William 'Bill' Thomas took up skiing at the age of 40 and, enjoying the challenge, soon made himself a competent skier by sheer hard work. He died suddenly while on a skiing holiday in St Moritz on 26 February 1982. He was educated at Dulwich College and Pembroke College, Oxford, completing his clinical studies at the Radcliffe Infirmary. His postgraduate training included posts in South Wales where he took part in pioneering renal transplantation and then a period at Pennsylvania State University before being appointed consultant urologist at Preston Royal Infirmary. He threw himself into his work with characteristic enthusiasm becoming head of the department. He was a member of the British Association of Urological Surgeons, local BMA secretary and undergraduate tutor for Manchester University. He served on numerous committees helping to raise funds for kidney research. He was equally hardworking in many local activities in Preston including the Preston North End Football Club. Other interests included rugby, cricket and sailing. He was survived by his wife Dorothy and a daughter who was about to enter medicine. He was remembered for his enthusiasm, his kindness and his ability as a clinical teacher. He was very proud of his Welsh ancestry and a colleague remembers as typical of his kindness that he spent a long time calming the fears of an elderly Welsh patient by explaining to her in her own language what he was going to do.