Francis Leonard was born in Auckland, New Zealand in 1902 and obtained his medical education at Otago University, qualifying there in 1925. After various resident posts at Auckland Hospital he entered private practice in the same city in 1928. After two years he moved to England and again started general practice, but a year later decided to take up surgery and worked at various hospitals in and around London until he obtained his Fellowship in 1936. During the second world war he served with the Royal Navy at sea in cruisers and at the Royal Naval Hospital at Simonstown. When hostilities ceased he held the rank of Lieutenant-Commander. In 1948 Leonard returned to South Africa and commenced private practice in Durban and later became visiting surgeon at Addington and King Edward VIII Hospitals in Durban. In 1967 after the death of his wife he left Durban to take up a post at the Benedictine Mission Hospital at Nongoma, Zululand. He was at all times a most popular doctor and able surgeon being also a keen yachtsman and a lover of music. At the time of his death he was still active and met his death in a car accident on 21 August 1971, at the age of 69.