Raymond Herbert Kermutt, *Ray*, was born in the little town of Wagin, situated just south of Perth, Australia. In spite of being offered a scholarship to attend a more famous school in Perth, he moved to Albany at the age of 10 to attend a public school where his elder sister could keep an eye on him. After initially studying science at Perth University, he moved to Melbourne University Medical School on a scholarship and graduated MB, BS in 1949. He worked as a hospital medical officer at the Royal Melbourne Hospital for several years during which he gained his MS and the fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. He travelled to the UK in the mid-1950’s and, after passing the fellowship of the college in 1955, he cut short a postgraduate position as a surgical registrar to return to Australia. The following year he was appointed founding senior surgeon at the new surgical unit at Box Hill Hospital, Melbourne, remaining there until he retired. While at Box Hill he also ran a busy private practice and, having gained a pilot’s licence in 1963, he provided a service to remote areas particularly in Apollo Bay and Tocumwal. After retirement he joined a rural practice as a general practitioner in Cohuna and revived his skills in cardiovascular and respiratory medicine in spite of being, by then, in his 70s. He also carried out extended locum duties at places such as Christmas Island, Nauru and Castlemaine. In 2002 he was awarded the first honorary fellowship of the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine. An outdoor man, he relaxed during his working life by breeding cattle on his 200 acre farm in Whittlesea and also enjoyed playing golf. He died unexpectedly on 27 September 2004 following complications of vascular investigations. He was survived by his second wife, Jillian, and children Graeme, David, Gillian, Paul and Jonathon.