Ramesh Gandhi was a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon in Blackpool. He was born in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, on 2 September 1935. His father, Govindlal Jivanlal Gandhi, was a textile mill manager, and his mother Kamladevi Govindlal Gandhi née Shah was a housewife. Ramesh was the youngest of three children, although his eldest brother died of tuberculosis as a young man. Ramesh always stated that seeing his brother pass away inspired him to want to become a doctor and help others in a similar situation. Ramesh worked hard in school to obtain the grades required to gain admission to the B J Medical College, Ahmedabad. After graduating in 1961, Ramesh worked in medicine, surgery and accident and emergency departments in India. Then, in 1962, he went to the UK to gain further experience, with the aim of obtaining the FRCS. He worked in a variety of cities, including Doncaster, Glasgow, Kirkcaldy and Worksop, gaining a strong foundation in general surgical, orthopaedic and gynaecological skills. When he went to work in cardiothoracic surgery in Leeds, he knew that this was the specialty that he wanted to pursue and was particularly inspired by one of his consultant mentors, David Watson. He progressed to a registrar post in Leeds and was subsequently appointed as a senior registrar in cardiothoracic surgery in Cardiff. In 1978 he was appointed as a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, where he stayed until he retired from clinical practice in 1995. During his consultant term, he served as an elected member of the GMC’s disciplinary committee. He was also an advocate and mentor for international medical graduates, hosting several trainees from India as clinical fellows. Over the years, Ramesh made several significant contributions to the local area which had become his home. When he was first appointed as a consultant in Blackpool, he was tasked with developing a local cardiothoracic service, in particular for coronary artery bypass grafting. Along with his small team, he expanded the small cardiac unit to include two dedicated operating theatres, a fully functioning cardiac intensive care unit and specialty specific wards with outpatient and cardiac rehabilitation facilities. He later led a successful campaign to save the cardiac unit at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, which in the 1990s was threatened with being moved elsewhere. This success subsequently led to the building of the highly successful Lancashire cardiac centre as a tertiary referral centre for Lancashire and Cumbria. He also spearheaded the development of the Blackpool Victoria’s Macmillan windmill suite, a dedicated research and development centre for oncology and haematology trials. Even after he retired from surgery, Ramesh continued to contribute to the local NHS, becoming the director of fundraising and raising a massive £2.36m for the Blackpool Victoria’s MRI scanner appeal. His contributions to society went beyond medicine. He was a founder member of the Fylde Coast Hindu Society and was keenly involved in Water Aid, a charity focused on water, sanitation and hygiene. He was also a local councillor (the first Asian elected in Wyre), deputy mayor, chairman of the organ donation committee, a justice of the peace, a Deputy Lieutenant for Lancashire, a Rotarian and a volunteer health mentor. He was named Blackpool’s Man of the Millennium in 2000 and was also awarded the OBE for services to the community in the Queen’s birthday honours of 2007. He was very humble about his achievements, stating: ‘Being involved in so many charities and organisations is my way of relaxing – I like to help people and to get things done.’ He very much lived by his motto that you make a living by what you earn, but you make a life by what you give. Ramesh is remembered with great fondness by all who knew him, as a kind, humble and hard-working man, who would always find time to help others. In his last few years, he sadly became increasingly frail and, as was his wish, he died peacefully at home on 20 June 2024. He was married twice. He married Ramila Shah in 1961. They had a child, Mayur Ramesh. He later divorced and married Frances May Fletcher. They had two sons, Neil and Mark, a daughter-in-law Catherine, and a granddaughter, Charlotte. He was immensely proud of all his family, but Charlotte especially brought a great deal of happiness to his life in his later years.