Gordon Donald Walter Murray was born in Ontario, Canada, on 29 May 1894. He was educated at the Collegiate Institute, Stratford, Ontario, and the University of Toronto. His medical training was interrupted by service in the 26th Battery of the Canadian Field Artillery where he reached the rank of Sergeant-Major. He obtained the MD in 1921. He did postgraduate study in London at St Bartholomew's and St Mary's Hospitals and All Saints' Hospital and also in the Hospital for Ruptured and Crippled in New York. He obtained the FRCS in 1926. He was appointed Associate Professor of Surgery at the Toronto General Hospital and ultimately became senior surgeon to the hospital. He was a pioneer in the field of post-operative venous thrombosis and was early in the field of cardiac surgery. He had a very distinguished career and had many honours given to him. He was made a Commander of the Order of Canada, Hunterian Professor of the Royal College of Surgeons, a guest professor in Sydney, Australia, 1957, and Honorary Fellow of the Royal Canadian Institute. He was given the Medal of the City of Toronto in 1964. He contributed much to medical literature having 83 articles in medical journals and was the author of three books including *Medicine in the making* and *Surgery in the making*. He married Helen in 1928 and they had one daughter who is an anthropologist and musician. In addition to his medical research and writing he was a good tennis player, keen fisherman and astronomer. He died on 7 January 1976.