'Uncle' Tom Griffin was born in Alton where his father, Thomas Noel, was a vicar. His mother was Mary née Rose. He studied medicine at St Mary's, where he qualified in 1934. After junior posts, he specialised in surgery and was appointed honorary assistant surgeon to Scarborough Hospital in 1939. On the outbreak of war, he joined the RAMC and served in North Africa. On his return to Scarborough, he was very much a general surgeon, for many years doing all the orthopaedics, until a full-time orthopaedic surgeon was appointed in 1958. His special interest was surgery of the gall bladder. He was actively involved in developing new theatres, radiology and pathology departments. Tom was a leading member of the British Red Cross Society in North Yorkshire, and was a churchwarden for many years. His hobbies were classical music and photography. He married Mary (Pita), née Gordon, in 1934 and she predeceased him. They had three daughters; Janet, Valerie and Anne, and a son, Richard, who became a nurse and works in Scarborough. He had five grandchildren. He died on 16 November 1998.