John Shoesmith, consultant surgeon at Leeds General Infirmary and Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield, was one of the first vascular surgeons in the UK. He was a founder member of the Vascular Society in 1966 and subsequently president in 1988. He was born on 1 July 1925 in Halifax to Harold Percy Shoesmith and Mary Shoesmith née Harrop. His father, always known as Percy, qualified as a dentist from Leeds University before the First World War, where he served in Thessaloniki prior to being appointed to the Bradford hospitals. Mary was a leading light in the Workers’ Educational Association, a school governor and magistrate; by all accounts a formidable woman. John was educated at Heath Grammar School, Halifax. He was an all-rounder, excelling at sport, attaining the King’s Scout award and winning a scholarship to Leeds Medical School, where he graduated in 1948. Although exempt from the Armed Forces, he served with V Company of the West Riding Home Guard whilst a student. One of the highlights of John’s childhood was accompanying his cousin, Peter, now Sir Peter Harrop, to watch the touring Australians on the Saturday of the Headingley Test in 1934. Such was the frenzy stirred up by the 1932-1933 bodyline series in Australia that they had to queue from 6.30 am to guarantee entry to the ground. They were rewarded by witnessing the lion’s share of the great Don Bradman’s innings of 304. John’s sporting achievements continued at university, where he was awarded colours in athletics, cricket, fives and rugby. In 1945, he twice represented Yorkshire at rugby before a broken leg put paid to what might have an even more impressive rugby career. Later in life John took up golf and quickly reduced his handicap to a respectable seven. As a proud Yorkshireman, he would frequently recount that he had purchased life membership of Alwoodley Golf Club, Leeds in the early 1960s for £1,000, a calculated gamble that he regarded as his best ever investment. Many years later, when the club agreed with this assessment and chased him for more money, he would always point out the terms of the contract and quietly demur. After graduation from medical school, John went to Millbank, London to undertake his National Service (from 1949 to 1951). Whilst there he met his future wife, Margot (Irene Margaret) Jolley. Margot had been offered a place at the Royal College of Music but, following the premature death of her father, James (a Church of England priest), when she was 17, funds were tight and she was unable to take this up. As fate would have it, she trained as a state registered nurse at King’s College Hospital, London and met John. During their courtship, Margot introduced him to the finer points of ballet, opera and classical music, the latter becoming a lifelong interest for both of them. After National Service, John returned to Leeds and gained his fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1952. At Leeds General Infirmary John worked with Geoffrey Wooler, who pioneered open heart surgery in Britain. The team was at the forefront of research with the heart-lung machine and, when one of the prototypes exploded, John narrowly escaped serious injury after being struck on the temple by a piece of metal. Thereafter, John’s surgical training progressed uneventfully and included working on John Goligher’s unit and with the other general surgeons at the Infirmary. He was appointed as a consultant general surgeon at the Infirmary in 1961, replacing the distinguished Digby Chamberlain, who wrote to John following his appointment saying: ‘Dear Shoesmith, I can think of no one who I would rather see in my place.’ Whilst John was a ‘gentle man’ in all respects, his consultant colleague was Henry Shucksmith, a formidable character with a short temper; chalk and cheese! Because of the similarity of their names, upon John’s appointment, Henry insisted that a change was necessary and, as a result, John was known professionally as ‘Mr Harrop Shoesmith’. Between them they provided the first specialist vascular service in Yorkshire after John had spent time developing his knowledge and gaining experience in Boston, Massachusetts and Houston, Texas. On his return from America, John operated on all of the acute aortic aneurysms admitted to the Infirmary both from Leeds and West Yorkshire. Despite the commitment to vascular surgery, John was a true general surgeon, covering both his share of the elective and emergency work at the Infirmary and being a visiting consultant general surgeon to Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield, where he undertook both clinics and operating lists. The operating theatres there were notable for having two operating tables side by side until the mid 1980s so that the consultant could keep a close eye on the registrar! John had a number of papers published in *The Lancet*, the *British Medical Journal* and the *British Journal of Surgery*, as well as in several other specialist journals. These publications reflected the stages of his surgical career covering thoracic surgery, peptic ulcer disease and, latterly, vascular surgery. John loved to feign shock at daily events, when his hand was slapped on his forehead followed by ‘Why me?’, ‘What a b***** orgy!’ (when unexpectedly walking into a mess party) or ‘He did what?’. In the operating theatre, this was translated to ‘I’ve never seen one as big/difficult/inaccessible as this’, to which sister would calmly reply: ‘You said that last week, Mr Shoesmith.’ These characteristics made John a regular ‘star’ in the medics’ revue. Despite the fake histrionics, John was loved by his patients and was hugely popular with trainees, who he treated as colleagues, unlike other consultants of his era. Later in his career John (and Margot) were invited to join the Moynihan Chirurgical Club, the oldest and arguably the most eminent surgical travelling club. He was also appointed as a regional adviser for general surgery for Yorkshire and the Humber for the Royal College of Surgeons. Like many busy surgeons, John did not find retirement easy at first but a combination of being elected captain of Alwoodley Golf Club, his appointment as president of the Shadwell and District Probus Club, Leeds, together with a range of charity work, playing bridge and *The Telegraph* crossword soon allowed him to relax into it. He and Margot also travelled widely and continued to indulge their interest in classical orchestral concerts at Leeds Town Hall. However, John most enjoyed time spent with his grandchildren (Daniel, Elizabeth and Katherine) and his great grandchild, Daniel’s daughter, Merryn. Sadly, Margot died in 2016 and his family and friends were concerned that he would not be able to cope on his own. A bit of surgical stubbornness proved that he could until he unfortunately required orthopaedic surgery, from which he did not recover. John died on 6 November 2017 at the age of 92 and was survived by his two sons, David, a retired GP, and Michael, a retired broadcast journalist, his grandchildren and great granddaughter.