John Holmes Tasker was born in London on 20 January 1917, the son of Dr Ludwig Tasker, a general practitioner, and May, née Gadsden, a registered nurse. He was educated at Epsom College before entering Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, in 1935 with the Haviland exhibition. After completing pre-clinical studies he entered University College Hospital where his father had been a student and he qualified in 1941 having won the junior clinical surgery prize in 1939. Shortly after qualifying he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps serving initially as general duties medical officer at Chester Military Hospital and 79th British General Hospital before being appointed ship's adjutant to the hospital ship *Empress of Russia*. Later in the war he served as a graded surgeon in North West Europe attached to 15th Scottish General Hospital and was mentioned in despatches in 1945. After demobilisation he passed the FRCS in 1948 and served as registrar at the Northern Hospital, Liverpool, from 1948 to 1949 and senior registrar to the Royal Hospital, Sheffield, from 1949 to 1955, when he was appointed consultant surgeon to Ancoats Hospital, Manchester, and the North Manchester Hospital. His work included both general surgery and urology and he maintained his interest in undergraduate teaching as medical students from Manchester were seconded to both these hospitals. He retired from practice in 1982 and was able to continue his interest in fly fishing and gardening, as well as a great love of classical music, especially Beethoven, until his death on 9 July 1989, aged 72. He was twice married and had four sons by his first marriage, two of whom are medical practitioners.