Henry George Lowe was born on 13 September 1923 and was educated at Bolton School and the University of Manchester where he obtained the MB BCh degree in 1947. After resident appointments he became a demonstrator of anatomy as a preliminary to his surgical training, and he took the Fellowship in 1955. By this time he had decided to specialize in the orthopaedics and held training posts at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Hospital at Oswestry, and at the Cardiff Royal Infirmary. In 1960 he was appointed consultant orthopaedic surgeon to the Mid-Staffordshire Group, based on Stafford and built up a first-rate fracture and orthopaedic service. He established a reputation as a sound general orthopaedic surgeon, and his equanimity and calm control of unexpected complications was a fine example to his juniors. He was noted for his good humour and his sportsmanship, for as a student he had been an enthusiastic mountaineer, and later a keen golfer, skier and small-boat sailor. Unfortunately it was this latter sport which proved fatal, for he died after a sailing accident on 17 June 1972 at the early age of 48. After his early years in orthopaedics, when he had to move around, his wife and he were glad to find a permanent home at Brocton, which they were able to beautify by their labours in the garden. His wife and their two sons survived him.