Stanley Luke was born in Springs, Transvaal, on 27 May 1931. His father, Warwick Luke, was a mechanical engineer and his mother was Vera née Petersen. He was educated at the Christian Brothers Colleges in Boksburg and Kimberley, before studying medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. After serving as a house surgeon in the Far East Rand Hospital, Springs, he came to England to study surgery. He did junior posts at St Bartholomew's Hospital, Rochester, Acton Hospital, and the Royal Hospital, Sheffield. He returned to Johannesburg as a consultant surgeon to the Baragwanath Hospital in 1967, becoming part-time in 1970. He published on the management of 250 cases of carcinoma of the oesophagus. In 1961 he married a Miss Jeffrey, by whom he had three sons and two daughters. Among his hobbies he included collecting antiques and clocks, and playing tennis. His daughter emailed the College on 3 October 2002 to say that he was dead.