Alan Boyd Holmes was a giant of surgical practice in Tasmania and a pioneer of urology in the state. He died on 13 December 2013, at the age of 87. Three weeks earlier he was snorkelling with his family in Queensland. Alan grew up in Sydney, where he was dux of Artarmon opportunity school, and

Reynold Francis Xavier Noronha or 'Rey' as we all knew him, was born on the island of Mombasa, in Kenya, on 3rd December 1940, the second son of a family of four (an older brother, Edwin, and younger sisters, Lydia and Bevinda). His parents, born and raised in the Portuguese colony of Goa (speaking

Paul Dawson-Edwards was appointed consultant surgeon to the United Birmingham Hospitals in 1957 and became a well-regarded urologist based at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and a teacher at the University of Birmingham. His interest in urology was fired by Hugh Donovan, and he formed an excellent unit

Sir Norman Blacklock combined several careers; as a distinguished surgeon in the Navy, later as professor of urology at the University of Manchester, and as medical adviser to the Queen on her official trips abroad. He was born in Glasgow on 5 February 1928, the son of John William Stewart Blacklock

John Bastable was a consultant urologist at York. Born in 1923, he spent his childhood in Cornwall and studied medicine at Birmingham. He qualified in 1945. After National Service, he was a registrar to Alan Perry at Poplar Hospital and then at the London Hospital, where he became senior lecturer on

Ray Carroll was a urologist in Manchester. He was educated at Belvedere College in Ireland, where he excelled at sport, particularly rugby and cricket, and in his final year was appointed captain of the school. He followed his father into medicine, qualifying from University College Dublin, where he

Martin Taube was a consultant urologist at West Wales General Hospital, Carmarthen. He was born on 27 June 1950 in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). He was sent to Peterhouse School in Zimbabwe for his education, proceeding to University College, London, and then to Westminster Medical School for hi

David Worthington Atkinson was a consultant urologist in the north east Thames region. He was born in Chinley, Derbyshire, the son of John Atkinson, an industrial chemist, businessman and former captain in the Army during the First World War, and Florence Mary Atkinson née Worrall. His sister, Anne

William Hong Choi, known as 'Bill', was a consultant urologist at the William Harvey Hospital, Ashford, Kent. He was born in Hong Kong, the third and youngest child of a naval officer. At the age of four the family moved to the UK, to Manchester. Choi was educated at William Hulme Grammar School in

Norman Gibbon was a distinguished urologist in Liverpool who made outstanding contributions to the management of the bladder in spinal injury. He was born on 12 October 1918 in Glasgow, the son of a marine engineer. His mother was a teacher. He was educated at Greenock Academy and then studied medic

Warwick Macky was the leading urologist in New Zealand for more than half a century, and a man of outstanding presence and charm. He was born on 8 December 1920 into a successful family of importers. His father, Frank Macky, who qualified in 1914, was senior surgeon of the Auckland Hospital from 192

George Nelson Perera was a pioneer urologist in Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon. His consultant career spanned the years 1957 to 1971, first as a general surgeon and then as a specialist in genito-urinary surgery. He had to overcome considerable opposition from his general surgical colleagues in order to