John Simon Lekias was born at Northam, Western Australia, on 15 March 1921. His father Sios Lekias, a businessman, had emigrated to Australia from the island of Kastellorizo, near Rhodes. His mother, Despina Marcou, was a refugee of the Russian revolution who came from the Greek colony in Odessa and whose family were ship owners, trading in the Black Sea. He was educated at the Christian Brothers' College at Perth before entering the medical school of the University of Queensland at Brisbane. He graduated MB BS in 1946 and in the same year married Delecia Carlson Narracott, a nurse and private secretary. He was appointed honorary assistant surgeon to the Royal Perth Hospital in 1954 but at an early stage in his career became interested in neurosurgery and spent six months working in this specialty at Manchester Royal Infirmary, having been awarded a travelling surgical fellowship. Returning to Perth he was appointed neurosurgeon to the Royal Perth Hospital and served on the Hospital's board of management and medical advisory committee. He was also on the neurosurgical staff of the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children in Perth. In 1969 he served as a volunteer member of a surgical team sent to Vietnam by the Australian Government for the treatment of war casualties. He was a committee member of the Western Australian State Committee of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and President of the Western Australia Branch of the AMA in 1976. Apart from his professional life, he was a classical pianist and a collector of jade and paintings. He loved travel, especially to Greece and was an excellent cook. He died on 27 November 1983 and is survived by his wife and two sons, one of whom, Roger, is in general practice at Perth.