Plarr’s Lives of the Fellows

William Paaske was born on 12 June 1948 in Nikebing Falster, Denmark. He studied medicine at the University of Copenhagen and graduated in 1974. While teaching students about blood flow at the Rockefeller Institute in Copenhagen his lifelong interest in vascular medicine was kindled and he undertook a research project in radioactive tracers to investigate the circulation. Eventually he returned to the university with a scholarship carrying out research on the control of the peripheral circulation and the transfer of molecules across capillary membranes. It was then that he also began training as a vascular surgeon, apparently remarking that *it seemed to me that the life of a vascular surgeon could not be altogether boring*. Throughout his career he was keen to promote his specialty throughout Europe and was involved with the development of a training scheme and examinations etc. He was an early supporter when the European Society of Vascular Surgery (ESVS) was founded and worked hard when on its council to promote the maximum use of computerised resources, sometimes against the views of his fellow council members. In 2000 the college awarded him the FRCS *ad eundem* and he was president of the ESVS from 2000 to 2001. A man of great learning and intellect, his interests ranged from the classics to modern literature and philosophy and he enjoyed nothing more than to sit and discuss such topics over a glass of fine wine accompanied by a pipe or large cigar. He did not want to be seen, he said *as another boring doctor*. Extremely well travelled, he had numerous international friends whom he saw regularly. He died on 24 December 2016 aged 68.