David John Lobascher was born in Perth, Western Australia on 17 August 1932 the son of Lewin Lobascker, an accountant. His mother Violet, née Bryan, died when he was young and his early education was at the Modern Medical School, Perth, before entering the University of Adelaide Medical School. He qualified in 1955 and after early appointments at the Royal Perth Hospital joined the Flying Doctor Service from 1958 to 1960. He then decided to pursue a career in ophthalmology and after spending four years as registrar at the Western Ophthalmic Hospital in London and passing the FRCS in 1964 was appointed assistant ophthalmic surgeon to the Royal Perth Hospital. Three years later he returned to England and was chief clinical assistant to the contact lens and prosthetic department at Moorfields Eye Hospital. He also practised privately in Harley Street and contributed to professional journals on the use of contact lenses in patients with aphakia. In 1960 he married Mary Evelyn Cowan, née Vetter, a clinical psychologist and the following year they had a daughter, Fleur who became a TV documentary researcher. He loved antiques and was a collector of Chinese ceramics. An enthusiastic tennis player in his early years, he had won the championship of his state. He was also interested in music, attaining professional standard as a jazz pianist. When he had been with the Flying Doctor Service in the late 1950's he was involved in rescuing the survivors from the atomic bombs set off at Monte Bello Islands and Maralinga and it was considered that he was irradiated at that time leading to his premature death from adenocarcinoma. Four other flying doctors all died within eighteen months of each other. He died at his home in London on 16 August 1984, aged 51 years, survived by his wife and their daughter.