Shashikant Chaturbhai Patel – usually known as Sashi – was born on 18 March 1939 in Eldoret, Kenya. His father was Chaturbhai Patel, headmaster of a primary school and his mother’s maiden name was Maniben. He attended Allidina Visram High School in Mombasa before moving to the UK at the age of 16 and continuing his education at Norwood Technical College in London. At the University of Birmingham Medical School he studied medicine from 1958, graduating MB, ChB in 1963. After working as house surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham and the Birmingham Children’s Hospital, he joined the staff of the casualty department of the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary where he was a registrar from 1964 to 1969. He passed the fellowship of the college in 1970. That same year he moved to Western Canada as, he was later to write, *I had got as far as I could in the UK [and] decided to migrate to Canada*. He never regretted accepting the first job offer he had which was from the Immacuata Hospital in a small town called Westlock in Alberta. With great enthusiasm, he introduced many local services that had not previously been available. He upgraded their equipment and underwent further training himself to provide laparoscopic and breast surgery. Initiating a programme of hip and knee replacement surgery and instrumental in getting the hospital its own CT scanner, he saved the locals from otherwise having to travel long distances for such services. Sashi also participated energetically in the life of the local community. A member of the Rotary Club, he was president for a year and treasurer for seven. He was also treasurer of the Canadian Tractor Museum Foundation. A keen and accomplished golfer, he also enjoyed playing ice hockey in the winter months. He was addicted to the TV programme *Dr Who* from its beginnings in the 1960’s. On 11 July 1963 he married Kokila (Koki) who was a qualified nurse and midwife. They had three sons: Suru (born 1965 or ‘66) who was a helicopter engineer, Anul (born 1968 or ‘69 an architect, and Deenu (born 1971 or ‘72) a mortgage broker. He died of severe septicaemia as a complication of renal dialysis on 21 January 2019, aged 79. His wife predeceased him and he was survived by their sons and three grandchildren.