Neville Woolf was a respected pathologist, a dedicated educator and mentor, and made important research contributions to our understanding of the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Over almost 50 years he played a significant role in three London institutions – St George’s Hospital Medical School, the Middlesex Hospital Medical School and University College London. He was born on 17 May 1930 in Cape Town, South Africa and studied medicine at the University of Cape Town (UCT), where he qualified in 1951. His original intention was to spend a short period in pathology before embarking on a surgical career, but several factors intervened (although much later he became an honorary FRCS). Firstly, his interest was aroused in the accurate observation and reporting of pathological findings, and in how this approach could lead on to asking novel questions about underlying disease mechanisms. Secondly, the charismatic reader in the pathology department, Golda Selzer, became a mentor and friend, who encouraged him by her example of combining experimentation with clinical practice, and with engagement with students in an empathic way. An important element from his South African period was a very simple direct observation: there was as much atherosclerosis amongst the white South African population as there was in Europe and the USA, but there was none in the African population. He never did an autopsy at UCT on an African with coronary heart disease. During the late 1950's the established pattern of postgraduate training in the UK for South African doctors shifted significantly: young doctors continued to arrive in the UK, but were unwilling to return and work under the increasingly oppressive Apartheid regime. Like many others, Neville decided to stay in the UK. Inspired by his South African experience, his PhD research focused on atherogenesis. In 1974, Neville took up the chair at the Middlesex. He had a knack of identifying with the institutions where he worked, and for him this appointment was a ‘perfect fit’. He set about not only the physical refurbishment of the department, but also the ethos with respect to service, research and teaching. No task was too humble for him. He abolished the ‘ash cash’ system (remuneration for signing cremation forms) and integrated the coroner cases into the department, using the proceeds to fund conference attendance by colleagues and juniors. He also established an intercalated pathology BSc. He integrated himself into the life of the school parallel to the way he championed the integration of pathology teaching with clinical teaching. At the same time, he continued to explore the role of endothelium and aspects of its interaction with lipoproteins, prostaglandins and nicotine. The merger of the Middlesex Hospital and University College London medical schools was not an easy time for those involved. Neville was firm but courteous during the process, and earned the respect of his colleagues. His final role was as vice dean and faculty tutor of the unified organisation. He built up a team of administrative colleagues and he continued to work in that capacity until he was 75. He was particularly proud, too, of the MB PhD programme which he nurtured, believing that it embodied the combination of clinical and research excellence to which he was committed. Of all the aspects of his career, Neville’s chief interest was always his students. He loved them and took pride in all their academic achievements. He loved teaching more than any other facet of his work. He tried to emphasise the overwhelming importance of the word ‘school’ in medical school. He defended student interests wherever he could. At an individual level, he knew them by name, and they knew that he was a friend who they could approach about problems. Many dined at his home, and had wonderful memories not only of what he had taught them but also of how he had done so. Furthermore, even after retirement, engagement with education came naturally: in his late eighties, he was teaching French at the University of the Third Age. Neville’s relationship with Lydia (née Mandelbrote) was the defining one of his life: they had met as six-year-olds in primary school, married 20 years later, and the marriage lasted 60 years. She was a perfect companion, and the heart of their home and family. They adored their daughter Vicky, their son Adam, their grandchildren and their grand dogs, making every effort to support them at all times and in every way. Neville had a prodigious memory for what he had read, for details of Royal Opera House productions, and for London orchestral concerts, and Lydia shared not only his love of books and music, but also of cooking. It was after her death that his physical decline took hold. He died on 26 July 2019 at the age of 89.