Robert Davies Cundrall was a missionary surgeon and a general practitioner. He was born in Wuhan, China, on 26 August 1924, where his parents, Edward and Mary Cundall, were Methodist missionaries. His parents had to make the very difficult decision to send him home to school in England at the age of 8, while they remained in China. Bob went to Nottingham High School and gained a scholarship to study medicine at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, going on to the London Hospital for his clinical training. After qualification, he was a house surgeon on the surgical unit under Victor Dix. Bob had originally intended to work in China, like his parents, but that country was closed to missionaries. Bob was advised by Ralph Bolton, the medical secretary of the Methodist Missionary Society, that it was essential that Bob passed his fellowship, which he did in 1953, before he started work as a missionary. Bob worked at Ituk Mbang Hospital, Nigeria, for the next six years, where the medical superintendent was Harry Haigh. Bob enjoyed the challenge of surgery in this environment, turning his hand to many unusual cases, as well as countless hernias and caesarean sections. He enjoyed teaching the nurses, both in formal lectures and at the bedside. Bob entered general practice in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, in 1959, joining an old friend from college days, George Johnson, as the second partner in the practice. He missed operative surgery, but for many years was clinical assistant to Graham-Stewart in his rectal clinic at Harrogate General Hospital. The general practice expanded and, when George Johnson moved on to a career in public health, Bob became a senior partner and made the partnership into a teaching practice. In his medical work, Bob was a highly regarded as a meticulous clinician, supportive colleague and excellent teacher. He had met Monica Pritchard, an English student at Girton College, Cambridge, and they married in 1948. They moved to Nottingham, where his maternal uncle, Jack Davies, a senior surgeon at Nottingham City Hospital, was a mentor. Bob and Monica were devoted to each other and, in his later years, Bob took on the role of caring for Monica when she developed a progressive ataxia. They celebrated their diamond wedding in December 2008. Bob had experienced a major cognitive decline over the preceding year and died, following a major stroke, a few months later. Of their four children, Edward is a tropical plant breeder, David, a community paediatrician, while Ruth and Margaret are both teachers. Two of their 10 grandchildren intend to be doctors. Bob and Monica were active members of the Methodist Church and were committed to ecumenical and inter-faith initiatives. In retirement, Bob was able to indulge his passions for walking, natural history and photography. Although by nature reserved, Bob as a TV rugby supporter was a wonder to behold! He had a lively sense of fun and a quick wit. He died at Hampden House, Harrogate, on 25 May 2009.