Michael Joseph Ball was a consultant surgeon at the Mansfield group of hospitals. He was born in London on 21 February 1925. His father, Norman Dyer Ball, was a general practitioner. Michael came from a long line of doctors; his paternal grandfather was a medical missionary in Hong Kong, and three of his forebears had been Fellows of the College. His mother, Doris Bell Collier, was both a doctor and an author, and her father Joseph Collier had been a surgeon in Manchester. Ball won a scholarship to Gresham's, and then went on to Emmanuel College, Cambridge. He did his clinical studies at King's College Hospital. He had house jobs at King's, the Royal Northern, Barnet General and the West London Hospital. He was much influenced by E G Thin, W B Gabriel and Alan Small. He was senior registrar to Phyllis George at the Royal Free Hospital. He did his National Service in the RAMC, reaching the rank of captain. He married Elizabeth Katharine Boswell Illing, daughter of the Professor of Geology at Imperial College, in 1951. They had one son and three daughters. He was a keen mountaineer, following in the footsteps of his maternal grandfather, and his son joined him in this pursuit. He also enjoyed bird watching, skiing, crossword puzzles and sailing. He died on 1 February 2000, aged 74 years, survived by his wife, children and grandchildren.