Tharwat Al-Hayo was a professor of surgery, surgical oncologist and general surgeon in Baghdad, Iraq. He was born on 30 November 1955 in Mosul, Nineveh, Iraq, the son of Idrees Sulaiman Al-Hayo, a school teacher, and Khayriyah Al-Hayo née Sallo, a housewife. As a young teenager he moved with his family to Baghdad, where he lived and worked until the day he died. Despite being one of the first high school graduates who qualified for a government paid overseas scholarship in engineering, he decided to pursue his dream and passion for medicine instead. He qualified from Baghdad Medical College in 1979. He finished his internship and residency in the state-of-the-art hospital complex, the Medical City, Baghdad, Iraq and then joined the Iraqi Army as a medical officer/surgeon. He served during the First and Second Gulf Wars in the field, and in secondary and tertiary hospitals throughout the country. He received multiple medals for his dedication and establishing excellence in surgical care. Despite the intensity of his military experiences, he managed to train and obtain certification from the Arab Board of General Surgery in 1989. His aspirations surpassed those around him, and he followed his dream of obtaining the fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, which he acquired in 2002. Since his early days, he aspired to perfection and inspired everyone to do the same. After retiring from the Army as a brigadier general in 1999, he decided to dedicate himself to education. He started his teaching career immediately at the Baghdad College of Medicine, the most prestigious medical school in the country. He became a professor in 2007. He was appointed as a supervisor of the Arabian and the Iraqi Surgical Board examination in 2003. He became a member of the court of examiners at the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 2015. He was a keen researcher. He had a staggering publication record of 24 articles and two books funded by the World Health Organization. He attended and presented at numerous national and international conferences. His dream was to re-establish the Baghdad School of Medicine amongst its international peers in terms of education and research. As such, he became editor-in-chief of the *Journal of the Faculty of Medicine Baghdad* in 2004 and remained in post for 17 years. He helped establish the journal’s online platform and included the journal in the Open Access Directory. He also helped establish the first oncology unit in the country and led the first Iraqi surgical oncology multidisciplinary meeting. He was appointed as the head of the surgical department at Baghdad Teaching Hospital in 2021. Tharwat had an avid affection for flowers and for his garden. He loved art and procured many paintings and artwork throughout his life. He supported many local artists as he aimed to reignite Iraqi art. He indulged in the ancient and modern history of Iraq and Europe. He was a happy traveller; his favourite country was always Iraq, but he loved visiting Paris, London and Vienna in particular. Despite his numerous health conditions, he continued to challenge life even more than it challenged him – living a full life to the best of his abilities. Through good and hard times, he motivated and inspired hundreds of medical students and junior doctors who chose to follow his footsteps into surgery, charmed by his enthusiasm, work ethic, humility, attitude to surgery and, more importantly, to life. His uncompromising nature, optimism, approachability, sense of humour, passion for teaching and kind heart, made him a beacon of shining light to his students, colleagues and to his own family. Despite all his achievements, work never distracted him from his immediate and extended family, and to them he was a mighty pillar of strength, kindness and generosity. Tharwat Al-Hayo passed away on 4 June 2021 at the age of 65 in Baghdad after a short but difficult fight with COVID-19, the pandemic that changed the world. He was survived by his wife, Etihad Salih (née Amash), also a doctor, and two sons and one daughter – all doctors. We cherish Tharwat, the father, the friend, the teacher, the mentor and the excellent surgeon he was. We are thankful for every minute we have spent with him, and we will continue to live up to his beautiful standards.