Born on 16 November 1903, Max Ernst studied medicine at St Bartholomew's Hospital, where he completed house jobs and then spent a period at sea as a ship's doctor. He then settled down in Romford as a general practitioner-surgeon. At the outbreak of war he was rejected for military service because of weakness in his right leg, the result of childhood poliomyelitis. Instead, he found himself more and more busy, and opened up a separate surgical unit at Rush Green Isolation Hospital, which expanded until his unit had 100 beds. He retired with reluctance in 1970, but returned to general practice for another 10 years. He was a fine organist and a lover of boats. His wife Dorothy, who predeceased him, was also a doctor, as were both his sons, Peter and Malcolm. He had four grandchildren and one great grandson. He died on 11 July 2002.