Laurence, the consultant who developed Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery services in Somerset, a gifted postgraduate educator, passed away on 2 October 2019. Born in 1931, the son of a headmaster, he was educated at Ashby Grammar School. He graduated from the University of Birmingham in 1955, followed by a House Officer post, which included a resident post at Birmingham General Hospital; this awakened his enthusiasm for surgery. He gained his FDS in 1958. He was awarded a Rotary Foundation Fellowship to the USA, spending 1959-60 at the University of Pennsylvania. The Fellowship included a lecture tour of Rotary Clubs across the USA. This honed his skills as a lecturer and raconteur, which became a life-long activity. He was appointed as a lecturer at the University of Manchester in Oral Surgery, working with Gordon Ashcroft, who in the previous year had published a seminal paper on effective exodontia with Patrick Pawsey. In 1965 Laurence was seconded to the New Mulago Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. There he gained ten years surgical experience in two years. He was appointed Consultant Oral Surgeon in Taunton in 1968, over the next 25 years he built up the maxillofacial service. Latterly he was appointed to the Board of Somerset Health Authority and acted as the bridge between clinicians and management. He retired in 1991. His retirement dinner was attended by over 85% of his ex- SHO’s. Not one to rest on his laurels, in retirement Laurence chaired St Margaret’s Hospice Trust in Taunton for 12 years, then became secretary to the UK Chairs of Independent Hospices and vice-President. He led the University of Bristol BUOLD Oral Surgery distance learning programme, with over 300 dentists gaining from his knowledge. He was on the governing body of Queens College, Taunton for 12 years. He lectured on a wide range of topics to local groups and was an active member of the Oral Surgery Travelling Club. He was a pianist, motor cyclist and attended the Hay Literary Festival. Laurence will be greatly missed for his compassion, wisdom and humour. He leaves a wife, Diana of over 50 years, two sons, Mark a Professor of Medical Physics in the USA and James an osteopath who was a lecturer at the University of Plymouth Medical School, and a grandson Tej. To them we extend our condolences. Those of us who worked for Laurie felt very privileged to have known him.