John Romano was born on 24 May 1926 into a Jewish-Italian family in Cairo, where he was educated and subsequently qualified in medicine. His father Albert Romano was a barrister and his mother was Marie Afif. In Cairo he became fluent in English, French, Italian and Arabic, skills that he later used to good effect at international meetings. On 23 March 1950 he married Suzette Castro, a Frenchwoman, in Cairo. Early in his career he decided to specialise in ophthalmology and in 1954 he came to London and spent a year as a clinical assistant at Moorfields Hospital. He then returned to Cairo before emigrating with his family to England in 1959. He was soon appointed consultant in ophthalmology at Hillingdon Hospital, where he developed a special interest in glaucoma. Despite his heavy NHS commitment and busy private practice he maintained a link with Moorfields as an assistant in the glaucoma clinic until 1988, when he was obliged to take early retirement on account of continued ill health after a coronary thrombosis. Outstanding in his professional work, his quiet demeanour and great charm were appreciated as highly as his special knowledge and high practical skills. He had wide cultural interests outside his professional work and was a notable flautist, as well as enjoying golf and cricket. He showed great courage in a long terminal illness. He died on 9 October 1995, survived by his wife Suzy and daughter Manya, an Oxford graduate.