Louis Amos Bennett was born in Nelson, New Zealand, on 16 October 1896. His father was John Bennett, farmer and storekeeper and his mother was Annie, née Ryde. He was educated at Central School, Nelson and Nelson College where he was awarded the junior and senior national scholarships and the Fell Scholarship. He entered Otago University and was awarded a hockey blue in 1916 and 1917. He played for Otago in 1917. On qualification he was appointed house surgeon to Christchurch Hospital in 1918 and became resident medical officer for 1920-1921. In 1921 he came to the Middlesex Hospital and worked under John Murray and Sir Gordon Gordon-Taylor. In 1926 he was appointed to the surgical staff of Christchurch Hospital becoming senior surgeon and director of surgery in 1947. On retirement from the staff in 1957 he was appointed consultant surgeon. Two years later he was elected to the North Canterbury Hospital Board and became chairman of the committee for planning and completing the new clinical services and ward block. On retiring from the Board in 1974 he had served it well for fifty years. He was President of the Cancer Society of New Zealand 1958-1961. Bennett served in the RNZAMC 1942 to 1946, first on a hospital ship and later as director of surgical services in 3 NZ General Hospital in Tripoli and of Lieutenant-Colonel. On leaving Italy he had refresher leave in the United Kingdom before returning to hospital and private practice in New Zealand. He served on both the Court of Examiners and the New Zealand Committee of which he was Chairman in 1948-1949. He did everything thoroughly and enthusiastically and he was a meticulous operator with a great respect for the tissues he handled. He was the first surgeon in Christchurch to perform a thoracotomy. Deeply concerned about every patient he expected much from his residents. It was fitting that his many services to medicine and the community were honoured by the award of the OBE in 1968. In 1923 he married Annie Doris Charters whose quiet grace and charm complemented his restless nature. His wife predeceased him by ten years which was a great sorrow, but he set about in his usual painstaking way to keep his large house exactly in the same order as always and learnt to cook and entertain his friends. They had three daughters Ann, Priscilla and Jennifer and he was a devoted family man. He was a faithful member of the congregation of St Mary's, Merivale, where his wife spent so many hours arranging the flowers. He was always a knowledgeable and enthusiastic gardener and after retirement he became President of the Canterbury Horticultural Society spending much time judging garden competitions and speaking to various groups. He was a foundation member and an early resident of the Christchurch Wine and Food Society where he shared his deep knowledge of fine wine. He was known to everybody as 'LA' and to his friends as 'Jock', He died on 19 June 1979 aged 83 years.