Andrew Higgins was born in Middlesex in 1943 and qualified from the Royal Free Hospital, London, in 1968. He studied surgery at Chase Farm Hospital, the Royal Northern Hospital and at the Royal Free Hospital. He married a fellow student, Jane, and they had one son and three daughters - one of whom is a doctor. During his training, he was a research fellow at King's College Hospital, London, but was disenchanted with research, considering some of it to be dishonest. His appointment at Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon suited him perfectly. He had been a keen fisherman and life in the country with his second wife, Joanne, appealed to him. They had two sons and one daughter. Andrew's commitment to practical surgery was enhanced by his life in a country cottage, a share in a French vineyard, and the joys of eating and drinking wine. Having been trained as a general surgeon, he became more and more committed to urology and also to minimally invasive surgery. His attitude to the discovery that he had a colonic cancer, with hepatic secondaries was typical in that he did not withdraw, but enjoyed the company of his friends, and he had many. He was open, trustworthy and likeable, and attracted friends easily. Andrew suffered the distress of chemotherapy and made a trip to Hong Kong to be treated by a distinguished friend who offered to try an alternative treatment. His final acceptance of his outlook was typically courageous. He died on 10 February 2000.