Ralph Kerr-Gilbert died (January 2013) after a short illness at the age of 93. He was one of the pioneers who established oral and maxillofacial surgery in district general hospitals. He worked for most of his consultant career as a single-handed surgeon, who created and established a thriving unit, delivering the highest standard of care. Ralph was a truly open and honest person, for whom patients, colleagues, trainees and staff at all levels had huge respect and fondness. He was a team player, whose work ethic seemed boundless, rarely taking holidays, managing trauma and large volumes of elective surgery. A full week's work was rounded off by a Saturday elective list and usually a Sunday trauma list. Ralph was born in Grantown-on-Spey (January 1920), but brought up on Vancouver Island, Canada, and undertook his final education years and dental degree in Edinburgh (1942). He then joined the RAF and was based in Calcutta. He embarked on a hospital surgical career, taking his FDS Eng in 1951, but soon realised the need for a medical qualification and graduated from Dublin in 1956. Further oral and maxillofacial training posts in Cardiff and Manchester led to his consultant appointment in 1962 to Sunderland, also working in South Shields, Durham and Shotley Bridge Hospitals. He established one of the best postgraduate training programmes, which he ran for 17 years, before retiring in 1985. He was devoted to his family and he leaves a wife, Betty, his daughter, Katherine and two grandchildren.