John Leonard Hungerford qualified at Cambridge University MB, BChir in 1970. He did house jobs at Moorfields Eye Hospital and University College Hospital in London. Passing the fellowship of the college in 1978, he joined the staff of the Institute of Ophthalmology, Bart’s Hospital, as a senior lecturer in ophthalmology. Eventually he was appointed consultant surgeon at the Moorfield Hospital oncology clinic and consultant ophthalmic surgeon to St Bart’s Hospital. A pioneer in the treatment of retinoblastoma, for nearly 40 years he was active in supporting the work of the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT), formerly known as the Retinoblastoma Society. Not only did he manage to persuade Bart’s to provide them with a small office, but also gave his time and expertise. Colleagues remembered his commitment to finding new ways of less damaging therapy, particularly his early work with lens-sparing radiotherapy. He also introduced chemotherapy as primary therapy for intra-ocular diseases in babies and very young children and promoted the world wide use of radioactive plaques for eye tumours. Highly empathetic to the suffering of his young patients, he was also popular with their parents who had great confidence in his skills. One parent of an ex-patient recalled that when her 10 year old daughter was being examined by a new prosthetist the woman remarked *She must have been a John Hungerford patient – I can always spot his work – so neat and tidy*. He died on 31 October 2021 aged 77 and was survived by his wife, Yvonne, and family.