Lucien Noel Bartholomeusz was born on 25 December 1910 in Colombo, Ceylon, the son of Hugh William Bartholomeusz, a barrister-at-law, and Alice Maude Jansz. He was educated at the Royal College, Colombo, and entered Ceylon Medical College on 29 April 1929 where he was a distinguished student, being awarded the Lucy de Abrew Medal for biology and the Rutherford Gold Medal for tropical medicine. He passed his final professional examination with first class honours, having already passed both parts of the second examination with honours. He entered the Department of Health Service and in 1944 he was appointed acting surgeon, Badulla; in 1947 surgeon OPD General Hospital, Colombo; and in 1948 visiting surgeon, General Hospital, Colombo, where he became subsequently senior surgeon. In 1936 he married Nora Bettridge Hancocks of Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire who was a State Registered Nurse. They had no children. Noel Bartholomeusz was awarded the MBE in 1953, having already received the Coronation Medal in 1952. He suffered from kidney disease and was treated by dialysis for six years before his death from renal failure on 25 November 1977.