Soran Chawishly was an associate specialist surgeon in otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at University College Hospital and the Royal Free Hospital in London. He was born on 4 January 1951 in Erbil, Iraq to Akram and Rasmieh Chawishly, their second son and one of six children. After completing his primary and secondary education in Erbil, he travelled to Baghdad, where he studied medicine at the Baghdad Medical College, University of Baghdad, graduating with a MB ChB in 1973. After obtaining his primary degree, Soran worked and trained in several Baghdad hospitals in the specialties of general surgery, orthopaedics, general internal medicine, paediatrics, accident and emergency medicine and otolaryngology, after which he decided to pursue specialisation in the latter. This decision led him to train at the Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital in Baghdad. After qualification, he worked as a specialist otolaryngologist in Ramadi, 110km west of Baghdad, then immigrated to the UK in 1980 to further develop his knowledge and skills in his specialist field. In the UK, Soran gained postgraduate clinical experience in several hospitals across London and Newcastle, gaining the DLO in 1986. He worked for many years at the Royal Free Hospital and, during this time, trained many junior doctors, several of whom are now consultants throughout the UK. Until his terminal diagnosis, he was working as an associate specialist in otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at University College Hospital and the Royal Free Hospital in London. Aside from the clinical training of junior doctors, participating within hospital management and administration, and giving lectures to general medical practitioners, he was an advocate for respect, recognition and fair reward in the workplace, particularly for staff associate specialist (SAS) surgeons. He was a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh’s SAS and locum consultants’ committee and was the SAS representative at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh’s surgical specialty board for ENT. He was a strong supporter of initiatives targeting workplace bullying, harassment and undermining, particularly against SAS surgeons. He had a wealth of knowledge regarding contracts, salaries and pensions, which he freely shared with his colleagues and friends. Soran’s philanthropic contributions included regular self-funded trips to Erbil, Iraq, where he would work with various non-governmental organisations to teach and mentor undergraduate and postgraduate medical students. He was a valued colleague and esteemed friend to many in the UK and Iraq, and over several years enthusiastically organised and coordinated popular reunions of his graduating year from his alma mater in diverse locations in Turkey and Spain, in addition to London. Soran had intended to retire in 2021 and was happily looking forward to enjoying spending more time outdoors, with gardening, playing golf and country walks high on his list of activities. He had planned to travel the world on a cruise as well as further pursue his lifetime passion of model cars. Soran was also planning reunions, with the one for 2020 intended to be especially memorable for the fact that it was due to take place in his ancestral homeland, Erbil, Iraq, but this was abandoned due to his sudden and short illness. He died on 22 July 2020 at the age of 69 and is sorely missed by his near and extended family and relatives, friends, work colleagues, patients and all who knew him. Soran was survived by his wife, two sons and two granddaughters.