Alexander David Lyall was born in Aberdeen on 13 November 1928, the son of Dr Alexander Lyall who was a physician and head of the department of clinical chemistry in the University of Aberdeen. Alexander went to the Aberdeen Grammar School and afterwards to the University where he graduated MB ChB in 1950. He then held house appointments at the Royal Infirmary prior to four years service in the Royal Navy. After that he returned to Aberdeen to work for a time in the anatomy department, and in 1958 as a surgical registrar to prepare for the FRCS which he took in 1960. In 1961 he became a senior registrar, and from time to time he did locums in Orkney and Shetland. In all these appointments he impressed his chiefs by his clinical acumen and his devotion to duty, and as his experience widened it was clear that he was a young surgeon of exceptional promise. He took a special interest in vascular surgery and made some original observations on mesenteric vascular occlusion. Physically tall and strong, he was an excellent rugby forward, an expert swimmer and mountaineer, taking part, in several mountain rescues. He was also a gifted artist and his paintings are valued family relics. He died tragically in a boating accident off Shetland on 21 July 1965, and was survived by his wife and four children.