Leonard Barron was a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist in Newcastle. He was born in Whitechapel, London. His father, Lazar ('Louis') Barronovitch, was a tailor specialising in women's clothes and worked in the East End. He adopted the name of 'Barron', later formalising this by Deed Poll. Leonard's mother, Fanny, had a similar background: both sets of grandparents had emigrated from Polish Russia. In 1939, at the outbreak of the Second World War, Leonard was evacuated with his brother to Somerset. He returned to London in 1943 and went to the South East Essex Technical College, which provided the necessary syllabus for entry into medicine. At the same time he also served as an air raid warden. In 1944 he won a scholarship to St Thomas's Hospital Medical School; he sat this examination at Charterhouse School, the medical school having been evacuated to a nearby manor house. As a student he enjoyed acting almost as much as medicine and intensive rehearsing for the Christmas concert delayed his qualifying by six months until 1949! After house posts, he chose to specialise in obstetrics and gynaecology, his choice being much influenced by A J 'Joe' Wrigley. A general surgical training was a first, necessary step. He trained in Leicester and Portsmouth and became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1955. He then prepared for the membership examination of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) with resident appointments at Queen Charlotte's and the Chelsea Hospital for Women. He was awarded the MRCOG in 1959 and in 1970 was elected a fellow. He next became a registrar at the Weir (Maternity) Hospital and St James' Hospital, Balham. There he met Eleanor Evans, who was also a registrar. Eleanor found Leonard a little arrogant at first, but their relationship softened and they married. Leonard later became a senior registrar at St Thomas'. His first consultant posts were at the Prince of Wales Hospital, the Bearsted Maternity Hospital and the German Hospital, London - an unusual mix. He was not interested in personal gain and private practice did not attract him. In 1967 he moved to Newcastle. Here he was involved in important national studies, and undertook advisory work for the World Health Organization and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. He was internationally recognised for his expertise in rhesus disease and his research into the social issues of the specialty. He had a good rapport with students, junior staff and colleagues, and was always willing to stop and discuss problems. He was an outstanding administrator and it is said that he solved many situations on the hospital corridor. Not only were his skills as a committee man recognised, but his ability as businessman was also much valued. When he retired from clinical practice in 1991 these attributes were even more appreciated. He had been chairman of the Newcastle Area Health Authority and had served on many committees of the RCOG; after retirement he was invited to chair the Freeman Group of Hospitals NHS Trust. His work laid the foundation for the merger of the Newcastle hospitals into one trust. His interests were scholarly and wide. He was very happy to have become a 'Novocastrian' and embraced life in the north east. He became a member of the Pen and Palette Club, a club founded in 1900 for men with an interest in the arts, writing, music and the law, and of the Newcastle Choral Society. He enjoyed opera, the theatre and reading. He had a little less enthusiasm for gardening! Leonard and Eleanor enjoyed a very happy family. They had two children, Elizabeth and David, who is a fellow of the RCS and a paediatric cardiac surgeon in Birmingham. Leonard Barron died from carcinoma of the prostate on 17 December 2013, aged 87.