Denis Shaw was a consultant surgeon at Keighley and Airedale. He qualified at Leeds in 1940, having represented the Combined English Universities at fencing, and taking his turn at fire-watching. He always remembered watching bombs dropping on the City Museum. After house jobs he joined the RAMC, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, serving as a specialist surgeon, mainly in Ceylon. After the war he returned to Leeds Infirmary, marrying ward sister Barbara Dunn, and completing his training in surgery. He was appointed consultant surgeon at Pontefract with sessions in Goole and Selby in 1954, and in 1962 to Keighley Victoria Hospital, transferring to the new Airedale General Hospital when it was opened by Prince Charles in 1970. He retired in 1982. Among his many interests were archery, gardening, music, cooking and carpentry. Quiet and good-humoured, he was a keen teacher. His last years were marred by rheumatoid arthritis, though this never seemed to impair his surgical dexterity. He died from chronic heart failure on 6 September 2004 leaving his widow and three sons (Michael, Jonathan and Andrew) – a daughter (Joanna) was to die a few days after his funeral.