013. He was 94 and the oldest surviving member of a generation of surgeons appointed to Cork hospitals in the years immediately after the Second World War. Because of his surgical stature, reputation and his longevity, he was an important figure in the continuity and evolution of surgery in this university city for many years. He will be remembered by his patients, nursing staff, surgical trainees and his colleagues as an exceptional surgeon, teacher and person of integrity, courteous and decent in every way that was important. His family and many friends will remember him as a modest, self-effacing man, loyal, generous and kind, with an effervescent sense of humour and love of life. He was survived by his wife of 38 years Kay, and by a niece and nephew, who is a doctor .