David Lightowler was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon in Billericay and Basildon, Essex. He was born in Horsforth, Leeds, on 30 January 1936, the son of Charles Lightowler, a company director, and Isabel Mary Lightowler née Buttle, and obtained a scholarship to Giggleswick School, where he excelled academically and at sport, especially rugby, which became a lifelong passion. After school, he gained a commission as a second lieutenant in the Royal Army Service Corps whilst doing National Service between 1954 and 1956. He then entered the London Hospital Medical School and qualified in 1961. As a rugby player David was a formidable forward and was captain of the London Hospital team and vice captain of the United Hospitals and had a trial for the Eastern Counties. Later he was to become president of the London Hospital Rugby Club and life vice president of the Royal Hospitals Rugby Football Club. He decided on a career in orthopaedics and stayed at the London for resident and registrar posts, gaining his FRCS in 1966. In addition, he worked in Johannesburg, which stimulated his interest in paediatric orthopaedics. He was appointed as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon to Billericay and Orsett hospitals in south Essex in 1971 and also to the new Basildon Hospital when it opened in 1973. His main interests were hip and paediatric surgery; he was a strong Charnley disciple and was one of the main instigators of hip replacement surgery in the area. He loved teaching and his enthusiasm stimulated a whole generation of junior rotating registrars to take up orthopaedics. He was a strong supporter of the Royal Society of Medicine and was president of the orthopaedic section and, after retirement, was chairman of the senior fellows’ society of the Royal College of Surgeons. As a colleague, he was delightful to work with, but of strong character and was always available for constructive advice, which was given in his brusque no nonsense Yorkshire way! He was a snappy dresser – always with polished shoes – probably a throwback from his National Service days. He lived in Stock, in Essex, and served as vice president of the local branch of the Royal British Legion. Away from work, shooting and fishing played a big part in his recreational life both in Essex and in Yorkshire and Scotland. He travelled widely on fishing trips to British Columbia, Ireland, Iceland, Slovenia, Russia and Kenya. He was a keen cricket follower and supporter of Yorkshire Cricket Club. David retired from the NHS in 1997 and moved back to his roots on the river Ure at West Tanfield, North Yorkshire, where he was able to host friends at the local angling club. He had a powerful bass voice and sang in the choir at Ripon Cathedral. He was married, first to Eileen (née Larkin), a GP, with whom he had four children, Caroline, Robert, Anna and Josephine, two of whom became doctors. David was a devoted father and grandfather to his 12 grandchildren and made sure his children had the best education possible. In June 2016, he married Margaret. Sadly, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer and died on 26 October 2019. He was 83.