Rupert Solley was born on 18 July 1910. At the age of 12 he won an open scholarship to the Grocers' School, and from there he won another scholarship to St Catherine's College, Cambridge. At Cambridge he belonged to a successful band: he played the violin, and they toured the streets on a beer barrel. During the second world war he was in the RAFVR. He specialised in urology and became consultant surgeon to Acton Hospital, having previously worked at St Peter's and St Paul Hospital and the National Temperance Hospital in London. In his latter years he twice won a hole in one at the Sandy Lodge Golf Club, and was a skilled handyman, dealing with everything from an electrical fault to dry rot. He died on 16 July 2002 after a fall, two days short of his 92nd birthday. He was survived by his wife, Doreen; children, Wendy and Anthony and grandchildren, Barbara and Jeremy.