Stevens Dimant was a neurosurgeon in Washington, USA. He was born on 2 January 1919 in Christchurch, Hampshire, England the son of Cyril Ivan Dimant, an architect who had served as a captain in the 2nd Australian Pioneer Battalion during the First World War and had been awarded a Military Cross, and

Antony Andrew Jefferson was a consultant neurosurgeon in Sheffield. He was born in Manchester on 13 June 1922 into a family with a well-established medical tradition. His mother, Gertrude May Jefferson née Flumerfelt, was a medical practitioner/psychiatrist and his father, Sir Geoffrey Jefferson, wa

Lindsay Symon was a professor of neurological surgery at the Institute of Neurology, London University and the National Hospital, Queen Square who made important contributions to neurosurgical management, technique and training, and major advances in cerebrovascular pathophysiology. He was born

‘You can teach a monkey to operate, but you can’t teach a monkey when not to operate.’ Many, especially on the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies’ training courses, will remember John Garfield’s pithy one-liners. That was the epitome of John – serious, but everything had to be fun and w

Donald Simpson was born 91 years ago into a Unitarian family with a strong tradition of learning and service. He grew up in Burnside in the Adelaide foothills and travelled to school at St Peters College by pony or bike. He lived and died close to his original family home. His academic record was

Matthew Crocker was a consultant neurosurgeon at the Atkinson Morley department of neurosurgery, St George’s Hospital, London. He was born on 6 August 1976 to Elizabeth Crocker née Norton and Simon Crocker. Simon was a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist in Norwich, where Matthew and his siste

Glenn Neil-Dwyer was a consultant neurosurgeon at the Wessex Neurological Centre, Southampton. He was born in Kingston, Jamaica, where his mother, Violet Agatha Neil-Dwyer née Hussey, was a teacher in the local school. His father, Glen Shamrock Neil-Dwyer, was of the generation who left Jamaica to s

Robert David Weeks was born on 8 February 1927. He qualified in medicine at Oxford University in 1951 and trained at the London Hospital. After working in London as a senior registrar at the Middlesex Hospital and the Maida Vale Hospital for Nervous Diseases, he was appointed consultant neurosurgeon

Bernard Fairburn, the son of Lazarus and Leah Fairburn (née Margolin) was born at Christchurch, Hampshire, on 3 August 1916. He was educated at Bec School, Battersea, securing an arts scholarship in 1933 before entering the Middlesex Hospital Medical School in the following year. He qualified MRCS,

William Lindsay Elrick, the son of William Elrick, a public servant, and of Margaret Mary May (née Lindsay), was born on 20 February 1927, in Melbourne, Australia. After early education at Coburn Primary School and University High School, Melbourne, he entered the University of Melbourne, and gradua

Peter Schurr was a consultant neurosurgeon at Guy’s and Maudsley hospitals, London. He was born in Brighton on 9 December 1920. His father, Christopher George Schurr, was an ophthalmic surgeon and his mother, Lilian Nellie Schurr née Abell, had been a ward sister; they met at University College Hosp

Joseph Buford Pennybacker was born in Somerset, Kentucky, on 23 August 1907, the only son of Claude Pennybacker, a train dispatcher. His early education was at Knoxville High School, Tennessee, before entering the University of Tennessee, graduating BA in 1926 (summa cum laude). He followed the earl