Michael Reece was a consultant surgeon in Plymouth. He was born in Romford, Essex, on 16 March 1925, the son of Leslie Norman Reece, a general practitioner, and Mabel née Walker, a doctor's daughter. He was educated at Canford School and St Thomas' Hospital. After junior posts at St Thomas' and the Central Middlesex Hospital, he entered the medical branch of the RAF. On demobilisation he resolved to specialise in surgery. He won the Hallett prize in 1951 and went on to do registrar posts at Leicester Royal Infirmary, Sheffield Royal Infirmary and Bristol Royal Infirmary, working at different times for Illtyd James, J D Fergusson, Norman Barratt, Milnes Walker and R V Cooke. He was appointed as a consultant surgeon in Plymouth, where he continued to work until his retirement in 1989. He worked hard to bring the various Plymouth hospitals together under one new roof at Derriford. He was a true all-round general surgeon, notorious for his irascibility in the theatre, but always primarily concerned for the welfare of his patients. He married Patricia (Paddy) Edna Gibson in 1951. They had one son and one daughter, Louise. In retirement he devoted himself to the care of Paddy. He died on 29 August 2008 from carcinoma of the prostate.