Search Results for Medical Obituaries

First Title value, for Searching Greenfield, Bernard Edward (1915 - 2003)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by A G Alexander
Publication Date 2023-08-16
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010400-E010499
Occupation Dental surgeon
Details Bernard Greenfield died within a few weeks of his 89th birthday after suffering from Alzheimer's disease since June 2001. He was born in Hackney and educated at the Central Foundation School, Cowper Street, EC2. He matriculated in 1931 and spent a year in the sixth form before leaving to work in a general engineering factory. The long journey made studying for a BSc impossible and he was persuaded to change to dental surgery by his local dentist. He studied for 1st MB at Chelsea Polytechnic and passed after two terms. He completed his dental studies at the National Dental Hospital in Great Portland Street, passing the LDSRCS examination in February 1939. He was commissioned into the RAF and served in North Africa, Sicily and India. After the war he practised in Hendon, Harley Street and Queen Anne Street. He went back to UCHDS to teach conservation, at the same time obtaining the BDS degree in 1949 and the FDSRCS in 1951. He had an enquiring mind that needed much intellectual stimulation and he found this in the Physiology Department of the Royal College of Surgeons where he developed a lasting interest in the electromyography of the muscles of mastication. Bernard was a very popular teacher, he was deeply devoted and loyal to the students and never had a bad word to say about anyone. As a colleague he was stimulating and provocative in discussions with a very subtle sense of humour. He was fiercely loyal to UCHDS and to the old National Dental Hospital. For relaxation Bernard enjoyed gardening, walking and camping. He shared these hobbies with his wife Shirley, and continued walking well into his later years. However his passion was work and on retirement from the Dental School in 1979 he continued as Honorary Research Fellow and was invited to continue his honorary work at the Eastman on the closure of UCHDS, until 1998. He first met his wife Shirley at the Royal College of Surgeons. She worked as his dental nurse for 35 years and after he became ill in 2001 she nursed him devotedly through two very difficult years until a urinary infection led to his death in hospital on 9 July 2003. We will remember Bernard as a very private, modest and unassuming gentleman who made a great contribution to dental science. He was much loved by his patients, his students and his many friends. He will be greatly missed by Shirley to whom our deepest sympathy is extended.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010445
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Prophet, Arthur Shelley ( - 2003)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by A G Alexander
Publication Date 2023-08-10
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010400-E010499
Occupation Dental surgeon
Details Arthur Prophet CBE died on l8th October, aged 84. Arthur was Dean of UCH Dental School and subsequently Dean of UCH Medical School. He played a large part in planning the new UCH Dental Hospital and School that opened in 1963. He was educated at Sedbergh School and Manchester University where he graduated BDS with Honours in 1940. He returned there to obtain the Diploma in Bacteriology in 1948 and the DDS in 1950. He was a Fellow in Dental Surgery of the Royal Colleges of England and Ireland, and served in the RNVR from 1941 to 1946. He held a Nuffleld Dental Fellowship from 1946 to 1948. Arthur’s first teaching posts were Lecturer in Dental Bacteriology at Manchester and then Lecturer in Dental Surgery at Belfast. He was appointed to the Chair of Dental Surgery at the University of London and Director of Dental Studies at UCH in 1956. He became dean in 1974 and then Dean of the Medical School in 1977 until he retired in 1983. During his time he was involved in the many changes that took place in the re-organisation of dental and medical education in the university, including the closure and amalgamation of schools eventually incorporating UCH Medical School into University College. Arthur Prophet made an enormous contribution to the dental profession. He was an active and energetic committee man, serving on the General Dental Council, the Board of the Faculty of Dental Surgery, the Dental Sub-committee of the UGC and the Committee of Management of the Institute of Dental Surgery. He served on the Bloomsbury Health Authority and was a Consultant Dental Adviser to the DHSS. In 1987 he was made an honorary DSc at the University of Malta and was appointed CBE in 1980 for his services to Dentistry. In spite of all his commitments Arthur played an active role in his dental school where the students held him in high regard and affection. He dealt with their problems with great kindness and sympathy and established a fair and liberal admissions policy. He brought distinction to the school through his work, the eponymous lectures he delivered and his publications. His house surgeon post was the most highly sought junior post and many of his house surgeons have gone on to achieve great distinction. On retirement he moved to the New Forest and developed his golf and gardening, but he never lost his interest in dentistry in general and the progress and achievements of his students in particular. In the last few years of his life he suffered a disabling stroke, which caused him much frustration, but he bore it with fortitude and with the tremendous support of his wife Vivienne and their two sons and their families. It was a source of great comfort to his wife that he was able to celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary at the end of September. All his friends, colleagues and former students will miss him. Our thoughts go out to Vivienne and to his sons and their families.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010404
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Ticehurst, Richard Norman (1917 - 2016)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by A J Dyson
Publication Date 2016-05-12 2016-05-27
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009100-E009199
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381308381308
Occupation General surgeon Urologist
Details Richard Ticehurst was a consultant general surgeon and urologist in Hastings, Sussex. He was born on 3 November 1917 into an old medical Sussex family renowned for its expertise in English wildlife, his father having written the seminal work on swans. He had an older brother, Hugh, who became a local farmer, and a younger sister, Annie. After a preparatory school in St Leonards-on-Sea, he won a scholarship to Tonbridge School, from where he read medicine at Clare College, Cambridge (his father's old college). His clinical training was at Guy's Hospital, where he was the fourth generation of Ticehursts to qualify. He remembered that his obstetric training included borrowing the hospital bicycle and attending deliveries in homes among the poor, cobbled streets of Southwark. National Service was performed as a ship's doctor in the Royal Navy, stationed mainly in the China Seas. His family had been surgeons in Hastings for two generations and he had accompanied his father on ward rounds when he was a child in short trousers. On his father's retirement, he duly applied for the family post. His reference said simply 'this man has the best pair of hands in London' and his interview committee consisted of a hospital manager, his father and his grandfather. He was, not surprisingly, appointed and worked for many years at the Royal East Sussex Hospital in Hastings. He was an excellent surgeon, always calm, swift, confident and very skillful, but with the idiosyncrasy that, being a fisherman, he used only fishing catgut. He proved an equally good colleague. He had no desire to build empires, pretend to be a manager or to amass a fortune: he was simply a first class and committed surgeon. Country pursuits were in his blood. He began hunting at Cambridge, running with the university beagles and eventually becoming their whipper in, which he continued in Sussex. Richard was renowned as an excellent shot. He was a member of several local shoots and bagged his last pheasant at the age of 95. He fished, often in Scotland, mainly on the Spey, where he often rented a cottage from the Duke of Gordon. He was still fishing (to the horror of the local gillies) when he was 91. When he retired, he retreated to his beloved, rather ramshackle, cottage in the country, where he devoted himself to his garden and to country life. He was never sociable, but had a few good friends and was always generous with the odd brace of pheasant. Richard Ticehurst was the epitome of an English country gentleman. He had been an excellent, well-respected surgeon. He was a kind, gentle and modest man but, behind a shy, reticent exterior, he had a clear, intelligent mind and a prodigious memory. He spent his last few months in a care home, where he died peacefully on 12 March 2016. He was 98.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009125
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Lawson, Robert Alexander Murdoch (1938 - 2017)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by A K Deiraniya
Publication Date 2017-02-17 2017-08-24
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009300-E009399
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381494381494
Occupation Cardiothoracic surgeon
Details Robert Alexander Murdoch Lawson (known as 'Bob') was a cardiothoracic surgeon at Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester. He was born on 11 February 1938, in a farmhouse in Ardross, a tiny village in Ross-shire in the Highlands of Scotland. His parents, Margaret Perrins Lawson née Murdoch and Robert MacKenzie Lawson, had settled in Ceylon after their marriage, but returned home to Scotland for the birth of their first child. After eight weeks, they returned to subcontinent, and the family continued with their happy life in Colombo until the imminent threat of a Japanese invasion forced the evacuation of British women and children to South Africa for a couple of years. On their return to Colombo, Bob's father became ill with lung cancer and died on New Year's Day, 1945. With no financial support abroad, Bob's mother wisely decided to return to the safety and comfort of the family farm in Ardross. There Bob went to the local primary school, where he excelled, mainly, he would say, because there were only three in his class. From there he went to George Watson's College in Edinburgh, where he boarded for six years. Bob was forever indebted to the Scottish educational system for this and for the following six years at the Edinburgh University Medical School. After three house jobs in Scotland, Bob went to Sarawak for six months, where he had 'wonderful experience in surgery, medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology too, and life itself'. On his return to Scotland, he held senior house officer posts in the accident and emergency department at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and in anaesthesia at the Western General Hospital. This was followed by four years in general surgery at Bangour General Hospital, at the end of which a career move to cardiothoracic surgery saw him move south of the border to Shotley Bridge Hospital in County Durham. He spent 1972 and 1973 as a registrar at the Brompton Hospital. This was followed by a two-year fellowship with Albert Starr in Portland, Oregon, after which he returned to the UK to complete the last two years of his senior registrar training on the London Chest/ Brompton/National Heart circuit. He was appointed as a consultant at Wythenshawe Hospital in south Manchester and at Pendlebury Children's Hospital, Manchester in 1977. Bob was a caring, compassionate, committed and conscientious clinician; he saw his patients twice a day and at weekends throughout the year without fail. In addition to his work at Wynthenshawe Hospital, he shouldered a significant paediatric surgical workload at Pendlebury. This was an onerous undertaking considering the emergency component of that type of surgery and the travel involved. Bob was available 24/7 for his patients. He was an excellent clinician, a skillful operator and a gifted teacher, who contributed a great deal to developing cardiac surgical services. He was highly regarded and universally respected by his fellow consultants, nursing colleagues, trainees and patients alike. Many of his patients became lifelong friends. He retired from Wythenshawe in 1998, but continued at Pendlebury for three more years. He met and married Liz (Elizabeth Ettie Clark) in 1965 when she was a staff nurse on the paediatric ward of the Western General Hospital, where they both worked at the time. They went on to have five children and nine grandchildren. On retirement, the Lawsons moved to Blackburn, where Bob was able to indulge his passion of walking in the hills of Pendle. His enjoyment of hill walking was severely curtailed in recent years with the onset of a spinal disorder. He loved reading poetry and watching Scotland play rugby. For a number of years, he had a love affair with low slung sports cars. Despite bilateral hip replacements at the tender age of 45 or thereabouts, he could get in and out of his TVR and Lotus Elan cars with amazing agility and grace. When he could no longer manage the graceful entry and exit, he settled for a Skoda Superb. He travelled a great deal over the years with Liz and sometimes with his large family. Europe-wise, he loved Greece the best. Bob was a true Scot, proud to be so and loved everything Scottish, particularly the Highlands and the north west. His death came unexpectedly two weeks after admission to Blackburn Royal Infirmary on Christmas Day with an acute pneumonia. Bob was a loyal friend and an exemplary colleague of unimpeachable integrity; throughout the 40 years I knew him he displayed malice towards none and charity to all. He died on 10 January 2017, aged 78. He will be greatly missed and lovingly remembered by all those whose lives he touched, none more so than his wife Liz, children (Becky, Kate, Libby, Tom and Hannah) and his nine grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009311
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Brown, Ronald Frank (1925 - 2021)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by A Roger Green
Publication Date 2021-09-23 2021-11-18
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E000000-E000999/E000300-E000399
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/385014385014
Occupation Military surgeon Plastic surgeon
Details Air commodore Ronald ‘Ronnie’ Brown was a consultant in burns and plastic surgery in the RAF. He was born in London on 11 September 1925. His father, Oscar Frank Brown, was director of telecommunications research during the Second World War and prominent in the development of radar. His mother, Doris Kathleen Brown née Emery, was a medical officer in charge of the venereal diseases department at the South London Hospital for Women and Children. He attended University College School, Hampstead and subsequently gained a first class honours degree in physiology at Brasenose College, Oxford, where he became president of the Oxford Union (the first medical student to do so). He was awarded a senior Hulme scholarship and went on to complete his clinical studies at the Middlesex Hospital, where he won prizes in forensic medicine and public health. Having served in the Middlesex Home Guard during the Second World War, he signed on for a short service commission in the medical branch of RAF in 1952, and a permanent commission in 1955, retiring as an air commodore in 1989. During his 34 years in the RAF he served at RAF Halton, and at East Grinstead, being the last RAF plastic surgeon to have trained under Sir Archibald McIndoe. After a short time at RAF Ely, he was posted to Singapore, returning to Halton prior to a two-year posting to Aden from 1964 to 1966. He returned to RAF Ely, remaining there until 1971, when, on the death of air vice-marshal George Morley, he was posted to assume command of the burns and plastic surgery unit at Princess Mary’s RAF Hospital, Halton, where a number of Falklands War burns casualties were treated. He was director of surgery for the RAF from 1986 to 1989. He became the Cade professor of plastic surgery in the RAF at the Royal College of Surgeons of England and also held honorary consultant posts at St Bartholomew’s Hospital and Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. He was president of the section of plastic surgery of the Royal Society of Medicine, of the British Burn Association and the Military Surgical Society. He served on the council of the British Association of Plastic Surgeons from 1982 to 1984. He was elected as a freeman of the Worshipful Company of Barbers, and in 1987 was made an honorary physician to the Queen. He won the Kay-Kilner prize in 1963 for his essay ‘The management of traumatic tissue loss in the lower limb, especially when complicated by skeletal injury’, later published in the *British Journal of Plastic Surgery* (*Br J Plast Surg*. 1965 Jan;18:26-50). He also published papers on the cleft-lip nose (‘A reappraisal of the cleft-lip nose with the report of a case’ *Br J Plast Surg*. 1964 Apr;17:168-74), missile injuries in Aden (‘Missile injuries in Aden, 1964-7’ *Injury*. 1970 Jan;1[4]:293-302] and the history of plastic surgery in the Armed Forces (‘The continuing story of plastic surgery in Britain’s Armed Services’ *Br J Plast Surg*. 1989 Nov;42[6]:700-9). In 1990 he gave the McIndoe lecture at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, entitled ‘Fifty years in retrospect’. After retirement he was president of the Medical Artists’ Association (from 1991 to 2006). He also sat on the main grants committee of the RAF Benevolent Fund as a medical adviser. Ronnie became active in the Travelling Surgical Club (TSS), where he was described as ‘being most welcoming in a quiet unassuming manner to all those attending’. After moving to West Sussex he became a guide at Chichester Cathedral and, in 2007, he and his wife Margaret (née Treacher), whom he married in 1949, gave the only ‘husband and wife’ lecture to the TSS entitled ‘Enthusiasms – guiding: hymns ancient and hers modern’. Ronnie died peacefully on 18 July 2021 aged 95. He was survived by Margaret and their two children, Alison, a physiotherapist, and Anthony, who became the first professor of emergency medicine in Brisbane, Australia.
Resource Identifier RCS: E000378
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Miller, John ( - 2011)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by PJMC
Publication Date 2023-08-03
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010300-E010399
Occupation Paediatric dental surgeon, dental surgeon
Details John Miller, Emeritus Professor of Child Dental Health at the University Hospital of Wales, died on 9 July 2011. A gifted, kind, generous teacher, he inspired many students and was internationally renowned for his contributions to caries research and the understanding of developmental anomalies of tooth development as well as to children's dentistry. John was born in Chinley in the Peak District, educated at Taunton School and Manchester Grammar School then studied dentistry at the University of Manchester. He did his National Service in the Royal Navy leaving in 1948, marrying Mary Spiers, a nurse, and setting up a general practice in Congleton. He initially resisted joining the new NHS, as advised by the BDA; patient pressure persuaded him otherwise. He believed that all practitioners were in private practice but choosing to do a certain amount of work for the NHS. In late 1949 he decided to return to university to study medicine and went to visit Professor Wilkinson, the Dean, who persuaded him instead to join the teaching staff at the Turner Dental School where he gained his MDS and DDS. His research focused on children's dentistry and especially the management of caries in haemophiliacs. In 1961 he was commissioned by the *BDJ* to write their first series on dentistry for children. In 1963 he joined Professor Brian Cooke to develop the clinical training at the dental school in Cardiff, where he remained for his career. He was a pioneer in the development of training of consultants in paediatric dentistry, insisting that Senior Registrars spent time working with paediatricians during their training. Retiring in 1985 he took up making violins and playing golf. He continued making some exceptional violins (and one remarkable viola!) until 2000 which he gave to friends' children who were budding performers. He was happily married to Mary for 62 years, who predeceased him in December 2010. They had two sons, Ian an engineer in the power industry and Alasdair who followed in his father's footsteps and recently helped establish the Peninsula Dental School.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010387
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Mills, Richard Graham Stead (1943 - 2021)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Webster
Publication Date 2021-11-19
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010000-E010099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/385175385175
Occupation ENT surgeon Otorhinolaryngologist Head and neck surgeon Anatomist
Details Richard Graham Stead Mills was a senior lecturer in otorhinolaryngology at the University of Wales’ College of Medicine and a consultant surgeon at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. He was a multitalented man who proved a loyal and supportive colleague both to his ENT colleagues and the wider medical community. His outstanding features were his intellect, amiability and his quiet modesty, all cloaked in a mischievous sense of humour. He was the eldest of three sons of William Graham Stead Mills, a major general in the British Army, and his wife Joyce Evelyn Mills née Ransom, a military nurse. He was born in Shimla, India, on 18 August 1943, where his father was on active service in the Second World War. His early education was peripatetic as the family moved according to the whims of the Armed Forces. His secondary education was at Campbell College, Belfast, where he excelled at shooting and the pole vault. His preclinical studies were at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, where he met his wife Linda (née Jefferies), also a medical student, who subsequently worked in the Welsh Blood Service. He is best remembered at Cambridge for his acting as Tamburlaine the Great and Toad of Toad Hall. His clinical training was undertaken at St Thomas’s Medical School. His early postgraduate training was in Wessex in Portsmouth, Swindon and Southampton. It incorporated time at Harvard, working at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary with Harold Schuknecht, who influenced his approach to otology. His senior registrar appointment was based at the Royal Free Hospital in London with rotation to Guildford. During this appointment he was greatly influenced by John Ballantyne and John Groves. As a consultant Richard proved an excellent clinician and a thoughtful, meticulous surgeon across a broad field of head and neck surgery but was perhaps happiest in the middle ear. He took a particular delight in caring for children who responded well to his cheerful demeanour. For all his clinical expertise it is as a teacher that he will be best remembered. He provided a formidable combination of knowledge presented with humour and an ability to make complex topics simple. After retiring from clinical practice, he continued to teach in the anatomy department and was a key contributor to the development of the Doctors Academy, a provider of independent medical education and training. His easy style and humour made him a popular after-dinner speaker. At the Royal College of Surgeons of England, he was extensively involved with college affairs as an examiner for the primary FRCS, a teacher and leader of courses, but also as a specialty representative on the council. The courses that he ran were highly popular and long remembered by the participants, such was his charismatic teaching. Outside work his interests revolved around the natural world, with both birdwatching and angling featuring. He was a skilled woodworker and enjoyed canoeing in Canada, whence he was inspired to build his own canoe from scratch. Richard kept and maintained a distinctive Morris Minor, which made him easy to find. He was an active member of a local Probus Club. His final years were blighted by dementia. Richard died on 18 August 2021 at the age of 78 and was survived by Linda and two children: Alice, a consultant clinical psychologist, and Simon, who is a professor of music at Durham University.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010035
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Hopkins, Russell (1932 - 2020)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Adrian Sugar
Publication Date 2023-07-03
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010200-E010299
Occupation Oral and maxillofacial surgeon
Details Born in Sunderland on 30 April 1932, Russell Hopkins went to dental school in Newcastle, followed by dental practice in Hartlepool, Cambridge, Salisbury, and Southern Rhodesia developing an interest in general anaesthesia. Returning to an SHO post at Nottingham General Hospital including maxillofacial injuries, he worked for Tom Battersby, treating a population of 2 million, including all facial traumas. Russell worked hard, had natural surgical talent and gave the anaesthetics for two GA lists weekly in A&E. As registrar in Chertsey he came under the influence of Norman Rowe. Medical school followed at the Royal Free, with medicine in Croydon and surgery at Bolinbrook Hospital where he befriended his resident surgical officer, Bill Heald. After a senior registrar post in Newcastle, he was appointed consultant in OMFS in Cardiff, establishing himself with his then senior registrar, Khursheed Moos. Hospital consultants were held in low esteem by the dean and some academics and he was not allowed to teach students. They nevertheless queued to join his clinics and operating lists. He took over facial trauma management in Cardiff becoming chair of dental staff, and then medical staff, establishing joint clinics in orthodontics with Derek Seel, and in maxillofacial prosthetics with John Bates, and then significantly with Derek Stafford. He was proud of giving trainees quality surgical training and of their subsequent distinguished careers. In 1970 he married Jill and they had three children, Richard, Claire, and Robert. Russell sat on several national BMA committees and between 1985 and 1991 became general manager of the University Hospital of Wales, one of the first clinicians to be a senior manager. He rectified some deplorable conditions of the estate and took on vested interests that short changed the NHS and was awarded an OBE in 1989. President of BAOMS [British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons] in 1993, he went on to chair health trusts. He could be tough, provocative, and outrageous, but could also be a delight to work with. He wrote in his autobiography, ‘Some clinical managers forgot they were clinicians and that ethical and quality care of patients was their number one priority. Because of this an increasing number of NHS disasters filled the headlines’. He had no idea that he would become one of its victims. Eventually his medical problems caught up with him and he died peacefully in his sleep on 2 February 2020.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010265
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Hassan, Mohamed Ahmed (1931 - 2024)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Ahmed Hassan Fahal
Publication Date 2025-04-10
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010700-E010799
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/388709388709
Occupation General surgeon
Details Mohamed Ahmed Hassan was head of the department of surgery at the University of Khartoum, Sudan. He was born on 15 October 1931 in El-Obeid, Sudan, the son of Abdel G Hassan, a merchant, and Fatima Ibrahim Hassan née El Imam, the daughter of a merchant. He graduated from the University of Khartoum in 1958 with an MB BS degree and went on to achieve numerous milestones. In 1963, he obtained his fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and, in 1970, he earned a masters of surgery degree, also from the University of Khartoum. Throughout his career, he held various administrative positions within the University of Khartoum, including head of the department of surgery, dean of the faculty of medicine, director of postgraduate medical studies and head of the department of anatomy. His leadership and vision significantly shaped the landscape of medical education in Sudan. Beyond his academic achievements, his influence extended globally as a visiting professor at several prestigious institutions, including University College London, the University of Alexandria in Egypt, Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia and the University of Sana’a in Yemen. He served as an examiner for undergraduate and postgraduate students at renowned institutions, including the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of England and in Ireland, as well as the Arab Board of Medical Specialisations. The Royal College of Surgeons of England honoured him by bestowing upon him the distinction of being the inaugural overseas member of its court of examiners, recognising his esteemed status in the field. Hassan’s legacy continues to inspire generations of medical professionals through his extensive publications in various national and international scientific journals. His research has significantly contributed to advancing surgical practices and healthcare delivery. He was a member of several editorial boards, including the *British Journal of Surgery*, and served as editor of the *Sudan Medical Journal*. Additionally, he held leadership positions in professional organisations including the Sudan Association of Surgeons and the Sudanese Society of Gastroenterology. His extensive involvement in scientific conferences and committees demonstrated his dedication to sharing knowledge and fostering collaboration within the medical community. Hassan’s contributions to conferences and societies worldwide had a lasting impact on the field of surgery and medical education. In recognition of his outstanding contributions, he received numerous honours and decorations from esteemed organisations, including the Federal Ministry of Health in Sudan and the University of Khartoum. He was awarded an honorary fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 1996. Hassan’s unwavering commitment to excellence, evident in every aspect of his work, has set an unparalleled standard for aspiring practitioners. Whether in the operating theatre, the lecture hall, or the corridors of academia, his dedication to achieving the highest levels of proficiency has left an indelible mark on the ethos of medical practice. His passion for education was not merely a professional obligation but a deeply ingrained ethos. As a mentor and educator, he nurtured generations of future healthcare professionals. His wisdom, guidance and unwavering support instilled in his students a sense of purpose and a commitment to lifelong learning. Through his tireless efforts, he not only imparted knowledge but also cultivated a culture of intellectual curiosity and scholarly pursuit. His genuine empathy and heartfelt concern for others made him a true healer. Whether comforting a patient or offering solace to a colleague, his compassionate nature touched the lives of everyone he encountered. Mohamed A Hassan died following a short illness on 25 March 2024. He was survived by his wife Zeinab, a daughter, Hind, and two sons, Tarig and Khalid, who are also surgeons. His legacy of excellence, education and compassion endures in the countless lives he touched and transformed during his lifetime.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010753
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Scurr, Cyril Frederick (1920 - 2012)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Aileen K Adams
Publication Date 2012-09-07 2013-10-18
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E002000-E002999/E002800-E002899
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/375037375037
Occupation Anaesthetist
Details Anaesthesia was introduced into surgery in 1846 and for the first 100 years little progress was made. It remained essentially a craft learned by experience rather than a science. Full-time anaesthetists were rare, anaesthetics being administered by general practitioners or any hospital doctors. The 1940s were to change all this. The introduction of the muscle-paralysing drug curare not only altered the whole approach to anaesthesia, but demanded a knowledge of respiratory and circulatory physiology that scarcely existed at the time. It was the good fortune for anaesthesia that Cyril Scurr was one of those who entered the specialty at this time: over his lifetime he made a large contribution to its development from a craft to a science. Cyril Frederick Scurr was born on 14 July 1920 in Hampstead, London, the eldest son of Cyril Albert Scurr, a pharmacist who also practised as an optician, and Mabel Rose Scurr. He was educated at Finchley Grammar School and then the North London Polytechnic College, where he took a BSc before starting medical studies in London at King's College and Westminster Medical School. As a student he won the Abrahams pathology prize and the paediatric class prize, and, after passing his qualifying examination, he had to wait until his 21st birthday to become registered as a doctor in 1941. The following year he was called into the Royal Army Medical Corps, where he served as an anaesthetist in North Africa, Greece and Italy. He was demobilised in 1947 and returned to the Westminster as a registrar. In 1949 was appointed as a consultant. Variously described by family and colleagues as austere, shy and taciturn, he could on occasion reveal a somewhat quirky sense of humour. He was immensely far-sighted and hard-working, seeing clearly what needed to be done to bring anaesthesia into the forefront of medical specialties. At the Westminster he met others with the same passion, particularly Stanley Feldman, with whom he established a close collaboration. He enjoyed clinical research and had a phenomenal memory for everything he had read. Surgery was becoming increasing complex and in particular the introduction of cardiac surgery demanded careful research. Scurr was instrumental in setting up the department of clinical measurement at the Westminster. Here under Percy Cliffe new technologies and drugs were introduced, including new neuromuscular blocking agents, and drugs to induce hypotension and respiratory homeostasis. Scurr was fully involved with this, whilst he also collaborated with Charles Drew in the use of profound hypothermia for cardiac surgery. He was an expert anaesthetist who formed a close and warm relationship with many of the surgeons with whom he worked. He was intolerant of those trainees who did not meet his exacting standards, and they sometimes found themselves at the receiving end of some witty, barbed invective. With Stanley Feldman he published *Scientific foundations of anaesthesia* (London, Heinemann Medical, 1970) a textbook that became a classic. It was translated into five languages and ran to four editions. This was followed by *Mechanism of drugs in anaesthesia* (London, E Arnold, 1987), co-edited with W D Paton. Scurr was also on the staff of the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth, and played a major role in raising funds to rebuild it as a private Roman Catholic hospital in London. In 1951, with Robert Machray, he attended King George VI for his lung resection, carried out at Buckingham Palace by Sir Clement Price-Thomas. Scurr was passionate that anaesthetists should respond to the challenge of becoming scientists and it was no doubt his conviction that prompted him to extend his activities into medical politics. From 1961 to 1977 he served on the board of the Faculty of Anaesthetists of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (later to become the Royal College of Anaesthetists) and was elected dean from 1970 to 1973. As dean he served on the council of the Royal College of Surgeons. On committees he was noted for a dry laconic manner that 'wouldn't put up with any chit-chat'. From 1976 to 1978 he was president of the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland (AAGBI) and from 1978 to 1979 he was president of the anaesthesia section of the Royal Society of Medicine. During this period Scurr became involved in several important initiatives. These included the original Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Deaths in 1982, that led on to the present National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death, to which all those involved in operative and perioperative care contribute. With AAGBI he took part in the development of a scheme whereby sick doctors may obtain confidential advice about their problems in a non-threatening way. And, with the General Medical Council, he helped to establish a means of assessing the language qualifications of foreign doctors. He served on numerous national committees and was awarded many medals, prizes and lectureships. Scurr's personal interests were photography and gardening. He was very much a 'home' man who seldom went far afield, not even to visit local places of interest. His refusal to travel meant that he was not as well-known on the international circuit as he should have been. On demobilisation in 1947 he had married Isabel Jean Spiller, the daughter of Leonard Spiller of New Barnett. They had four children - Judith Ann, a cytopathologist in Swindon, Martin John, a general practitioner in London and adviser to the *Dr Martin* TV series and the *Daily Mail*, David, a retired architect, and Andrew James, an anaesthetist and intensive care specialist in Ealing. Cyril Scurr had a long retirement and died on 6 July 2012 aged 91.
Resource Identifier RCS: E002854
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Adlington, Peter (1932 - 2011)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Alan Bracewell
Publication Date 2012-01-12 2012-12-20
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001800-E001899
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/374036374036
Occupation ENT surgeon
Details Peter Adlington was an ear, nose and throat surgeon to the West and East Dorset Health Authorities between 1969 and 1997. He was born in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, on 8 April 1932. His father Basil was an ear, nose and throat surgeon and a general practitioner, and also a fellow of the College. His mother was Katherine Adlington née Williams. Peter went to school at Worcester Royal Grammar School and then attended Epsom College from 1945 to 1950, where he was captain of rugby. His family had a strong connection with King's College Hospital. His father had trained there, his aunt was a nurse at King's, as was Peter's future wife, Margaret. Peter went to King's College Hospital Medical School in 1950 and qualified in 1956. After pre-registration house officer posts he joined the Parachute Regiment to carry out his National Service and later transferred to the SAS and saw active service in Malaya and Oman. On returning to civilian life, he was Leverhulme research lecturer in the department of anatomy at the Royal College of Surgeons and, between 1976 and 1982, was examiner in part one of the diploma in otolaryngology. He held various training posts in London, before becoming a senior registrar in the ENT department at King's College Hospital. There he worked for Sir Terence Cawthorne, William Daggett and Roland Lewis. He was appointed to his consultant post in Dorset in 1968. Until his arrival the consultant at West Dorset was single-handed and Peter's time was split between Weymouth and Poole General Hospital. After about 10 years another full-time consultant was appointed in West Dorset and Peter then spent all his time centred on Poole Hospital. He took part in all aspects of the ENT department's work at Poole, taking a particular interest in education and the training of the junior staff. He specialised in reconstructive nasal surgery, and his colleagues referred this work to him. He undertook research projects throughout his career, publishing 12 papers. In 1967 he investigated the ultrastructure of the saccus endolymphaticus at a time when surgical decompression of the saccus was thought to be helpful in the management of Ménière's disease (*J Laryngol Otol* 1967 Jul;81[7]:759-76). He carried out a controlled study of adenotonsillectomy in children, which was published in 1967 (*J Laryngol Otol* 1967 Jul;81[7]:777-90) and subsequently, with consultant colleagues and senior registrars, investigated the bacteriology and virology of secretory otitis media (*J Laryngol Otol* 1969 Feb;83[2]:161-73, (*J Laryngol Otol* 1980 Feb;94[2]:191-6). As part of his interest in reconstructive nasal surgery he investigated the effect of the preparation of cartilage grafts on their long-term survival by implanting differently prepared grafts in laboratory animals. When he first moved to Dorset he lived in the village of Horton, which was conveniently situated for the road journey to Weymouth and Poole. In Horton he had a large garden, which he continued to develop during his time there. He was always keen on sport, played rugby at school and for the United Hospitals team when he was a student. He was a good tennis player and went on playing almost to his retirement. He took up cycling in retirement, undertaking several of the long distance national routes and made cycling tours in Thailand, Italy and regular trips to France He retired in 1997 and moved to Wootton St Lawrence to be closer to one of his daughters. He developed a rare, slowly degenerative neurological illness and died on 29 September 2011. He was survived by his wife Margaret née Jefferies, whom he married in 1968, and their two daughters, one of whom is a consultant in genitourinary medicine.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001853
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Irvine, Sir Donald Hamilton (1935 - 2018)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Alan Craft
Publication Date 2019-03-04
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009500-E009599
Occupation General practitioner
Details Sir Donald Irvine was an outstanding general practitioner who throughout his career was at the heart of changing the relationship between the public and their doctors. He was the first, and so far only, general practitioner to become president of the General Medical Council (GMC). He was responsible for a seismic change in the philosophy of the GMC, from one of protecting doctors to that of protecting patients. He was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, the son of Andrew Bell Hamilton Irvine, a general practitioner, and Dorothy Mary Irvine née Buckley, and grew up in Ashington, a mining town in Northumberland, in a house which was integral with the surgery. He therefore had early exposure to many aspects of medicine. He recalls in his memoir, *Medical professionalism and the public interest, reflections on a life in medicine* (London, Royal College of Practitioners Heritage Committee, 2018), that the practice was part of the family’s life and that everything fitted around the patients. At the age of ten, he developed rheumatic fever whilst on holiday in Edinburgh and he spent many months 100 miles from home. He recalled years later that the one thing that stuck in his mind from this time was the trust that he had in the doctor looking after him, Charles McNeil, because his manner and way of talking made him believe everything that was said. He was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School in Morpeth and then Durham University, where he qualified in 1958. In spite of encouragement to specialise, he was determined to join his father in general practice in Ashington. He did not do National Service because of his history of rheumatic fever. In the early years of the NHS general practice was very much the poor relation. Churchill’s doctor, Lord Moran, stated in 1958 that general practice was the place that doctors landed when they fell off the hospital ladder. This stung young Irvine. The recognition that standards needed to improve in general practice had been part of the stimulus for the formation of the College of General Practitioners in 1952 and his father was a founder member. At the age of 33, Irvine found himself as secretary to the College and from that time built a base from which he could fulfil his dream of making general practice an equal partner in the delivery of modern medicine. In those post war years, which of course saw the beginning of the NHS, a young doctor could enter general practice after only a year of hospital posts and never need to undertake any further training or recertification until they retired. This was clearly not good enough. John Walker at Newcastle University Medical School had worked hard to establish general practice in the undergraduate medical curriculum and he then turned his hand to postgraduate education, working with Irvine. A three-year vocational training for general practice was led by what was by then the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and Irvine was at the forefront of this. It was organised on a regional basis and he led that in the North. Recognising that there were no standards for general practice, he led a major study harnessing most of the northern region GPs and hospital paediatricians. He showed that it was possible to set standards for the care of children. He became chairman of the council of the RCGP and through that position was able to develop his ideas around improving professionalism, but it was on the wider stage of the GMC that he was to have most influence. Here he met the lawyer Sir Ian Kennedy, who had somewhat antagonised the medical profession with his 1980 Reith Lectures ‘Unmasking medicine’. Irvine had seen these lectures as a breath of fresh air, particularly their call to make the patient, rather than the doctor, the centre of care. Kennedy joined a small group with Irvine to revise the code of practice of doctors. Irvine’s vision was to change radically the GMC’s, and hence doctors’, approach to ethics. The crucial insight was to talk about what the ‘good doctor’ should do. At a stroke this shifted a cultural approach, which had been geared to telling doctors what they should NOT do, to one which emphasised what they should do. The result was the guideline *Good medical practice*, which, with regular revisions, continues to guide the practice of all doctors working in the UK. The GMC at that time had around 110 members, most of whom were elected, and only 11 non-doctors. The British Medical Association, the doctors’ trade union, had a large influence in those who were elected. It is not surprising therefore that there was considerable hostility to these changes. That there was any change was down to Irvine’s commitment to do good by patients, his toughness and a deal of charm. His cause was helped by several high profile medical scandals, including errant practice by doctors such as the gynaecologists Rodney Ledward and Richard Neale, the case of the serial killer Harold Shipman, and ‘Bristol’. It became known through a whistle blower that the results for children’s heart surgery in Bristol were substantially worse than they should have been. Three of the doctors involved were suspended and referred to the GMC. Irvine himself chaired the disciplinary panel, which found the doctors guilty and two were struck off the register. There was considerable media and public attention, which led to an inquiry led by Sir Ian Kennedy. Irvine gave evidence, not about the specific issues thrown up by Bristol, but about the prevailing paternalistic culture amongst the medical profession and what changes might be called for. Kennedy recalls that his sense was that Irvine was weighed down by the burden of what Bristol was exposing regarding a ‘club’ culture, the stifling of unwelcome views, the bullying and oppressive management, all of which he felt personally both responsible for and affronted by. His strongly expressed ideas were very influential in the direction that the Kennedy report took about education and training of doctors, and the need for patients to be at the centre. The Bristol report also gave Irvine external validation of the need to press ahead with change. The GMC council, however, remained hostile, but the appointment of a new chief executive, and political threats that if the GMC did not reform it would be abolished, were sufficient to precipitate reform of the composition and *modus operandi* of the organisation. His tenure as chairman was a bruising time and he had to survive a vote of no confidence and challenge to his leadership. He left seven months earlier than he might have done. His presidency was an unhappy period and not the obvious pinnacle of his career that it should have been. His book *The doctors’ tale: professionalism and public trust* (Abingdon, Radcliffe Medical), published in 2003, records this period of his life. He remembers 2000 as an *annus horribilis* for the GMC, a year which included high profile conduct proceedings, tensions within and between medical tribes, and significant pressure from government. Not surprisingly, his book received a mixed reception from the medical profession, but was received more favourably by the public. The overall result was a move to an independent GMC, which still exists but now with a clear focus on protecting patients as well as the education and training of doctors. It was slimmed down, with more lay representation and much strengthened conduct procedures. A move to revalidation, with doctors having to undergo revalidation, is also a result of the change of culture started by Irvine. Loie Hanscomb, of the US Picker Institute, recalls that as a doctor Irvine had a deep understanding of the importance of the human relationship between patient and physician. He was a pioneer, not only in the UK but in the US, through his work with the Picker Institute. In 2017, the American Board of Medical Specialties awarded him the prestigious Health Care Quality and Safety award, which recognises extraordinary achievement, with a particular focus on physician performance and professionalism. He made an indelible mark on the patient-centred care movement. He was tall, always immaculately dressed, unceasingly polite and described as a true gentleman. His hobbies included gardening (where he would wear kid leather gloves), birdwatching and walking in the Northumberland countryside. He had two sons and one daughter by his first wife, Margaret McGuckin, whom he married in 1960. They divorced in 1983. His second marriage to Sally Fountain was in 1986. They divorced in 2004 and he married his third wife Cynthia Rickitt in 2007. His last two years were marred by ill health with cardiac and renal failure. Cynthia, a nurse, managed his home dialysis and looked after him with immense dedication and devotion.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009581
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Shanahan, Mark Xavier (1932 - 2008)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Alan E Farnsworth
Publication Date 2016-07-27 2016-08-04
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009100-E009199
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381379381379
Occupation Cardiothoracic surgeon
Details Mark Xavier Shanahan was one of the distinguished surgeons who pioneered the field of Cardiothoracic Surgery at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney from the mid 1950's. He was selected to join Harry Windsor on the Hospital staff in 1963, and together with Harry, perceived the talents of Victor Chang as a Resident Medical Officer, and had him appointed to the senior staff in 1972. Mark had a stellar career at school, being top of his class at St Joseph's College Hunters Hill, before entering Sydney University at the age of 15. He graduated with Honours at the age of 21, and undertook Residency training at St Vincent's Hospital in 1953. With Harry Windsor's encouragement, he took a position at St Helier Hospital London, leading to a position of Senior Surgical Registrar before working at St Francis Hospital, New York prior to returning to St Vincent's Hospital as an Honorary Cardiothoracic Surgeon in 1963. With Harry Windsor and Victor Chang, Mark pioneered many advances in cardiac surgery, including valve replacement, coronary artery surgery, early valve replacement for endocarditits, positive pressure ventilation for crushed chest injury, mechanical heart assistance and repair of defects following myocardial infarction. Mark was one of a group to first identify subacute heart rupture after myocardial infarction and correct this with excellent long-term survival. He also played a major role in the introduction of cardiac transplantation with Harry Windsor and Victor Chang. Mark was extremely gifted in many ways. He was a brilliant student. During his medical Residency he was a vocalist with a jazz band. He was also an excellent sportsman and at school was an A Grade cricketer and in latter years a low handicap golfer and senior surf ski champion. Mark was revered by those who worked with him. He never expected more of others than he did of himself. He was a superb teacher and wonderful mentor. He felt deeply for his patients, staff and colleagues, and often pressed their causes to the limit. His personal leadership built up nursing and paramedical teams with groups of cardiologists and anaesthetists, which formed a cardiac surgical service as good as any. Mark died of metastatic carcinoma of the thyroid. He was attended by St Vincent's Hospital staff throughout his long illness and, at his request went home to Merimbula from St Vincent's to be with his family and friends just days before his death. He is survived by his wife, Josephine. He had 4 children, Antoinette, William, Melanie (deceased) and Paul, and 8 grandchildren. His funeral occurred in Merimbula on August 14 attended by Australian and overseas colleagues, former patients, and friends from his local community. He will be remembered as a fine surgeon, a great colleague, role model and as a generous, thoughtful, dedicated and deeply spiritual human being.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009196
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Watt, Sir James (1914 - 2009)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Alan Green
Publication Date 2011-05-05
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001100-E001199
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373347373347
Occupation General surgeon
Details Sir James Watt was medical director general of the Royal Navy. During his long and distinguished career he was a delightful, scholarly contributor to the Travelling Surgical Society, with which he first went as a guest on the club's visit to Heidelberg in May 1965 when he was a surgeon commander. He was promoted to surgeon rear admiral and became the first dean of naval medicine and founder of the Institute of Naval Medicine based at Alverstoke, Gosport. By 1972, he had been promoted to surgeon vice admiral and became medical director general (naval), a post he held with distinction until 1977, being knighted in 1975. James Watt was born in Morpeth, Northumberland, on 19 August 1914. His parents were Sarah and Thomas Watt, a teacher and businessman respectively, the latter distantly related to the engineer James Watt. A great grandfather married a descendant of John Knox of Edinburgh and an uncle was a director of Eastman Kodak, USA, and was responsible for the early development of colour photography. James attended King Edward VI Grammar School in Morpeth and was awarded the governor's prize in two successive years for declamation, perhaps an augur for future lecturing. Qualifying in 1938 from Durham University, James was a house surgeon at Ashington Hospital and then a resident medical officer at the Princess Mary Maternity Hospital in Newcastle. He served during the Second World War with the Royal Navy. From January 1941 to September 1942, he was a surgeon lieutenant commander on the cruiser HMS *Emerald* in the Far East until the fall of Singapore. His next posting was on North Atlantic convoys aboard the destroyer HMS *Roxborough*, which had many casualties on which he operated, being held up by an orderly, during one of the worst storms in living memory. After a short respite in February 1944 on HMS *Asbury* at the Royal Navy base in New Jersey, USA, James returned to the Far East aboard the aircraft carrier HMS *Arbiter* from 1944 to 1947, during which time he was mentioned in despatches. Following his demobilisation, in 1947 he returned to the Royal Victoria Hospital as a surgical registrar. Two years later, he then returned to the Royal Navy and served on HM hospital ship *Maine* during the Korean War, and later as a surgical specialist to the Royal Naval Hospital in Hong Kong from 1953 to 1955, the year in which he obtained the FRCS. The next year he became a consultant in surgery to RN Hospital, Plymouth, then Malta (1961) and Haslar (1963), before being appointed the first joint professor of naval surgery to the Royal College of Surgeons of England and RN Hospital Haslar (1965 to 1969). He was made dean of naval medicine and medical officer in charge of the Institute of Naval Medicine from 1969 to 1972, and was then director general (naval) from 1972 to 1977. During his career, he published widely on subjects as diverse as burns, cancer chemotherapy, peptic ulceration and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Showing an early interest in the history of medicine, many articles and lectures followed in this field and involved much painstaking research, his scholarship being evident to many learned societies. These included a biography of James Ramsay (1733-1789), whom he described as a naval surgeon, naval chaplain and morning star of the Anti-Slavery Movement in his guest lecture to the Travelling Surgical Society in 1992 at RNH Haslar. In 1995, in Israel, he lectured on mediaeval pilgrims and Crusaders and their bequests to surgery in a presentation which was both erudite and humorous. He was a member of the British Society for Surgery of the Hand, the International Society for Burns Injuries and was a corresponding member of the Surgical Research Society from 1966 to 1977. He supported many other associations and societies, including the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland. A fellow of the Medical Society of London, he became a member of the council from 1976 and was president in the year 1980 to 1981. He gave the Lettsomian lectures in 1979 and was elected a trustee. He was responsible for the re-organisation of the library and selling the valuable books to the Wellcome Institute, thereby guaranteeing the future of the Society. In 2009 he was elected an honorary fellow, a rare honour. James Watt was made an honorary freeman of the Worshipful Company of Barbers in 1978. He delivered the prestigious Thomas Vicary lecture at the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1974. A fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, he was president (its 91st) during the active rebuilding programme (1982 to 1984), and was made an honorary fellow in 1998 for his many major contributions. His administrative flair and commitment were recognised in several spheres, including the environmental medicine research committee. He was a governor of Epsom College from 2000, becoming its vice president. From 1983 he was vice-president of the Society for Nautical Research and in 1996 he was president of the Smeatonian Society of History at the University of Calgary, where he had been made an honorary member in 1978. His eclectic interests resulted in over 100 publications on surgery, burns and history, especially of nautical medicine. He edited and contributed to four books including *Starving sailors: the influence of nutrition upon naval and maritime history* (London, National Maritime Museum, 1981) and *Talking health: conventional and complementary approaches* (Royal Society of Medicine Services, 1988), wrote five articles in the *Dictionary of National Biography* and three chapters in a two volume book *Meta incognita, a discourse of discovery: Martin Frobisher's Arctic expedititions, 1576-1578* (Canadian Museum of Civilization, 1999), which won the Canadian prize for maritime history in 2000. He served on the editorial board of the *British Journal of Surgery* from 1966 to 1977. Researches on Nelson took him on regular trips to libraries in Paris and culminated in a lecture to the Worshipful Company of Barbers in 2005, on surgery at the Battle of Trafalgar - surely a major undertaking for a man approaching his 90th year, celebrated in due style by the section of history of the Royal Society of Medicine. The published version entitled 'Surgery at Trafalgar' makes fascinating reading in *The Mariner's Mirror* of May 2005 (Vol.91 No.2, pp.266-283). Over the years, James Watt was visiting professor in history to the University of Calgary (1985), visiting fellow at the Australian National University, Canberra (1986), and foundation lecturer to the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (1990). His historical contributions earned him election as a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. Throughout his long, full, life James Watt was an active practising Christian, supporting not only local church activities but also the council of reference of the Christian Medical Fellowship. Heavily involved with Christian activities in the Royal Navy, he was a founder member of the Naval Christian Fellowship, which has been extended to navies throughout the world, a lasting blessing to naval personnel and their families. His private devotional life remained paramount in his daily living. He was president of the Royal Naval Lay Readers Society (1974 to 1983), the Institute of Religion and Medicine (1989 to 1991), and ECHO International Health Services (1983 to 2003), which provides financial support to health care institutions and initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa. He was vice-president of the Churches' Council of Healing from 1987 and a trustee of the Marylebone Centre Trust. His writings included *What is wrong with Christian healing?* (Churches' Council for Health & Healing, 1993), and also *The church, medicine and the New Age* (1995). He thought that the United Kingdom perhaps needed a Wesleyan revival. His many friends throughout the world crossed denominations, and he was widely admired by many Jewish thinkers. He remained unmarried. His relaxation came from music and walking, though age took its toll on the latter. He showed a keen interest in tennis and rugby. From his long-time home at Wimbledon, James retired to live on the Stockbridge Road in Winchester. Having found this too hilly for walking with his failing heart, in 2009 he moved to a flat in Otterbourne, also in Hampshire. He became unwell before Christmas 2009 and was admitted to hospital with a minor stroke, from which he made an initial recovery but died some 10 days later on 28 December 2009. He will be remembered fondly not merely for his high achievements, but also as a self-effacing somewhat ascetic scholar who devoted his life to his chosen commitments.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001164
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Wishart, Colin (1920 - 2001)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Ralph Kerr-Gilbert
Publication Date 2023-08-10
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010400-E010499
Occupation Oral and maxillofacial surgeon
Details Colin Wishart, Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon, died peacefully in Poole General Hospital on 5 July 2001, aged 81. Colin was born in Edinburgh on 26 January 1920, one of twin boys. He attended George Watson’s Boys College and later entered the Dental School where he was an enthusiastic student. He graduated LDS and commenced practice in Blairgowrie. Colin joined the Royal Air Force and was posted to Burma and Hong Kong where, apart from his routine service duties, he temporarily acted as an RAF police officer, which gave him some thrilling and revealing experiences. He loved the service life. On returning to Britain he was encouraged by Professor Bradlaw to sit his BDS at Newcastle and then his FDS. With this in mind, he returned to the teaching staff at Edinburgh where he worked with Ronald Thexton. Ronald became a lifelong friend who later encouraged Colin to apply for the Senior Registrar post at Oxford where he worked for Desmond Hayton-Williams from 1952 to 1957. It was here that he met, and in 1953 married, Marion who was an Anaesthetic Senior Registrar. During this time he became closely associated with Dr Rosemary Biggs and Dr Macfarlane who were researching the use of animal globulins for the treatment of hemophiliacs bleeding after tooth extraction. He later produced three papers on the results of this work. In 1957 Colin was appointed Consultant at Odstock Hospital, Salisbury, where he joined Eric Dalling at the Plastic and Oral Surgery Unit. Many of his junior staff enjoyed the hospitality in his home overlooking the water meadows and the spire of Salisbury cathedral and it was here that his three children grew up. Colin was proud to have been one of the foundation Fellows of the British Association of Oral Surgeons and for a while served as a member of its council. He was also an examiner for the City and Guilds in the subject of maxillofacial surgery for specialist dental technicians. Odstock, whilst being an ideal centre for the Plastic and Burns patients of those days, was not ideal for providing a comprehensive oral surgery service to the large population spread along the coast from Portsmouth to Weymouth. In 1961, Eric Dalling moved to a new unit in Portsmouth and in 1964 Southampton gained its own unit. Finally, when the new hospital at Poole was opened, Colin was appointed in 1969 and moved into the purpose-built unit he had planned. These new centres swiftly gained second consultants as the demand for services increased. Colin was gifted with a cultured and incisive mind. He was tenacious in his activities and always charming and gracious to his patients. In his personal life Colin was a devoted family man and when he retired in 1985, he and Marion were able to travel to visit old friends. He could also indulge himself with his hobbies of wordwork, in a superb workshop he assembled in his garage, and fly-fishing. Colin is survived by Marion, his children Graham, Gavin and Sheila, all of whom he was fiercely proud, and he is greatly missed by his grandchildren. To them, his friends and colleagues extend their deepest sympathy.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010406
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Philipp, Elliot Elias (1915 - 2010)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Alan Philipp
Publication Date 2010-12-09
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001100-E001199
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373305373305
Occupation Gynaecologist Obstetrician
Details Elliot Philipp was an eminent gynaecologist and obstetrician, author of numerous popular and technical medical works, and a committed religious and charitable Jew. He was born on 20 July 1915 to Oscar Isaac and Clarisse Philipp (née Weil) in Stoke Newington, London. He was educated at Warwick House and St Paul's School. His father, a metal dealer from Hamburg, had come to England in 1908 to open an office, which in due course became the hub of a large and internationally successful operation. Elliot settled on a different career, deciding by the age of seven he would be a doctor, and went on to study at Cambridge University. After graduation he spent a year in Lausanne, due to ill-health, and it was here that he delivered his first baby. At the start of the Second World War, only a month after qualifying, Elliot left his first appointment at Middlesex Hospital to join the RAF. He joined Bomber Command in East Anglia, where he was responsible for the medical centres at Feltwell and Mildenhall, and by the end of hostilities held the rank of squadron leader. He was offered a long term commission in the RAF to stay as a doctor and medical researcher, but declined, returning to Middlesex Hospital and Addenbroke's, where he had been a clinical student. Subsequent appointments included St Thomas', Royal Free and University College hospitals. During this time, Elliot was writing books and newspaper articles. His first, for which he had help from his distant relative, Sigmund Freud, was *The techniques of sex* (London, Wales Publishing Company), first published in 1939 under the pseudonym 'Anthony Havil'. At a time when such guides were few and far between, it became a bestseller, with numerous editions over the next 40 years. In 1950, he became medical correspondent of *The News Chronicle*. The following year, he gained his fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons and started working privately in Harley Street. He also joined the staff of Oldchurch Hospital, Romford, as a junior consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology, a demanding job in a small department that covered a large area dominated by the Ford Motor Company. The position gave him the opportunity to undertake research in relation to blood groups and Rhesus factor. His private practice was growing too, particularly among the French community, since he spoke fluent French and German. He became the official gynaecologist to the French and several other embassies, worked part-time at the French Hospital in Shaftesbury Avenue, and was responsible for the opening of the French Dispensary. As a result of this and similar work, he was awarded the French Legion d'Honneur in 1971. In 1964, Elliot moved to the Royal Northern Hospital, which incorporated the City of London Maternity Hospital. His responsibilities included the inmates of Holloway prison, and the mental and physical challenges they presented. During this time, as well as developing skills in keyhole surgery, he was closely involved in treatments for infertility and the work with Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards that resulted in the births of the first test-tube babies. He retired from the National Health Service in 1980, but continued in private practice, seeing patients in Harley Street and operating until the age of 77. He continued writing books and articles, as well as lecturing, until the age of 82. He was always involved in medical ethics and had regular discussions with the Chief Rabbi, Lord Jakobovits, and other religious leaders. He served as president of both the Medical Society of London and the Hunterian Society, and chaired the historical division of the Royal Society of Medicine, during which time he co-wrote, with Michael J O'Dowd, *The history of obstetrics and gynaecology* (New York/London, Parthenon, c.1994). He also jointly edited *Scientific foundations of obstetrics and gynaecology* (London, Heinemann Medical, 1970). Retirement also allowed him to spend more time at the beloved Elizabethan cottage near the Essex coast which he had bought in 1937 and where he wrote many of his books and built up an extensive collection of antiquarian gynaecological books. Elliot's commitment to Judaism and Jewish charities followed that of his father, one of the founders of the Technion University in Haifa and Kibbutz Lavi. Elliot was an associate governor at Hebrew University of Jerusalem and was in particular keen to help Jewish educational charities, including Jews' College and the Jewish Widows and Students Aid Trust, of which he was a trustee for over 50 years. He was a mohel, performing circumcisions, as well as on the board of the Initiation Society, the oldest Anglo-Jewish organisation, which ensures standards for circumcision. He regularly attended shiurim and other study groups. He married Lucie Ruth Hackenbroch in 1939, five weeks after meeting her. They remained happily married for nearly 50 years, until her death in 1988. They had two children, Ann, who died in 1997, and Alan, who survived him. In 1990, Elliot found a new companion, Lady Zdenka Bean, who pre-deceased him in January 2010. His greatest pleasure, however, was being with his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Elliot Philipp died on 27 September 2010, at the age of 95.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001122
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Galloway, John Millie Dow (1936 - 2022)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Alan Wilkinson
Publication Date 2022-09-21
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010100-E010199
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/386030386030
Occupation General surgeon Vascular surgeon
Details John Millie Dow Galloway, known by the Gaelic name Ian, was a general and vascular consultant surgeon in Hull. He was born on 21 December 1936 in the village of Auchtermuchty, central Fife, the son of Annan Galloway, an insurance salesman, and Agnes Galloway née Dow, a housewife. He was the second of three brothers. His secondary education was at Bell Baxter Grammar School in Cupar, where his fellow pupil was Alasdair Breckenridge, the renowned clinical pharmacologist. At the time, Ian was only the second child from Auchtermuchty to go to university. He entered Edinburgh University medical school at the age of 17, qualifying in 1960. After house jobs at Bridge of Earn, he became an anatomy demonstrator for a year, before starting his clinical surgical training in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Initially drawn to orthopaedics, he thought he should gain some further general surgical experience. Having passed the fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1964, he secured a post at Aberdeen. In Aberdeen he worked with George Mavor, whose work ethic and personality he greatly admired. Mavor became his long-term mentor. At this time he was active in research in venous thromboembolism and was awarded his ChM in 1969. In 1970, at the age of 33, he was appointed to the Hull hospitals as a general surgeon with a vascular interest. As the first of a new generation of surgeons in the hospital, he was influential in improving facilities, equipment and postgraduate education. He was appointed college tutor in 1974. Subsequently, as he was joined by younger consultant surgical colleagues, sub specialisation occurred in general surgery within the Hull hospitals. By 1980, with a vascular colleague, a permanent on call rota for vascular surgery was established covering east Yorkshire and offering support to hospitals in north Lincolnshire and north Yorkshire. A close working relationship with the radiologists interested in vascular imaging developed. Improved imaging meant angioplasty and stenting could become options in the management of patients with arterial disease. The early development of the combined weekly meetings between the vascular surgeons and radiologists held on Friday lunchtimes was beneficial to patient management, educational for the junior staff, and further improved working relationships. Ian’s ability to persuade management of the need for new equipment to improve patient care, such as duplex scanning facilities within the vascular department, enabled the assessment of patients with potential carotid disease and patients with complex venous problems by specifically trained vascular radiographers. As vascular surgery emerged as a definite subspecialty, Ian was involved at a national level on the Vascular Advisory Committee and as a member and secretary of the Peripheral Vascular Club. Later he was a council member of the Vascular Society, becoming its president in 1998. His interest in education and training in vascular surgery resulted in senior vascular trainees from Australia, South Africa and Greece coming to Hull to improve their surgical skills through the 1980s. With the changes to surgical training in the UK, Hull became a popular centre for trainee surgeons wishing to specialise in vascular surgery. Later, he was also instrumental in establishing an academic unit within the vascular department. He was, after 1980, an examiner for the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, often examining in physiology, where he maintained an active interest. Within his department he always encouraged the staff to be self-critical about their work. He himself was clear his best years were in his mid-40s, with experience helping into his late 50s. In 1995, he became medical director of the Hull Hospitals Trust, a post he held until his retirement in 1999. His experience, wisdom and quiet effectiveness enabled him to support the Trust during its involvement with the Hull Postgraduate Medical School. He gave up all surgical practice in 1996, abandoning a successful private practice. Ian was a keen golfer, whilst his involvement was limited when working, in retirement he and his wife Margaret played many of the prestigious courses in the UK. He was captain of Hull Golf Club in 2002. His love of reading was lifelong; he had read most of the major authors between 1700 to 1900, in particular Scott and Hardy. He was a member of the council and subsequently (in 2002) president of the Hull Literary and Philosophical Society. Despite a heavy workload, Ian was a devoted family man. He met his wife Margaret whilst a young medical student, and they married in 1961. Their two sons, Peter and Malcolm, shared Ian’s interest in sport. He was club surgeon for Hull FC rugby league club for several years, visiting matches when work allowed. Retirement gave Ian and Margaret the opportunity to enjoy travel worldwide, to entertain in the house they both loved, and to enjoy the company of family and their grandchildren. Apart from a posterior cerebral stroke, age 78, successfully treated by radiological embolectomy, Ian he remained in good health. Sadly, for the last few years of their 60 years of married life, Margaret needed an increasing amount of care, which Ian was determined to deliver personally in their home. Margaret died in October 2021. Thereafter Ian’s health and fortitude rapidly deteriorated and he died on 12 August 2022 aged 85.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010157
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Oldham, Laurence (1931 - 2019)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Alasdair G Miller
Publication Date 2023-07-03
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010200-E010299
Occupation Oral and maxillofacial surgeon
Details Laurence, the consultant who developed Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery services in Somerset, a gifted postgraduate educator, passed away on 2 October 2019. Born in 1931, the son of a headmaster, he was educated at Ashby Grammar School. He graduated from the University of Birmingham in 1955, followed by a House Officer post, which included a resident post at Birmingham General Hospital; this awakened his enthusiasm for surgery. He gained his FDS in 1958. He was awarded a Rotary Foundation Fellowship to the USA, spending 1959-60 at the University of Pennsylvania. The Fellowship included a lecture tour of Rotary Clubs across the USA. This honed his skills as a lecturer and raconteur, which became a life-long activity. He was appointed as a lecturer at the University of Manchester in Oral Surgery, working with Gordon Ashcroft, who in the previous year had published a seminal paper on effective exodontia with Patrick Pawsey. In 1965 Laurence was seconded to the New Mulago Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. There he gained ten years surgical experience in two years. He was appointed Consultant Oral Surgeon in Taunton in 1968, over the next 25 years he built up the maxillofacial service. Latterly he was appointed to the Board of Somerset Health Authority and acted as the bridge between clinicians and management. He retired in 1991. His retirement dinner was attended by over 85% of his ex- SHO’s. Not one to rest on his laurels, in retirement Laurence chaired St Margaret’s Hospice Trust in Taunton for 12 years, then became secretary to the UK Chairs of Independent Hospices and vice-President. He led the University of Bristol BUOLD Oral Surgery distance learning programme, with over 300 dentists gaining from his knowledge. He was on the governing body of Queens College, Taunton for 12 years. He lectured on a wide range of topics to local groups and was an active member of the Oral Surgery Travelling Club. He was a pianist, motor cyclist and attended the Hay Literary Festival. Laurence will be greatly missed for his compassion, wisdom and humour. He leaves a wife, Diana of over 50 years, two sons, Mark a Professor of Medical Physics in the USA and James an osteopath who was a lecturer at the University of Plymouth Medical School, and a grandson Tej. To them we extend our condolences. Those of us who worked for Laurie felt very privileged to have known him.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010268
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Falconer, Alan Scott (1921 - 2013)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Alastair Falconer
Publication Date 2013-09-30 2014-03-07
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E004000-E004999/E004400-E004499
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/376622376622
Occupation General surgeon Naval surgeon Obstetrician and gynaecologist School doctor
Details Alan Falconer had a long and varied surgical career in the Royal Navy, practising initially as a general surgeon before training as an obstetrician and gynaecologist. After he left the Navy, he became a school doctor at Sedbergh School in Cumbria. He was born in Darlington on 2 June 1921, the eldest son of Dallas Scott and Isabelle Falconer. Alan's father was a GP surgeon in Darlington. He had obtained a classics scholarship to Edinburgh University, where he studied medicine, and trained as a surgeon, obtaining the FRCS (Edinburgh) in 1920. At the beginning of the NHS he was appointed as a consultant surgeon at Darlington Memorial and Bishop Auckland hospitals. Alan was sent to Sedbergh School in 1934, at that time in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The school had a lasting influence on his life and in particular fostered his passion for sport. Cricket was his first love and he represented the school as a wicket keeper. He went on to Peterhouse College, Cambridge, in 1939 to study natural sciences. In his third year he studied anatomy, focusing on the evolutionary development of the human hand. Although he enjoyed Cambridge and meeting highly talented students from other disciplines, Sedbergh always remained his most fondly remembered educational experience. Alan completed his medical training at St George's Hospital, London, which was then at Hyde Park Corner. There he met his wife Veronica (née Guise), who was training to become a nurse. Alan's undergraduate training and their courtship took place during the Blitz. As well as providing startling anecdotes, this gave Alan early experience of the management of trauma. He became an expert at performing venous 'cut downs' for blood transfusions using steel reusable cannulae. His postgraduate surgical training included posts at the Whittington Hospital. During his training he assisted (later Lord) Rodney Smith at the Victoria Hospital for Children in Tite Street, Chelsea. He obtained his FRCS in 1953. In the early fifties the costs of living in London and providing for a family of three children exceeded his NHS salary. This led to his decision to return to the Royal Navy, where he had undertaken his National Service, and take a commission as a surgical specialist. His naval career included posts in Ceylon and Malta, as well as a Far East tour on the commando carrier HMS *Bulwark*. In the sixties the Navy planned to develop an obstetric service in the United Kingdom. Alan was selected to train in obstetrics and gynaecology, with a view to leading the new service. He undertook busy training posts at St George's Hospital, London, and St Mary's Hospital, Portsmouth. He passed the membership examination of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in 1964 and was subsequently made a fellow of the college. He enjoyed using his surgical skills in his new specialty and also the intellectual challenges and decision making of intrapartum obstetrics. He was grateful for his surgical experience, which made him safely independent when faced with difficult gynaecological cases in theatre. However, he always demonstrated humility about his surgical prowess. He was well respected by his colleagues and patients. Sadly the Navy obstetric unit never materialised because of financial constraints, so Alan's obstetric posts were in civilian hospitals in Plymouth, in Malta (from 1968 to 1972) and finally with the RAF in Germany (from 1973 to 1976). He was a consultant adviser in obstetrics and gynaecology to the Royal Navy and also Queen's honorary surgeon. He achieved the rank of surgeon captain and was offered the post of surgeon rear admiral in the late seventies. Reluctant to sacrifice his love of clinical medicine for an essentially administrative post, he applied for the vacant post of school doctor at Sedbergh and left the Navy to return to his alma mater. Alan thoroughly enjoyed being back at Sedbergh. It allowed him to combine his medical skills with his love for sport, at which the school excelled. The final 10 years of his life were overshadowed by a severe head injury, which left him with significant physical and cognitive disabilities. He was nursed at home throughout this time by Veronica, even when they were both in their nineties. Veronica predeceased Alan in January 2013. Alan died peacefully of a stroke four months later on 2 May 2013, at the age of 91. Alan will be remembered for his surgical and obstetric skills, and for his wide knowledge of the classics, his encyclopedic knowledge of sport, his conviviality and his enjoyment of whisky, pipe smoking, fell-walking and the company of friends and family. He was survived by his four children (Jennifer Anne, Catherine Scott, John Hedley and Alastair Robert), one of whom qualified as a nurse and two as doctors.
Resource Identifier RCS: E004439
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Walsh, Sir John Patrick ( - 2003)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Alastair Stokes
Publication Date 2023-08-11
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010400-E010499
Occupation Dental surgeon
Details Professor J P Walsh, Dean of the University of Otago School of Dentistry from 1946 to 1971 died recently in Auckland, New Zealand. He was 92. It is impossible for one dentist to personally chronicle the achievements of this remarkable man. He studied dentistry and medicine in Australia after starting working life as an apprentice dental mechanic. He graduated with first class honours in dentistry in 1936 and followed this with a medical degree. By the end of WW II he was a medical officer in the Royal Australian Air Force and in 1946 he was appointed Dean at the school of dentistry in Dunedin, New Zealand. He transformed the school, broadening the scientific and clinical base, encouraging research and introducing a vigorous postgraduate programme. At the same time he was deeply involved in both national and international activities. In New Zealand he led an ultimately successful battle to fluoridate city water supplies, for which the related decline in dental caries speaks all. Internationally he was a key worker for dentistry with the World Health Organization. During his deanship Sir John persuaded a reluctant government to fund a major new building. This was opened in 1961 and was a revelation to me, moving into the “new” school for my final undergraduate year. Here was state-of-the-art dentistry with that marvel of the 1960’s, high speed drills available in special circumstances. Few of my generation were aware of Sir John's role in this remarkable development. His involvement commenced while he was conducting discharge medicals in Melbourne in 1946. He observed the relation between the frequency of vibration applied to teeth and pain perception. From this base he sought to produce a rotary instrument with a frequency above the “discomfort level”. By 1949, whilst transforming the Dunedin Dental School, Sir John had gained local support leading to the construction (and patenting) of a high speed air turbine handpiece little different from those of today. Details of this astonishing development were published locally and are summarised in a British Dental Journal article (*Br Dent J*1974; 136: 469–472), which included the 1949 patent drawing. Sir John will be remembered with affection by all those he supported professionally but he is owed as great a debt of gratitude by all those who have unknowingly benefited from his pioneering work with the high speed drill. Sir John’s wife, Enid predeceased him and he is survived by his four children.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010410
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Pringle, Jean Anne Smellie (1930 - 2016)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Alexander Pringle
Publication Date 2016-05-12 2016-07-08
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009100-E009199
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381307381307
Occupation Pathologist
Details Jean Pringle (née Rankin) was head of the department of morbid anatomy at the Institute of Orthopaedics, London. She was born on 30 August 1936 to parents who were relatively elderly. Her mother was a teacher and her father was head of the technical college in Coatbridge, Scotland. He was over 60 at the time of her birth, but survived to see her graduate and wed, to his great joy. A clever child, she was offered scholarships for both Glasgow High School for Girls and Hutcheson's Girls Grammar School, but chose the latter because of the fame of their hockey team. Jean played hockey for her school and later for Glasgow University - but always in goal because the goalie was allowed to kick the ball. She would have loved to have played football and, as a lifelong fan, had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the game. She qualified in medicine in 1959 at Glasgow University, at a time when by law women could only form 20 per cent of the year intake. She prospered there and was particularly pleased to win the Hunter medal for anatomy. She started her career at the Western Infirmary in Glasgow and worked successively for the professor of medicine, the professor of orthopaedics and then the professor of pathology. She was set for a career in academic pathology, but she married Alexander Pringle, a physician, in 1962 and shortly afterwards her husband moved to a post at Hammersmith Hospital in London. Life started in London for them in a bedsit in Turnham Green. Jean obtained a registrar post in general pathology at the West London Hospital. The staff regarded her highly and offered her a house to ensured that they retained her services. When her husband moved to Leeds in 1964, Jean had again to find a new post. This time it was in the Leeds University department of experimental pathology, where she gained experience in writing scientific papers and giving talks in public - something that she initially found to be an ordeal. In 1967 the couple moved to Chingford in London, where she lived for the rest of her life. Her two sons were born in 1967 and 1968, and Jean initially decided to give up work, however, when the boys started school, she was persuaded to apply for a part time post in pathology with H A Sissons at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London and there she flourished. She ended up being head of department and a world authority on the diagnosis and treatment of bone tumours. She owed her success to her knowledge of anatomy, her orthopaedic experience, but above all her God-given ability in pattern recognition and her keen eye for detail. She was author or co-author of over 100 scientific papers in the course of her career in bone pathology. She had an excellent recall of patients' names and their problems. She maintained a close link with her surgical colleagues and where possible she accompanied them on their ward rounds. She was particularly proud of receiving the award of FRCS by election in 1994 for her efforts. She was a good amateur artist, and an expert in knitting, crochet, embroidery and flower arranging. In the last few years her memory began to fail and dementia caused her personality to change and her life became a challenge. Finally, she fell and broke her hip and, although the surgery was successful, she was not fated to survive. She died on 31 March 2016, aged 79. She was survived by her husband, her two sons (Hamish and Rob) and four grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009124
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Lester, John Garland (1933 - 2017)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Allan Panting
Publication Date 2017-04-21 2017-10-25
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009300-E009399
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381521381521
Occupation Hand surgeon Orthopaedic and trauma surgeon
Details John Lester was born in Christchurch, the eldest child of Stephen Lester (a stock and station agent) and Eleanor West-Watson (secretary to her father, Bishop of Christchurch). He had a younger sister, Elizabeth, and brother, Michael. John commenced school at Fendalton Open Air Primary School and then attended Christs College. At College John excelled at sport, playing rugby for the 1st XV and cricket for the 1st XI - as captain in his final year. He went on to represent Canterbury in the Brabin Cup team. In 1951 he commenced at Otago University gaining entry to the Otago Medical School the following year. During his time in Dunedin he resided at Selwyn College, his entry into which was no doubt helped by his grandfather being the Anglican Archbishop of New Zealand. John graduated MB ChB in 1956 and the next year worked in Greymouth spending time with the then legendary West Coast surgeon, Steve Barclay. With his appetite for surgery stimulated, John sailed for the United Kingdom working his passage as a cargo ship doctor. In England John worked at the Royal Free and Marsden Hospitals gaining experience in general surgery. He subsequently obtained a position at the National Orthopaedic Hospital where he obtained training in orthopaedic surgery. His final three years in the UK were spent in Cambridge at Addenbrookes Hospital. He completed his FRCS in 1961. While working at Addenbrookes he met Elizabeth Hewitt, a member of the nursing staff. Her father, impressed that John had obtained a British Fellowship before the age of 30, supported the relationship, despite their sailing for New Zealand the day following their wedding. On his return to New Zealand in 1964, John was initially employed as a senior orthopaedic registrar at Christchurch Hospital. In 1966 he was appointed to a position as full-time consultant. This subsequently became a part-time appointment and he practised in both the public and private sectors until he retired from his public hospital appointment in 1992. It was while employed in the public hospital that John developed his interest in hand surgery. When he retired from his hospital appointment he pursued full-time private practice. His workload which included surgery, consulting and medico-legal work was intentionally slowly reduced, until he fully retired in 2000. In 1973 John, with the support of Swiss colleague and friend Prof Hardy Weber, organised the first hands on AO course to be held in NZ. This began what would become a major change in fracture management in New Zealand. At a time when the antero-lateral approach to the hip for arthroplasty was almost universally used, John promoted the posterior approach and this was progressively more widely adopted. John provided strong support to Alastair Rothwell as he liaised with the plastic surgeons in 1982 in the formation of the Hand Unit. With his increasing interest in hand surgery, John was involved in the formation of the New Zealand Hand Society in 1976, serving on the Executive and as President in the early 1980s. He was responsible for changing its name to The New Zealand Society for Surgery of the Hand. John was also a member of the New Zealand Orthopaedic Association's Executive Committee and served as Secretary of that Association from 1976-80. John had a kind, considerate and generous nature. He was a conservative surgeon, a congenial colleague who was totally committed to his patients (not infrequently at the cost of some personal discomfort) and cared greatly for those who worked closely with him. With the prompting of Liz, a keen skier, John commenced this sport following his return to New Zealand and distinguished himself by sustaining an ankle fracture soon after commencing employment. In retirement John remained very active, playing golf regularly and well and enjoying gardening. He devoted time to learning silver-smithing and picture framing. John is survived and greatly missed by his wife Liz, children Ben, Richard, Stephen and Tamara, sister Elizabeth, and brother Michael, and his 10 grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009338
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Watson, Edward Cameron (1927 - 2017)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Allan Panting
Publication Date 2018-02-26
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009400-E009499
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381833381833
Occupation General surgeon
Details Edward (‘Ted’) Watson was a general surgeon at Wellington Hospital, New Zealand. He was born in Dunedin, the eldest child of Vera Christian Watson née Cameron and Edward Baden Watson; his father was a surgeon, his mother a music teacher. He had two siblings – Arthur and Diane. Ted’s childhood years were spent in Ranfurly in central Otago and later at Pahiatua (north Wairarapa), where he finished his primary school education. Secondary schooling was as a boarder at Wanganui Collegiate School, where he enjoyed sport, particularly tennis, boxing and rugby. Ted entered Otago Medical School in 1946, securing one of the 30 places held for school leavers (returning servicemen were given preference). A long-time resident of Selwyn College, he was awarded varsity blues for boxing and tennis, and represented the university at rugby. After completing his MB ChB in 1952, Ted moved to Palmerston North as a house surgeon, where, in his words, he met the ‘cool and beautiful’ nurse, Margaret Black. They married in January 1955 and within a couple of months left for the UK. Ted began his surgical training in Edinburgh, starting with plastic surgery at Bangour Hospital. There he was introduced to the latest techniques of burns management acquired during the war. Successfully gaining his fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1956, Ted and Margaret went to the south east where, during the next three and a half years, Ted gained experience working in Farnborough Hospital, Kent and at Charing Cross and St Mark’s hospitals in London. During this period, he gained experience in colorectal disease and worked with William Gabriel, Hugh Lockhart-Mummery, Clifford Naunton Morgan and O V Lloyd-Davies. Living in London, Margaret and Ted welcomed the arrival of three children – Martine, Michele and Kristin – and Ted gained his fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons. Ted, Margaret and their family returned to New Zealand in 1960, when Ted commenced work at Wellington Hospital and quickly gained his FRACS. His youngest children, Shona and Edward, completed the family. Ted worked first as a surgical tutor from 1960 to 1961 and then as a senior admitting and casualty medical officer during 1962. In 1963 Ted was appointed as a visiting general surgeon at Wellington Hospital, an appointment he held for nearly 30 years until his retirement in 1992. A skilled and compassionate surgeon with a strong work ethic, Ted was highly regarded by his patients. He also very much enjoyed his teaching responsibilities with his house surgeons and registrars. They appreciated coming into his home for a Sunday night meal with the family. He also had a busy private practice, operating at Calvary (later to become Wakefield) and Bowen hospitals, as well as periods with the Home of Compassion and Kenepuru Hospital in Porirua. He was an active contributor within Wellington Hospital, serving as chair of the Wellington senior staff committee and also the Combined Wellington Hospitals committee. Soon after his return to New Zealand Ted became involved in activities on behalf of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, serving as the national coordinator for surgical supervisors for six years, member and chair of the New Zealand committee, examining in general surgery for six years and then chairing the New Zealand section of the court of examiners for six years. He was elected to the Medical Council of New Zealand, also serving six years. He served terms as an executive member and chair of the Wellington division of the Cancer Society and in various governance roles within district health boards, then known as CHEs (crown health enterprises). Ted believed that with his busy life he needed to be physically fit, a practice he adhered to all his life, playing competitive tennis and squash, cycling, regularly attending the gym and bush walking with similarly fit friends. Ted was one of the first Wellington adopters of the electric bike, spending happy hours well into his late eighties riding around Wellington’s bays and out to the Hutt Valley. His active lifestyle was the subject of a 2015 Radio New Zealand documentary which explored his love of his electric bike. Ted was devoted to Margaret and their children. While there were legendary family holidays spent around New Zealand, the family holiday home at Kuratau, Lake Taupo always held a special place for him. He loved the lake and its myriad of picnic areas, was a keen fly fisherman, and enjoyed boating and towing skiers. Surrounded by his family, he was happiest entertaining a close group of friends and their families. He took a great interest in the progress of this special place and never missed an AGM of the Omori Kuratau Ratepayers Association. Ted died on 30 October 2017 aged 89 and is greatly missed by Margaret, their five children, 12 grandchildren and three step-grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009429
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching De Geus, Jacob Johannes (1940 - 2020)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Allan Panting
Publication Date 2021-01-07 05/01/2022
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009900-E009999
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/384133384133
Occupation Plastic surgeon Reconstructive surgeon
Details “Kua hinga te totara i te wao nui a Tane – A mighty totara has fallen in the forest of Tane” aptly describes the sudden and unexpected death of JJ de Geus some months ago. John de Geus was a great teacher, colleague and friend to many. A well-loved surgeon, colleague, employer, friend and family man, John was an excellent raconteur with a very good sense of humour and he will be missed enormously by many in various parts of the world. John was fiercely loved, admired, and respected by his family and many friends and colleagues. Jacob Johannes (known as John) de Geus was born in Indonesia, where his Dutch parents, Pieter de Geus and Jeanne Van der Made, were missionary teachers. During the Japanese occupation of Indonesia (1942-45) John together with his mother and older sisters, Ellie, Carla and Tina (and separated from their father), spent time in an internment camp where they suffered malnutrition and significant hardship. With the ending of the Second World War the family, including their father, were repatriated back in the Netherlands. Finding life tough and cold, they decided to immigrate to New Zealand. Living in Auckland John attended Avondale College, where he had first to learn English. He excelled in both sporting (he was a champion swimmer) and academic fields. Through studying hard he gained a place at Otago Medical School in Dunedin, graduating in 1964. He spent his house officer years in Wellington, and subsequently obtained his basic surgical training there. During this time he married Ros Allen, a physiotherapist. In 1971 John and Ros headed to England where John quickly gained his FRCS. The opportunity to gain some plastic surgery experience saw him spend 15 months during 1971-72 as a registrar at Queen Mary’s, Roehampton, and at Wexham Park near Slough with Magdi Saad. He then trained in Liverpool for 3 years with David Maisels, who gave him his early introduction and lifelong commitment to cleft lip and palate surgery, a skill which John brought back to Auckland. In subsequent years John frequently returned to Liverpool to visit Maisels, who had had a significant influence as a teacher and mentor and remained a life-long friend. John returned to New Zealand towards the end of 1975, obtaining a post as a registrar at Middlemore Hospital Plastic Surgery Unit. The following year he became the tutor specialist and, when Sir William Manchester retired in 1979, he was appointed as a full-time plastic surgeon. He obtained his FRACS in 1980 and became a part-time visiting plastic surgeon the same year. As a consultant Plastic Surgeon, he immersed himself in all aspects of Plastic Surgery – burns, hand surgery, and reconstruction. It was an interesting time to be a Plastic Surgeon with many new developments – muscle flaps, microsurgery, and breast reconstruction amongst others. He was involved in microsurgery, both replantation surgery and free tissue transfers, but interestingly probably also performed the last tube pedicle flap (to the neck for a burn contracture) and cross leg flap (for lower leg trauma) in NZ in 1978-79. He also helped to develop breast reconstructive surgery both at Middlemore and by invitation at Auckland Hospital. However, his greatest interest was in cleft lip and palate surgery, where he was involved in a multidisciplinary team approach with dentists, oral surgeons, speech therapists, and orthodontists. He visited New Plymouth monthly to provide cleft lip and palate services for the Taranaki region as well. In 1980 John commenced in private practice and was soon busy, reflecting his great care of patients, excellent surgical skills, and infectious personality. He fostered great respect and loyalty from his patients and staff, borne out by the fact that his secretary in 1980 was still his secretary/practice manager at the time of his retirement from private practice in 2010. John was committed to the future of Plastic Surgery and especially trainee Plastic Surgeons in New Zealand, both in the public and private sectors. He took his responsibility to train others very seriously and until his retirement was a supportive, generous and inspiring surgical mentor to a cohort of plastic surgical trainees. He was well liked and respected by his colleagues, both Plastic Surgical and others. John was very interested in aesthetic surgery; being held in high esteem on both sides of the Tasman, and elected President of the Australasian Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in 1998. He was very concerned by the practice of non-surgeons masquerading as Plastic Surgeons in NZ and damaging patients and Plastic Surgery’s reputation. John was committed to helping those in need and was an enthusiastic volunteer with Interplast Australia and NZ, making numerous trips to Suva in Fiji and to Viet Nam. In this work he inspired a young Fijian, the late Dr Semesa Matainacake FRACS, who became Fiji’s first plastic surgeon. Later Semesa Jnr followed and is now a plastic surgeon based in Suva. John eventually retired from Middlemore in 2005, having stayed on until he was sure that cleft and palate surgery was covered by a successor. He continued in private practice until 2010 when he retired from that sector. Subsequently he was invited to return to work at Middlemore Hospital to do outpatient clinics and sagely advise and supervise registrars in the Manchester See and Treat Clinic until his third retirement in 2017! Outside medicine John had many interests. He part owned a yacht and enjoyed the waters of the Waitemata in the 80s and 90s, played golf regularly as a member of the Royal Auckland Golf Club, enjoyed travel – buying a small house in the South-West of France near Toulouse and loved classical music. In later years he learned Te Reo. With a love of good food and wine, and having an excellent cellar, John was a wonderful host. John’s generosity cannot be overstated and there are many people, both within his immediate family and further beyond, who were recipients of his generosity and support. During his last decade John’s physical health began to decline, possibly a consequence of the nutritional deprivation he experienced during the Second World War. Despite that he remained active, walking regularly, attending the gym and playing golf. He even climbed Mt Vesuvius! struggling to the top with career-long friend Norm Olbourne. He is survived by his loving daughters, sons, daughters and sons-in-law Suzanne, Stuart, Sarah , Kevin, Tom, Penny, Joe, Jess, Liz, Gerhard, Troy , Kristen, and grandchildren Liv, Jacob, Sophia, Ted, Frank, and Beckett.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009902
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Molloy, Patrick John (1928 - 2020)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Allan Panting
Publication Date 2021-05-05 2021-12-09
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009900-E009999
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/384578384578
Occupation Cardiothoracic surgeon
Details Having obtained cardiothoracic training in London, and considerable experience working amid the Northern Ireland Conflict, Patrick Molloy returned to New Zealand in 1973 to develop and lead the South Island’s first cardiac surgery unit in Dunedin. With the appointment by the University of Otago to a chair of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Prof Molloy was an early provider of paediatric cardiac surgery in New Zealand. He is fondly remembered for his empathy and gentlemanly demeanor towards staff and patients. Patrick (widely known as Pat) Molloy was born in Auckland to James Reuben Molloy, solicitor, and Kathleen Frances (nee Worthington), a nurse. Pat and his only sibling, Joe were identical twins. Growing up in Ellerslie in Auckland they were among the first students at St Peter’s College where Pat was a good rugby player. He completed a BSc at Auckland University and then gained entry to Otago Medical School in 1948. In Dunedin he became a keen and proficient rower representing Otago University. He completed his MB ChB in 1953. Pat spent his house surgeon years in Auckland hospitals including Green Lane Hospital where he worked with Douglas Robb and this proved to be a significant influence on his subsequent career. During this time, he met Julia Waldron, a nurse from St Bathans in Central Otago, and they married in 1954. He worked as a GP in Hamilton for two years to fund his family’s travel to the United Kingdom. In 1958, with Julia and their four children, Prudence, Brigid, Adrienne and Katherine-Mary, he set off for London to pursue a career in cardiac surgery, becoming FRCSEng in 1960. At Guy’s Hospital in London in 1960-1964 he worked alongside ground-breaking surgeons Sir Russell Brock and Donald Ross, the latter completing the UK’s first heart transplant in 1968. In 1964 Patrick was appointed to a cardiothoracic surgery consultancy at Broadgreen Hospital in Liverpool. In 1968, Pat and Julia, now with a family of nine children, with the addition of Alison, Felicity, Ruth, Veronica and Charlotte, moved to Belfast, Northern Ireland, when Pat was appointed to lead the formation of a new cardiothoracic surgical unit at the Royal Victoria Hospital. This was during the period of conflict known as “the Troubles” and the older children recall numerous occasions when their father was called out in the middle of the night to help a victim of a shooting. In this emergency work he developed a technique, which is still widely used in conflict zones, for treating chest wounds resulting from the large rubber bullets used by the army. In 1970 Prof Molloy was invited to assess the needs for cardiac surgery in New Zealand. His report predicted growth in this rapidly developing field and recommended a surgical unit be set up in Dunedin. The Dunedin unit, with close connections to the University of Otago Medical School, was established in 1973, and Pat and his family, with the addition of James, Hannah being born three years later, returned from Northern Ireland so he could take up the lead role. Becoming FRACS in 1975, he devoted his skill and energy to the establishment and direction of the cardiac unit in Dunedin. He was, however, worried, about the subsequent implications of a proposal for a further cardiac surgery unit in Christchurch and told a 1977 national review that slashing Dunedin’s workload would be “disastrous”. A significant reduction in cases risked turning the Dunedin unit into a “completely inefficient nonentity”. The second cardiothoracic surgery unit in the South Island was opened in Christchurch in 1997. Pat Molloy was a man of great intelligence with an extensive knowledge of anatomy and physiology. He developed a very loyal and effective team and was held in high regard by those who worked closely with him. He had excellent relationships with his cardiology colleagues and an easy relaxed manner with his patients with whom he exchanged information in words they readily understood. He was held in very high regard by those who came under his care. Dependable in times of difficulty with a dry wit, he was a careful, skilled and compassionate surgeon, who showed empathy to all. He was a committed and engaging teacher, not only to attached surgical registrars, but also to cardiac and medical registrars he came into contact with during consultations. Pat was a member of the British Cardiac Society and the British Thoracic Society serving on its Executive Committee 1969-73. He was a regular participant in Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand activities and served on the Executive 1979-86. He was a member of the RACS Cardiothoracic Surgery Board and served as an examiner in Cardiothoracic Surgery. With the aid of a generous benefactor, Pat was instrumental in setting up and subsequently chairing the Dunedin Heart Unit Trust, assisting with local research, and educational grants. He was also a trustee of the Drug and Rehabilitation Trust. Pat retired from surgery in 1993 and became an emeritus professor the next year. His last role at the Otago Medical School was curator of the surgical museum. A skier, tennis player and rower in his early years he was keen golfer for much of his life, playing at least weekly at the Balmacewen course throughout his professional career. Golfing friends later became bridge buddies, although Pat was not renowned for his skill in this pursuit! He had an interest in geology and his children recall happy holidays scrambling over rocks to find fish fossils high in the Welsh mountains and pieces of quartz in the coldest of Central Otago rivers. For many years he was involved in the resettlement in New Zealand of Cambodian and Vietnamese refugees. The Molloys were married for 63 years, Julia Molloy dying in 2017. As well as caring for their 11 children, in the late 1970s they absorbed into their family a young woman, Kirsty McMillan, who lived next door, and in the early 80s a Cambodian refugee, Phirum Keo, who would later become deputy leader of the Opposition in Cambodia. Aged 91 years and requiring increased daily support, Patrick moved into care at the Little Sisters of the Poor in Brockville, where he was well cared for. The family remember him as an ever-present dad and granddad who listened with an open mind and was available in his quiet way through difficult and good times. Patrick Molloy is survived by his children, Prudence, Brigid, Adrienne, Katherine-Mary, Alison, Felicity, Ruth; Veronica, Charlotte, James, and Hannah, Phirum Keo and Kirsty MacMillan, 37 grandchildren and 36 great-grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009965
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Ewen, Keith McDowell (1924 - 2021)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Allan Panting
Publication Date 2021-08-05
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009900-E009999
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/384909384909
Occupation General surgeon
Details Keith Ewen was born in Lower Hutt, the son of David Ewen and Marian Nathan. His father was managing-director of Sargood Son & Ewen, a prominent family business, Mayor of Lower Hutt and subsequently knighted for his many community and business contributions. There were two older siblings – brother, Ian, and sister, Barbara. Keith commenced at Huntley School, boarding there from the age of 10 to 14 years and becoming Head Prefect. There he played cricket and he was encouraged by his father to learn to box. He next attended Whanganui Collegiate where he became Second Head of School. Completing his schooling, Keith went Otago University and gained entry to Otago Medical School in 1943. In Dunedin he resided at Selwyn College, where he served a term as President. With the country and many senior staff at war, medical students were called upon at an early stage to assist with patient care thus assisting the early acquisition of skills and responsibility. University years were also memorable for participation in boxing – he represented Otago University – and skiing at Coronet Peak each winter. Keith completed his final year in Wellington and remained there as a house surgeon and subsequently surgical registrar during the next three years. In 1952 while skiing at Queenstown he met Barbara Gordon (with a North Canterbury farming background), an equally keen skier, and they struck up a friendship. The following year Keith travelled to England as a cargo ship doctor, planning to sit his Primary Fellowship examination three months later. Unfortunately, with travel delays he was four weeks late for the planned course and had to wait for the next. He was joined by Barbara soon after this and they married in 1953. With the Primary successfully completed he obtained a registrar post at Guildford St Luke’s Hospital and completed his FRCS a year later. This was followed by a series of locum posts in London and the South of England. Keith and Barbara, with 15 month old son, Rodney, returned to New Zealand by boat in 1956 to take up a three month locum appointment at Wellington – Keith working their passage as the ship’s doctor and completing an appendicectomy with a retired district nurse as anaesthetist en route. At the beginning of 1957 they moved to Auckland as he commenced as the first surgical registrar at Middlemore Hospital. In 1958 Keith was appointed to a full-time position as a general surgeon at Green Lane Hospital. This later became a part-time appointment and Keith commenced in private practice. His surgical work encompassed all parts of the abdomen, with particular reference to the gastrointestinal system, and gallbladder. He was very involved with the introduction of GI tract stapling, and other new advances such as colonoscopy and chemotherapy in the management of malignancies. His surgical technique was very precise, carefully executed, and well taught to surgical registrars. Ward rounds were very formal with clear teaching to junior staff and medical students. Registrars on Acute call were expected to contact him about each case and instructions would be given about management. He and Barbara would invite the house surgeon and registrar rostered to his Green Lane ward along with other medical staff to their home for dinner – this always becoming a party appreciated by all. Keith had a huge work capacity, often working 70-90 hours a week. He had a determined personality, at times holding his opinion firmly despite disagreements with others. The nursing staff admired him because he was invariably polite and respectful. In his private practice he operated at Lavington, Mercy and Brightside Hospitals. He continued working part time in public and private until aged 65 years, when he ceased his public hospital commitment and worked full-time in private practice for the next five years. During 1961, aware the public health system was increasingly struggling to meet the demand, particularly for surgery, Keith was one of a group of surgeons who founded an independent private health care company. Serving terms on the Board and as Chair 1990-1994, he had to contend with the Upton/Gibbs health care reforms, where private health care was very much in the gun sights of the reformers. His leadership contributed significantly towards The Southern Cross Medical Care Society becoming New Zealand’s largest private health insurance company. He served terms as Secretary and Chairman of the New Zealand Committee of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Keith also played a significant role in the development of the Auckland Cancer Society. Barbara set up the associated mobility service which is now a highly professional service providing transport for patients for their radiotherapy treatment and for family to visit family members. Keith served terms as Board Member and Chair of Wings – an organisation committed to rehabilitation of drug addicts. With a daily physical exercise regime, Keith was very fit. Working at Greenlane Hospital he never once took a lift, always walking the stairs until he damaged a knee. In his later years he became a regular swimmer and a keen walker using an exercycle daily. He played golf regularly, being a member of the Auckland Golf Club for 50 years. He was a very good skier and this remained a passion throughout his life, leading to many trips to the Central Otago skifields. Keith had a love of the outdoors and the family property at Orere Point became a place for swimming, fishing, boating and skiing. He was a long-term member of the Northern Club in Auckland, and a sidesman and reader at St Marks Church for 25-30 years. In retirement he joined the Shakespeare Club and Provis. Keith Ewen led a full life participating with gusto, planning, and energy. He enjoyed his retirement and with Barbara formed a complete partnership. He leaves behind his much loved wife, Barbara, children, Rod, Sue and Nicky (and Don deceased) nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009987
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Kay, Ronald Geoffrey (1929 - 2020)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Allan Panting
Publication Date 2021-01-07 2021-12-02
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009900-E009999
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/384137384137
Occupation General surgeon Breast surgeon
Details Ronald Geoffrey Kay was a caring, compassionate surgeon of considerable humility who set high standards of clinical excellence, demonstrating insight and respect for his patients. He was a trusted, respected and valued colleague sought out as a mentor and teacher by many New Zealand surgeons and trainees. He was also a leader and major contributor to surgical research and education. Ron Kay was a modest man who quietly contributed much to academia and the health of all New Zealanders, but especially that of women. Ron Kay was born in Upland Road, Auckland, one of three children born to mother, Claira, and father, Morty Kay. He was the youngest, with sister Norma and older brother Colin (who would later become Mayor of Auckland). He started school at Kings Prep, quickly revealing his sporting prowess and proceeded to win a highly sought-after scholarship to Kings College. There, he expanded his academic capabilities and became the quintessential all-rounder! With a love of animals and having spent considerable time on the family farm he was passionate about farming, but as Ron excelled in science subjects his housemaster suggested medicine as a career. Ron commenced at Auckland University, gaining sufficient grades to win a place at Medical School – this was a period when many places at Medical School were held for returning servicemen. In Dunedin he resided at Knox College and the period was marked by constant work with only limited time for relaxation. Ron obtained his MB ChB from Otago University in 1953. Following graduation Ron commenced two years as house and senior house officer in Auckland hospitals. In 1956 he headed for the UK as ship’s doctor on a freighter – it was suggested that he was the only patient treated as he suffered on-going bouts of seasickness. One year later, in 1957, he become a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons. After working in a number of surgical posts, he spent 1960-62 as registrar to the Post-Graduate Medical School and Hammersmith Hospital in London. During this time he met Gillian Dawson, a nurse, who in a written invitation on a noticeboard invited Ron to partner her to the upcoming Nurses Ball – this the result of a bet for five pounds that she couldn’t get the “dashingly handsome kiwi doctor” to accompany her. A strong relationship resulted and they married in 1959. In 1962 Ron and Gillian returned to New Zealand with a son, Timothy (born 1961), Ron commencing as Surgical Tutor Specialist in Auckland Hospital. Two more children, Peter (1963) and Susannah (1965) completed the family. In 1967 Ron commenced three years at the Harvard Medical School and Peter Bent Brigham Hospital as a U.S. Public Health Service Post-Doctoral Research Fellow. He returned to Auckland in 1969 and three years later was appointed Associate Professor of Surgery at the newly formed Auckland School of Medicine. Tasked with establishing an academic surgical unit with a major research section, Ron completed this work with conscientious attention to detail, considerable flair and superb judgement. He was able to secure the cooperation of colleagues in respect to undergraduate and graduate teaching. Ron subsequently developed an innovative program for the surgery examination. During the late 1960s Ron was a pioneer in the use of intravenous nutrition in New Zealand. His extensive research in the field of Zinc and Selenium deficiency, revolutionary Gastic-band surgery, and his tireless devotion to the field of Breast surgery have all had a major impact on the advancements and successes in these fields we see today. His leadership resulted in a number of seminal papers and contributed to the saving of numerous lives. He gained widespread recognition reflecting his unique and sustained contribution over more than 30 years to breast cancer research through his collaboration in international trials involving surgical and general management of breast cancer. He was a member of the first group undertaking clinical trials of breast cancer treatment in New Zealand and a foundation member of the Board of the Australia and New Zealand Breast Cancer Trials Group. He was also a foundation member of the International Ludwig Institute Breast Cancer Trials Group, subsequently the world leading International Breast Cancer Study Group. These groups were at the forefront of clinical trials of chemotherapy for breast cancer during the 1980s and Auckland was extensively involved. In addition to his research, Ron devoted much of his practicing career to the improvement of standards in the management of breast cancer, founded upon evidence-based practice. This included promoting breast conserving surgery instead of simple or radical mastectomy. He was the founding chairman of the Auckland Breast Cancer study group which in 1976, with great foresight, established a detailed breast cancer register, this data promoting beneficial change in the management of breast cancer. Unfortunately, the introduction of the Privacy Bill led to its cessation, but approximately 10 years ago, assisted with funding from the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation, Ron restarted this register and it is once again an increasingly valuable resource. In addition to publishing an impressive array of research papers Ron served on numerous advisory committees and medical boards. His mana was recognised in the invitation to provide The Hunterian lecture at the Royal College of Surgeons in 1978. The RACS acknowledged Ron’s significant contributions to surgery in making him the recipient of the ESR Hughes Award in 2012. Teal Bay played a massive part in the family’s lives. Many summer and winter holidays were spent at the bach there. With the bach along came a boat, now named Dr Ron in recognition of its builder and prime sailor. Boating represented water-skiing, picnics, fishing, snorkelling and discovering new places. Skiing was another family passion with many holidays spent with the Gillman family on the slopes of Ruapehu. Throughout his life Ron maintained a love for sport and travel. Even more important than his medical successes, Ronald was a loving, and caring husband. He was a devoted father, and a family man who cared deeply about others and frankly was an all-round good guy. Gentle smiling, warmly benign and generous with his opinions, it must however be noted that Ronald was known, at times, to be a little stubborn, resulting in a loud admonishment from his wife ‘Oh Ronald, you really take the cake!’. Ron Kay, loved husband of Gill for 61 years, passed away peacefully at Edmund Hillary Village. He was the dearly loved father of Tim, Peter and Soozie, and grandfather to four children.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009905
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Ardouin, Dennis George Francis (1930 - 2017)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Keith Isaacson
Publication Date 2023-07-05
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010300-E010399
Occupation Orthodontist
Details Dennis Ardouin was a consultant orthodontist in Tunbridge Wells, Eastbourne and Hastings. He was born on 8 February 1930. Though his grandfather, George Ardouin, had been a tailor, his father, Joseph Francis Ardouin, was a dental surgeon. His mother was Martha Louise Ardouin née Zucca. Dennis went to Oakwood Primary School in Southgate, north London, followed by Edmonton County School, close to where his father, a founder member and secretary of the local dental committee, had his practice. After completing his National Service, Dennis entered the Royal Dental Hospital School of Dental Surgery in 1951. A keen sportsman, and a lifetime supporter of Arsenal, he played football for the Royal, and later organised cricket tours in the West Country for fellow students. He completed his specialist orthodontic training at the Eastman Dental Institute and, now determined on a hospital career, achieved his fellowship while a senior registrar there. In 1968 he was appointed as the first consultant orthodontist to Tunbridge Wells, Eastbourne and Hastings hospitals, where he set up an excellent service and established a senior registrar post linked with the Royal Dental Hospital. Always meticulous in assessment and thoughtful in treatment planning, he was an outstanding teacher to a generation of senior registrars, several of whom have gone on to play significant national and international roles. Outside dentistry, Dennis played squash and enjoyed travelling and walking (he completed the 630-mile southwest coastal path). He was very knowledgeable about classical music, especially opera and in retirement his large garden gave him much pleasure and satisfaction, particularly in the growing of his own vegetables. Dennis died on 8 March 2017 at the age of 87. He was survived by his wife Anthea (née Rousset), whom he married in 1969, two daughters and five grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010302
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Smith, Allan Francis (1951 - 2018)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Allana Smith
Publication Date 2019-05-03 2019-07-03
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009600-E009699
Occupation General surgeon
Details Allan Smith was director of surgery at Nambour Hospital, Queensland. He was born in Adelaide, South Australia on 6 May 1951, the son of Pauline and Frank Smith. Allan was an only child and spent his formative first years growing up in the community of Dublin, South Australia, just outside of Adelaide. Pauline and Frank owned and ran the Dublin pub and Allan became known affectionately as ‘Young Frank’ to all the locals. By the time ‘Young Frank’ reached grade five, his parents felt spending his time trialling his developing sense of humour on the customers at the pub was not how he would receive the best education, and he was sent to Rostrevor College, a Catholic boys school in Adelaide, where he boarded and was educated through to year 12 matriculation level. Allan excelled in both Australian Rules Football and cricket, far more than in his academic pursuits during his school years. He played for the local football club and for the school, and was known to be pretty good at handball too. Receiving what he felt were rather average matriculation results, the University of Adelaide obviously saw his potential and he was accepted into the Adelaide school of medicine, which he attended the following year. Allan thought at this time that he might become a country GP one day. Allan finished his medical studies in 1974 and married Brenda after the final exams. They set off on a short honeymoon before he started his first hospital position. Two weeks later, Allan had to be in Brisbane to register with the medical board, before heading north to his first placement, at the Rockhampton Base Hospital. They spent one year in Rockhampton, where they made lifelong friends, before his first stint at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. Russell Strong remembers Allan as quiet and reserved at first, almost querying whether he was meant to be a trainee in surgery. This gradually dissipated over time as he became more involved and embraced the vagaries of this new venture. llan and Brenda’s first daughter, Kellie, arrived in 1978, and later that year they returned to Rockhampton again for a short time before a three-month commitment at the Ipswich Hospital, Queensland, where their second daughter, Shona, was born in November 1979. They went back to the Princess Alexandra Hospital for three years, settling into their home in Tarragindi and welcoming their third daughter, Allana, in 1981. Allan had been training in surgery and qualified in 1982. Michael Bailey, consultant surgeon at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford, remembers very clearly the day that Allan arrived at the hospital on a two-year surgical rotation from the Princess Alexandra Hospital. That day, Bailey realised two things: firstly, that Allan was dedicated to his profession with a total commitment to his patients and, secondly, that Allan had tremendous wit and a great sense of humour. Time proved Bailey right in both respects. Allan was also extremely keen to learn as much as possible of the ‘English’ way of doing things and Allan certainly did so. During his first year in Guildford, he passed the fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons at the first attempt. He rotated through the surgical firms at the Royal Surrey County Hospital and his surgical talent was obvious to all. One day Bailey went into the operating theatre whilst Allan was operating and for once he did not quite approve of the way Allan was doing the procedure. He said to him: ‘Allan, if you do not aim for perfection you will never achieve it.’ The next week he again went into the operating theatre and asked Allan what he was doing. Allan immediately replied in his laconic way: ‘I am just aiming for perfection Mr Bailey’! Bailey describes Allan as a superb and popular surgeon and the two became lifelong friends, visiting each other’s countries many times. On his return to Australia in October 1984, Allan spent two months at the Gold Coast Hospital, before taking up a permanent position at Nambour Hospital in 1984, where he would become director of surgery for 18 years. In those days, Nambour was an agricultural town. With the sugar mill and local farming community, it was the hub of the Sunshine Coast. The hospital was going through many changes in structure and growth. With the new block being opened, it was beginning to change from a small cottage hospital into a tertiary facility. Nurse unit manager Ruth Melville recalls the way Allan nurtured many of the theatre nurses and had respect for all in the theatre. Ruth recalls that he always had time to teach and had an amazing knack of reinforcing learning with his humorous sayings during procedures. Allan instigated the education half day session at Nambour Hospital, where the multidisciplinary teams would have in-service training on surgical procedures. Kellee Slater, a one-time student of Allan’s, described Allan as her greatest supporter throughout her career. She remembers fondly his humour – ‘the dressings always had to be perfect because it was the only part the patient sees’ – and other lessons in how attention to detail makes you a good doctor. In recognition of his achievements as director of surgery, and as a highly qualified and capable surgeon, Allan was awarded an esteemed Australia Day medal for his services to Queensland Health. In 1999, Allan commenced his private practice based at Noosa Hospital. Felicity Adams, a former student of Allan’s, described him as a personality around the hospital and in the broader community. He worked with the Noosa Hospital to improve their services and patient care. He was chairman of the medical advisory committee and served in that role for many years. He also served on numerous other hospital committees. One of his greatest pleasures was getting hospital administrators to step out of the confines of their offices and into the theatres and wards, to mix with patients and staff and understand the real hospital environment. One of his other great pleasures was establishing Noosa as a teaching hospital. He spent countless hours training young surgeons in improving their surgical skills and professionalism. His passion for care of the patients left a lasting mark on those he treated. This was clearly demonstrated by the gifts hung proudly on his wall from patients, to emotional letters and cards he kept in his office as a sign of respect to those patients who had taken the time to express their gratitude for his care. Always a country boy at heart, Allan genuinely cared for all his patients. He was a truly unique individual with a dry, wry humour, an overwhelming generosity towards others, who took pleasure in organising social outings for hospital staff, particularly trips on the Noosa Ferry, and had a passion for Australian Rules Football and cricket. Allan’s cup of life was full, and it is those who are left behind who now feel a massive loss of his huge presence in their lives – at home, at work and in the lives of his patients.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009602
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Osman, Isam El Din Salih Mohamed (1964 - 2023)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Amin Elkhatim Elyass Mohamed
Publication Date 2023-11-28
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010500-E010599
Occupation General surgeon Vascular surgeon
Details Isam Salih Osman was consultant general and vascular surgeon at Ipswich Hospital and subsequently at the King Saud Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. He was born on 23 August 1964. His father was working towards higher degrees in economics and sociology in Lebanon and the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s and as a result Isam spent his childhood in a number of countries including Lebanon, the United States, Germany and Kenya. After finishing secondary school in Kenya, he was accepted into the faculty of medicine at the University of Khartoum, Sudan, from which he graduated in 1987. After completing house jobs in the Sudan, Isam travelled to the UK to pursue surgical training. In 1992 he became a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. He completed senior house officer and then surgical registrar training in Birmingham before being appointed as a consultant general and vascular surgeon at Ipswich Hospital in 1996. He was 32 when he was appointed. During his time in Ipswich, he served as clinical delivery group lead for general, gastrointestinal and vascular surgery and as chair of the general surgery, vascular surgery and gastroenterology business unit. Outside of medicine he also served as a governor to Orwell Park School for six years. He became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England ad eundem in 2005, testament to his ongoing commitment to the development of surgical services. Isam loved music, was an avid rugby fan and a keen supporter of Manchester United Football Club. Mr Osman, as we referred to him at work, kick-started the careers of dozens of young doctors in the UK. Isam was always energetic, always had a story to tell, always engaging, welcoming and inclusive. He was a mentor and teacher but also a friend and confidante. An extremely capable general and vascular surgeon, he was very meticulous in his technique and most impressive, not only to witness operating but also to listen to as he performed carotid endarterectomies and abdominal aortic aneurysm repairs, regaling all who were fortunate enough to be present in theatre at the time with science, art and culture, all the while demonstrating impeccable surgical technique. Isam was equally astute outside the operating theatre. Articulate and never lost for words, he had the unique combination of a sharp, analytical mind, situational awareness and emotional intelligence. He read between the lines like few others could. Regardless of the setting, theatres, a multidisciplinary team, the wards or a conference, his persona was formidable and larger than life. In his signature shark-skin grey suit, sky blue shirt and red tie, he was, without a doubt, the quintessential surgeon and an excellent role model. In 2016, Isam left his position as consultant vascular surgeon in Ipswich to take up a new position as head of the vascular and endovascular department and director of operating rooms for the King Saud Medical City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In 2020 he became clinical service lead for operating rooms there. In 2023 he took on the role at the Royal College of Surgeons of England as country advisor to Saudi Arabia, testament to his ability and willingness to give more to his profession. Isam was also president of the Sudanese Association of Vascular Surgeons. Following the outbreak of hostilities in the Sudan in 2023, he travelled to Port Sudan to offer his expertise and assistance as part of a humanitarian mission organised and funded by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre. He was very disheartened by the devastation and human suffering that he had witnessed but also very impressed by the resilience and bravery of the people he had met during his time in Port Sudan. Isam was supportive from day one and remained so until he died. He died in Manama, Bahrain, on 29 September 2023, where he had gone to attend a conference. I had reached out to him for advice just three days earlier. He was always generous with his time and his wisdom. He leaves a legacy of surgical excellence, hard work and of helping others, clearly evidenced by his recent trips to Sudan as well as his insistence on travelling to Bahrain to participate in a conference, despite having just returned from his war-torn homeland. So much of Isam’s selfless assistance to others is unknown to the public as he never spoke about how he had helped others. Isam’s sudden death was a painful and shocking blow. He was no doubt still affected by the recent death of his close friend and colleague, Hisham Hassan El-Khidir and the turmoil in Sudan. He leaves behind his wonderful family, his wife Jihan (née Elmusharaf) and his children, Mohamed and Nadine, of whom he was immensely proud. He will be sorely missed and remembered as a brilliant surgeon, teacher and mentor but above all a wonderful friend and human being.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010508
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Abouna, George Jirges Mansour (1933 - 2016)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Andrew Abouna
Publication Date 2016-05-12 2017-01-26
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009100-E009199
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381295381295
Occupation Transplant surgeon
Details George J M Abouna was a pioneering transplant surgeon who worked in the United States, Canada and the Middle East. He created many firsts in organ transplantation and, over the course of a career which spanned more than 50 years, saved thousands of lives across the world. Abouna was a true master of surgery, a scientist who created many innovations and advancements, a medical educator of the highest calibre, and a doctor who always put patient care first. In 2000, he was awarded the Albert Schweitzer gold medal for his humanitarian work, and twice had audiences with Pope John Paul II. Abouna was born on 5 April 1933 in Al Kosh, Mosul, Iraq, of Chaldean heritage. His father was Mansour Abouna and his mother was Rachel Safar. Abouna also had one sister, Warda. After receiving a scholarship from the government of Iraq, he moved to London at the age of 16 to study engineering. After receiving a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, he convinced the University of Durham to accept his application to medical school. Becoming a doctor was Abouna's lifelong dream. After one year of proving his exceptional ability and maintaining top grades in medical school, while also supporting himself through three part-time jobs, the university gave him a full scholarship to continue in the medical programme. After qualifying in 1961, Abouna soon began to concentrate on organ transplantation. In the late 1960s, he developed the world's first and only liver perfusion machine, helping extend the lives of patients with liver failure. In 1969 he was invited to relocate to the United States. He held academic and clinical appointments in Denver, Colorado, Richmond, Virginia and Augusta, Georgia. In 1973, Abouna returned to the UK, to Edinburgh, for advanced research and clinical work. Then in 1974 he accepted an academic and clinical position in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It was here that he performed the first liver transplant in western Canada. In 1978, he moved to Kuwait City, Kuwait, after accepting the position of professor and chairman of surgery at Kuwait University, and for the next 12 years he became the leader of organ transplantation in the Middle East. Patients from across the Arab world and from as far away as Canada would travel to Kuwait to receive life-saving care by Abouna and his team. He established the country's first transplant programme and led the initiative which created the living donor law, as well as serving as the second president of the Middle East Society for Organ Transplantation. During this time, Abouna tirelessly shared and advanced medical knowledge, both in Kuwait and as a visiting professor of surgery at the University of Minnesota and later as clinical professor of surgery, University of Iowa. After the invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Abouna became a professor of surgery in the division of transplantation at Hahnemann University, Philadelphia, until he was invited to become dean of medical sciences and professor and chairman in the department of surgery, Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain. In 2000, he was a clinical professor at Drexel University Medical College in Philadelphia. And in 2002 Abouna accepted the position of dean of medicine in Tripoli, Libya, where he established a transplant programme. He held this position for several years. Abouna was recognised throughout the world for his expertise in, among other areas, medical education, organ preservation and transplantation (kidney, liver and pancreas), transplantation immunology and immunosuppression, endocrine, hepatobiliary surgery and portal hypertension, fluid and electrolyte therapy and hyperalimentation, organ preservation, and ethical issues in organ donation and transplantation. During his career, he received numerous awards, including ten degrees and fellowships. He was a member of 33 professional societies and held 19 committee posts. Abouna edited three journals, sat on seven professional editorial boards, authored or edited four books, published 141 contributions to journals and wrote 33 chapters in books. He presented 181 papers and abstracts at national and international meetings. After he retired, he made his home in Radnor, Pennsylvania, but made many visits to Calgary, Alberta to visit some of his children and to visit Kananaskis and Banff, where he always said the mountains reminded him of his home in Mosul, Iraq. San Diego, California, where one of his sons lived, was another favourite destination; the hot weather and palm trees also reminded him of the Middle East. Abouna was a member of the Mainline YMCA in Wayne, Pennsylvania, where he liked to swim and exercise, and was a member of the choir at St Katharine of Siena in Wayne, where his memorial services were held. He was an avid reader and enjoyed listening to classical music. George Abouna died on 28 September 2016 at the age of 83 and was survived by his wife Cathy, his former wife, Jennifer, his children, Linda, Judy, Andrew, Ben, Sarah and Adam, and two step-children, Wade and Carla. He also had seven grandchildren (Angela, Gayle, Allison, Andrea, Nate, Lena and Alexander) and nine great-grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009112
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Bradwell, Robert Alexander (1938 - 2017)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Andrew Bradwell
Publication Date 2018-01-17 2018-03-21
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009400-E009499
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381811381811
Occupation Otolaryngologist ENT surgeon
Details Robert Alexander Bradwell was a consultant otorhinolaryngologist in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. He was born in Sheffield on 1 February 1938, the son of John Bradwell, a coke ovens manager and chemist, and Edith née Bakewell, owner and managing director of Bradwell Electrical Ltd. He was educated at Ranby House Preparatory School and Worksop College, and then studied medicine at St Andrews University. On graduation in 1963 he worked in general medicine at Nottingham General Hospital and then in the accident and emergency department at Adenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge. He returned to St Andrews in 1964 to work as an anatomy demonstrator whilst studying for his fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. In 1965 Robert was appointed as a senior house officer under the watchful eye of Sir John Bruce at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, enjoying the legendary Sir John's support and famed bonhomie. He gained his fellowship of Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh as a general surgeon in 1966. In October 1966 Robert decided to change direction to otorhinolaryngology and took an appointment at Bristol United Hospitals to work under Kenneth Roddie at Southmead Hospital. The influential John Angell-James was developing innovative techniques in the field of ear, nose and throat surgery and Robert was keen to draw on Angell-James' expertise to establish himself in his chosen field. He became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1970. Robert returned to Edinburgh in 1970 as a consultant ENT surgeon and, as well as clinical work, he joined Francis John Gillingham on the otoneurology unit and developed his research into the relationship between the brain and the nose. He was appointed as an honorary senior lecturer at Edinburgh University and was involved in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. He also fulfilled his duties as a member of the ear, nose and throat clinical team at Western and Bangour hospitals. In 1974 Robert was offered a consultant ear, nose and throat position at Harrogate and decided to leave academic medicine for a more general hospital career in the North Yorkshire spa town. Between 1974 and 2001 he carried out his duties as a consultant otolaryngologist with great diligence, treating patients at Harrogate hospitals and Ripon Cottage Hospital. Although not working at a teaching hospital, he continued to develop new techniques for treating patients, including an innovative laser procedure for the treatment of pharyngeal pouches. He also filled the post of honorary treasurer of the otolaryngology section of the Royal Society of Medicine for 12 years and was a frequent visitor at the headquarters on Wimpole Street to attend lectures and social events. Unfortunately, he suffered a brain stem stroke in 1993, which caused a number of underlying health problems, which he carried with great fortitude and stoicism until the end of his life. Despite this setback, he returned to full-time work in the space of six months and continued his career with the same characteristic determination, retiring in 2001. He cut a dashing figure in Harrogate in his distinctive three piece suits, complemented with a paisley or club tie and matching pocket handkerchief. He was particularly liked by his colleagues, surgical, nursing and domestic, a large number of whom gathered for his retirement party. He was keen to champion the young house officers who came under his care and encouraged his protégés to study for a fellowship or take the ENT experience into general practice. Robert married Gabrielle née Murphy (known as 'Gaye') in 1965, although they had met some years earlier when both studying at St Andrews. They had three children: Andrew, Isobel and Catherine. Robert and Gaye were well-known amongst the medical profession and wherever they lived the Bradwell house was known as a fun place to be. Robert was a keen sportsman and represented the Scottish Universities' Athletics Union at hockey as well as playing for Edinburgh Northern and Harrogate hockey clubs respectively. He was a keen golfer and indeed he won the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh's annual golf tournament in 1988. In retirement Robert and Gaye spent time in the Languedoc in their house by the Canal du Midi. Robert indulged his passion for classic cars and toured around Europe with his wife in a number of classic Jaguars. He was also a keen walker in both the Yorkshire Dales and the French countryside. Robert died on 14 December 2017 at the age of 79. He was survived by his wife and children.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009407
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Chambler, Kenneth (1927 - 2021)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Andrew Chambler
Publication Date 2022-03-29
PNG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010000-E010099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/385571385571
Occupation General surgeon General practitioner
Details Kenneth Chambler was a surgeon in Texas before becoming a general practitioner in East Sussex. He was born in Doncaster on 3 December 1927, the son of Frank Chambler and Mary Chambler née Wilson. His father worked on the railways, as did his maternal grandfather. He attended grammar school and then studied medicine at Edinburgh University. He qualified in 1951 and enrolled in the RAMC, serving in the Middle East and Kenya and reaching the rank of major. He returned to the UK and embarked on his surgical career, becoming a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and of England in 1958 and 1959 respectfully. He developed an interest in burns and ventured to America, undertaking research in Galveston, Texas in 1960 into the immunological response in burn patients. He gained his MD in 1961 and established a general surgical practice. In 1967, Kenneth returned to the UK to become the Raynes research fellow at the McIndoe burns unit at East Grinstead. His research culminated in a thesis, ‘The late burn illness’, for his MCh (Edinburgh). He returned to Texas, where he led the English Group Practice in Alvin until 1974. From 1975, in the small town of Tahoka in the north of the state, he worked in a general practice to provide care to the local community, including carrying out surgery at Lynn County Hospital. He retired from surgery in 1977. His interest in medicine continued and, shortly after returning to the UK, he took over a small GP practice in Heathfield, East Sussex. He expanded this over the coming years, taking on four partners and building a purpose-built surgery on the High Street. It was also one of the first pharmacy dispensing practices in the UK. While he was a GP, he mentored several students from the local Heathfield Comprehensive School to successfully gain places at medical school; some have become surgeons. Kenneth finally retired in 1992, the year his youngest son qualified from St Mary’s Medical School, London. During his time in Texas, he established an apple farm in East Sussex and bought a villa in Spain. Ken was an integral part of the local community, being president of both the rugby club and horticultural society. In later years he settled in Eastbourne with his wife, Marion (née Bancroft), and they spent most of each year in Dénia, Spain. Ken first met Marion at the age of seven; they sat together at Park School in Doncaster before their families moved apart. A chance meeting at Doncaster Royal Infirmary some years later, Ken as a surgical registrar and Marion as a physiotherapist, turned into a marriage which lasted 68 years. Ken died on 2 June 2021 at the age of 93 due to the consequences of myeloid sarcoma. He was survived by Marion, their two sons, Jonathan and Andrew (an orthopaedic consultant), seven grandchildren (one an anaesthetic/intensive therapy unit consultant) and two great-grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010095
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Upton, Julian John Mainwaring (1937 - 2015)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Andrew Drysdale
Publication Date 2020-10-19 2021-10-25
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009800-E009899
Occupation ENT surgeon
Details Julian Upton was a consultant ENT surgeon at Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, Somerset from 1974 until his retirement in March 1999. His father Cecil Upton was an hotelier and owner of the Winter Gardens Hotel, Bournemouth, married to Dodo Upton née Brembridge, who sadly died giving birth to Julian’s younger brother, Jonathan. His middle brother, Adrian, became a professor of neurology at McMaster University, Ontario, Canada. His father subsequently married Sheila née Bollom and they had two sons, Andy and Philip, Julian’s half-brothers. Julian was born in Bristol, and educated at Clifton College, Bristol, and was awarded a major scholarship to Peterhouse, Cambridge, to read natural sciences, graduating in 1959. He went on to complete his clinical training at Guy’s Hospital Medical School, qualifying in 1962. He was a house surgeon at St Luke’s Hospital, Guildford to Paddy Boulter, who became president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. After initial training in general surgery and urology at the Bristol Royal Infirmary, Julian decided to specialise in ENT, becoming a registrar at Leeds General Infirmary and a senior registrar on the Yorkshire Regional Health Authority training scheme. He gained his FRCS in 1969. He married Angela Hicklin in 1964. They had three boys, Tim, Mark and Alex. Angela worked for many years as a practice nurse in Taunton, but sadly predeceased Julian in 2003. He was a keen gardener with a passion for cultivating lilies and enjoyed collecting objets d’art. When these started to fill the house his children took them to the local charity shop, whereupon Julian would buy them back again. Julian was a notable bon viveur, a core member of the West Somerset Medical Club (becoming president in 1997), the Anglo-French Otolaryngological Society and a travelling club of fellow West Country ENT surgeons. Julian died of multiorgan failure at Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton on 2 September 2015. He was 78.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009839
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Lund, William Spencer (1926 - 2010)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Andrew Freeland
Publication Date 2011-12-16 2022-01-31
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001700-E001799
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373952373952
Occupation ENT surgeon
Details William (Bill) Spencer Lund was a consultant ENT surgeon at the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford. He was born on 19 July 1926 to non-medical parents, Reginald James Spencer Lund and Beatrice Alice Lund née Cudemore. He thought he might join the Navy and was accordingly educated at Pangbourne College. Before entering National Service in the Navy, where he became a morse code expert, he decided to study medicine and subsequently enrolled at Guy’s Hospital. There he played for the first XV and developed his love of cricket. He did two preregistration house jobs at Guy’s, where he had the good fortune to meet a young nurse, Patricia Miles (Paddy), who soon became his wife. Bill decided on a career in ENT, demonstrated anatomy at King’s College, and, as a registrar at the Radcliffe Infirmary, gained his FRCS. It was at the Radcliffe that he developed his lifelong interest in swallowing and joined forces with the radiologist Gordon Ardran at the Nuffield Institute for Medical Research. Two and a half years of research work, both in Oxford and as a fellow at University Hospital, Iowa, led to some very significant findings on the mechanism of the function of the cricopharyngeal sphincter, particularly in relation to pharyngeal pouch development. For this work he gained an MS in 1963 and was appointed as an Arris and Gale lecturer at the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1964. He was subsequently the author of many chapters and papers on swallowing problems. From Iowa he returned as a senior registrar at the Radcliffe Infirmary and then, in 1965, was appointed as a consultant ENT surgeon at the Middlesex Hospital. On the retirement of Ronald Macbeth from Oxford in 1968, Bill successfully moved to Oxford in December 1968. Gavin Livingstone, who pioneered congenital ear reconstruction in the UK, died within a month of Bill’s appointment, so he immediately took over this challenging area of ENT. Among the many children and adults suffering from ENT congenital defects treated by Bill Lund and his colleague Bernard Colman, were some affected by thalidomide. They introduced many new techniques to keep Oxford as the foremost department in this field. In 1987 Oxford was the first to use the new Swedish system of bone anchored osseointegrated hearing aids and ear prostheses, which revolutionised the management of those with congenital ear malformations. Bill Lund continued his interest in the management of swallowing problems and particularly pharyngeal pouch surgery. In 1987 he was elected president of the section of laryngology of the Royal Society of Medicine, where he delivered a brilliant and entertaining address on the technique of sword swallowing! He took a particular interest in teaching medical students and was named ‘His Rhinoplasty’ by the student Tingewick Society and was taken off beautifully in one of their pantomimes, where his characteristic ward round habit of putting one foot up on the patient’s bed while pinning the patient’s legs with his fine leather brief case was depicted very well! Retirement gave him more time for golf and, as a leading light and one time chairman of the Woodstock Players, he was equally happy as the pantomime dame, the spy Anthony Blunt or a bishop, which fitted his natural mannerisms! He was a true gentleman and was much loved by his patients and colleagues. His patients all considered Bill as their friend, and he was enormously popular with all who were fortunate to know him. He died on 22 July 2010 at the age of 84 and his thanksgiving service in Woodstock was packed with many friends and colleagues, all giving thanks for a man who lived life to the full and gave so much to so many. He had a very happy family life and was survived by Paddy, his adored wife of 54 years, their three children, Sarah, James and Kate, and six much-loved grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001769
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Newbegin, Christopher John Richard (1953- 2020)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Andrew Grace
Publication Date 2020-04-14 2020-07-15
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009700-E009799
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/383560383560
Occupation ENT surgeon
Details Chris Newbegin was a consultant ENT surgeon at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary. He was born on 11 January 1953 in London. He was educated at Harrow County School for Boys and went on to study medicine at St Mary’s Hospital Medical School. He originally planned on becoming an orthopaedic surgeon, but a friendship with a fellow anatomy demonstrator who had experience in ENT surgery influenced him to change direction. He was an ENT registrar at Charing Cross Hospital, where he worked under Tony Cheeseman, and then a senior registrar on the Leeds/Bradford rotation. Chris was appointed to his consultant post at Huddersfield in 1985, where he built up the ENT department. At Huddersfield he is remembered as an exceptionally kind and thoughtful colleague. His patients appreciated his down to earth manner and honesty about what was about to happen. By temperament and by manner he was a true Yorkshire surgeon. At Huddersfield he introduced new techniques and innovations that have gone on to transform lives globally. He recognised the potential for using a linear transecting and stapling device to perform a pharyngeal pouch diverticulotomy: Chris was the first surgeon to use this technique to relieve pharyngeal pouches. Endoscopic stapling of a pharyngeal pouch transformed a 10-day stay following traditional resection into an overnight stay with much reduced morbidity and mortality. Chris taught the technique in and around Yorkshire, and it is now the most commonly used approach worldwide, but he didn’t receive the full recognition he deserved. He was a member of the Intercollegiate Examining Board and was regional adviser for Yorkshire and Humberside from 2001 to 2006. He was a founder member of the Draffin ENT Society, where he is remembered with great fondness. Chris was a great, kind teacher, always willing to give friendly, supportive advice. As he grew more senior, he never lost his impish sense of fun. He met Hilary Moss in 1973 and they later married. She became a consultant anaesthetist in the same hospital. Although they didn’t do routine work together, their on-calls sometimes coincided: their working relationship was extremely professional. She loved working with Chris, reflecting: ‘He was exactly the sort of surgeon you wanted to look after you.’ In retirement Chris and Hilary travelled, sailed and skied together. Chris died on 1 February 2020 from a glioblastoma multiforme. He was 67. He was survived by Hilary and their two daughters, both doctors, of whom he was so proud.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009743
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Hayden, Francis Joseph (1908 - 2005)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Andrew Hayden
Publication Date 2018-03-27 2018-11-22
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009400-E009499
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381836381836
Occupation Obstetrician and gynaecologist
Details Francis Joseph Hayden was an obstetrician and gynaecologist at St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne. His life was shaped by the Edwardian period of the twentieth century, his Catholicism, his medicine and his family. He was born 10 years before the Russian revolution and died 15 years after the Berlin Wall was demolished. As a young boy, he remembered running up to the Ballarat Post Office to read despatches from Gallipoli and the Western Front. The special treat for his childhood summer holidays was riding in a motor car. Shortly before he died, he watched with interest the election of the ninth pope of his lifetime. The youngest boy in a family of six children, his father died when he was four. He was educated at St Patrick’s College in Ballarat, before the family moved to Melbourne and he completed his studies at Xavier College in 1925. He obtained a place to study medicine at Melbourne University, following in the footsteps of his brother John (‘Jack’), who was no doubt a strong influence in his early medical career. Jack was later to become the first professor of medicine at St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne. When Frank was studying his final undergraduate years, it was the late 1920s – the Great Depression. He was spared the worst of this time, because his studies at least gave him employment and food, unlike many he treated at the hospital. One of his characteristics was that he always acknowledged his good fortune. He lived through perhaps the greatest period of medical innovation and change. He commenced medicine before an organised blood bank service, before the clinical use of sulphonamides in the late thirties, antibiotics in the forties and 20 years before the greater understanding of virology. His medicine was one before plastic and the nationalised Australian medical system of Medicare. His medical residency commenced in 1932 at St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne. He remained there until the end of 1933, leaving to spend 1934 at the Women’s Hospital in Melbourne, where he passed his diploma in gynaecology and obstetrics. He then headed to England and obtained his membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in 1935, spending a great deal of his time working at the Jessop Hospital for Women in Sheffield. In 1937 Frank passed his FRCS and in the same year returned to Melbourne, coinciding with the opening of St Vincent’s Maternity Hospital. He obtained his FRACS in 1939. Leaving Europe in 1937 and escaping the build-up to the Second World War, he was fortunate that his skills as an obstetrician were of little use on the battlefront, grateful again to have spent the war in the safety of Australia. He failed to arrive at his own engagement party due to attending a sick patient, perhaps an early omen of their future life for his fiancée, Margaret Moore (‘Peg’), whom he married in February 1941. He could not have done what he did without Peg. She was his wife, his confidante and the mother and carer of their nine children. Her contribution to his medical care for others was immeasurable. She looked after him in her unselfish way and many other families owe much to their marriage and partnership. As a resident in the early 1930s, cross-matching for blood transfusions was done manually, sodium citrate was added for anticoagulation and blood was poured into a funnel connected to a cannula in a patient’s arm. He was later to see how the formulation of the blood bank greatly assisted in the treatment of postpartum hemorrhage. In his time in England he had seen the introduction of sulphonamides into clinical practice and was one of the first to use these in his practice for treating puerperal sepsis, another leap in obstetric care. On returning to Australia, his primary work, both public and private, was in the area of obstetrics in the newly-opened maternity wing. Frank was a key player in the development of this unit and his working life was strongly linked with St Vincent’s. I think he must have delivered in excess of 10,000 babies: not many people in this world get to see life commence that often. This was obstetrics before mobile phones or pagers, elective caesareans and inductions. His early surgical time in gynaecology, despite having more up to date training at the time, was restricted by the domination of some senior colleague to whom he was an assistant. As a number of the senior surgeons were recruited to work overseas in the Second World War, the younger well-trained surgeons took up their direct surgical work, only to be returned to their assistant position at the end of the war, as their senior colleagues returned. As was often the case, his clinical and surgical workload in gynaecology increased later in his career as his obstetric caseload was wound down. He was head of the gynaecology unit at St Vincent’s in the mid-sixties. He retired from all clinical practice in 1974. Whilst he no doubt enjoyed the privileges of the consultant’s position for a short while, he was not one to rant and rave when his car park space was built on or when the radiator of the Mercedes Benz boiled dry, for he knew that these things were not important. He was humbled a few years ago when returning to St Vincent’s, unrecognised by the young medical staff; he was greeted with warm affection by an old Italian cleaner. His Catholic principles and medical position made him a leader in the anti-abortion debate in Melbourne in the sixties and seventies, and he endured some harsh journalism. He was however genuinely and deeply saddened when one of these journalists was struck down with Alzheimer’s disease, many years later. He was not a man of malice. Frank was a man of the Enlightenment. His initial Christian Brothers and later Jesuit education taught him something about everything and his children and many grandchildren have all been enriched by his broad, yet selective, interests. The relationship with his God was a private one. Whilst he would love a High Mass sung in Latin, he was never seen to sing in a church himself. He loved the intimacy of chamber music, but was not a fan of opera. He was a great reader, but of biography and history, not fiction. His choice of visual art was painting not sculpture. He loved the theatre, but was not interested in ballet. He was a very good chess player, but never backgammon. His knowledge of gardening continues to give us pleasure. I take on trust that he was a skilled and caring surgeon for his hands were put to good use before and after retirement grafting fruit trees and roses in his extensive and beloved garden. It seemed that caring for a garden was an extension of his empathic medical care. These hands never touched a computer keyboard. He retired when the implementation of Medicare would change the way health care was delivered in Australia. A new era was beginning and he was lucky to enjoy a long and healthy retirement, surrounded by family, until his death on 15 May 2005, aged 96.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009432
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Cook, Robert Malcolm (1928 - 2020)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Wiesenfield
Publication Date 2023-07-03
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010200-E010299
Occupation Oral surgeon Maxillofacial surgeon
Details As a highly accomplished oral and maxillofacial surgeon in Melbourne, Bob Cook was a major figure and leader of the specialty at a local and international level. As a teacher and mentor to many trainees and junior surgeons, he was president of the International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons from 1992 to 1995. Robert (Bob) Cook was born in Bluff, on the southern coast of New Zealand on 12 November 1928 to Edward (Ted) and Jessie Cook. In 1936 the family moved to the eastern suburbs of Melbourne so his father Ted could take up the role of general manager of the Commercial Bank of Australia. On arrival, Bob attended Camberwell High School, before completing his secondary education at Scotch College from 1943 until 1947. An energetic and active student, Bob participated in a range of sports including cricket, football, athletics and particularly liked team activities, where, as an only child, he could thrive in the camaraderie of a team environment. Bob was accepted to study dentistry at the University of Melbourne in 1948. He attended both Mildura and Melbourne campuses and, in the later years, was a resident of Ormond College. He graduated in 1952. After serving as the first resident dental officer at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in 1953, he travelled to the United Kingdom for further surgical training at the Eastman Dental Institute in London and Bolton Royal Infirmary and was awarded the FDSRCS in 1956. When Bob completed his MDSc in oral surgery, he was appointed as an oral surgeon to four Melbourne public hospitals, for which he provided on-call services for facial trauma. Many of these calls were the result of motor vehicle accidents because seatbelts were not common at the time and drivers and passengers were often propelled through the windscreen during an accident. Eventually Bob restricted his trauma load to the Royal Melbourne Hospital, where he subsequently became head of the unit in 1971, a position he held until 1988. In this post he supervised the training of a generation of oral and maxillofacial surgeons in Victoria. Bob was an innovative surgeon who advanced the care and correction of patients with acquired or developmental facial injuries. In 1964, following a study visit to Hugo Obwegeser’s unit in Zurich, he performed the first mandibular osteotomy in Australia, several years before these procedures were adopted in the United States. This early pioneering work set the scene for the rapidly developing field of orthognathic surgery, in collaboration with orthodontists. He was also part of the development of the multidisciplinary care of head and neck cancer patients at the Royal Melbourne Hospital that combined the expertise of general, ENT, plastic and oral and maxillofacial surgeons. Bob was a highly energetic, enthusiastic and thoughtful practitioner and was regarded as a skilful, quick surgeon who led by example. As observed by many of his colleagues, he had a steel trap memory for detail, recalling names of those he met, often only fleetingly. When junior staff hoped they had successfully buried some oversight or error, Bob would unexpectedly pounce with evidence at a later stage, keeping all on their toes. He was the consummate political representative for oral and maxillofacial surgery in the surgical world and was highly respected by other medical groups. As president of the Victorian branch of the Australian Dental Association in 1964 he actively participated in building a relationship between the profession and government through committee work. With others, he was instrumental in establishing and examining for the specialty fellowship in oral and maxillofacial surgery within the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons. Bob served as president of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons in 1981 and in 1989 Bob was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia in recognition of his service to dentistry and maxillofacial surgery. He then became the first Australian president of the International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons in 1992, where he served until 1995 and was a wonderful ambassador for Australia. Through his international contacts, he assisted a number of young Australian surgeons to obtain subspecialty fellowships in the UK, USA and Europe. At the University of Melbourne, he taught and examined at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He supported the development of the MDSc in oral and maxillofacial surgery and assisted in guiding the university processes to adopt the fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons (in oral and maxillofacial surgery) as a national standard. His lasting legacy at the University of Melbourne is the establishment of the Robert and Gillian Cook family award for enrolled postgraduate students to support research in oral and maxillofacial surgery. Bob’s contribution to Australia extended beyond the surgical world. He served as a surgeon lieutenant commander and consultant surgeon to the Royal Australian Navy and was an active member of Rotary, the Melbourne Club, the Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club and both Flinders and Metropolitan golf clubs. With his wife of almost 60 years, Gillian (née McLean), he maintained an active social and vigorous lifestyle. At their farm in Flinders overlooking Bass Strait, he conducted a successful Simmental cattle breeding programme and won numerous awards at the annual Royal Melbourne Show. They both skied with their international friends well into their mid-eighties; in between everything else Bob was also an accomplished sailor and scuba diver. Bob died on 22 August 2020 at the age of 91. Always a devoted family man, he was survived by his wife, children Hamish, Alistair, Matthew and Kirsten, and nine grandchildren. His broadly rounded life of service and commitment was well-lived. He will be remembered fondly by his family, friends and colleagues.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010256
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Hamilton, Samuel Gordon Ian (1934 - 2016)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Andrew J Yates-Bell
Publication Date 2017-04-21 2017-07-26
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009300-E009399
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381516381516
Occupation General surgeon Urologist
Details Ian Hamilton was a consultant general surgeon and later consultant urologist at the Royal Cornwall Hospital, Truro. He was born in Belfast as his father, William James Hamilton, an Irishman himself, wanted him to be eligible to play rugby for Ireland - regrettably something he never achieved. Ian was part of a remarkable medical family. His father was a professor of anatomy and embryology, an author of many well-known books on embryology and dean of Charing Cross Medical School. His mother, Mary Campbell Hamilton née Young, was a qualified doctor but never practised. His sister, Margaret, did dentistry at University College Hospital, becoming a paediatric dental surgeon. His brother, Peter, was a consultant eye surgeon at Moorfields and the Middlesex Hospital. Another brother, David, was a consultant nephrologist at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital; David's twin brother, Alan, died young, but not before he had delivered a Hunterian lecture in 1981. Ian spent his formative years at Harrow School, where he played full back for the school first XV. He then moved on to Clare College, Cambridge, and continued to play rugby for the first team. He was also well-known for his punting on the river Cam, although his future wife fell into the river in full evening dress! He also played rugby for the Harlequin's second team. He went on to St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School. After qualifying, he gained surgical experience in a variety of hospitals in the south, including St Bartholomew's, the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, and St James' Hospital, Balham. In 1960, he was a demonstrator in anatomy at the University of Cambridge. He was then appointed as a junior surgical registrar, again at St Bartholomew's Hospital. After his junior posts, he moved to the West Country, where he joined the Bristol Royal Infirmary surgical rotation with Southmead and the Royal Devon and Exeter hospitals. Ultimately, he achieved his aim of a consultant appointment in a cathedral city - the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro in June 1969. This included visits to smaller hospitals in Cornwall. The definitive post not only included general surgery, but also a major interest in urology before a urological department was established later, with the appointment of two urologists. He also managed to take time off as a ship's surgeon on the *Canberra* to Australia. He was one of the founding fathers of the Duchy Hospital, adjacent to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, and was tireless in raising funds and designing the hospital. In April 1981, the hospital was opened by The Queen Mother, who invited Ian and Caroline, his wife, to dine on the Royal Yacht *Britannia* in Falmouth harbour. Ian travelled widely with the 1921 Surgical Club of Great Britain, of which he was president from 1988 to 1989. He was on the council of the British Association of Urological Surgeons and was an honorary member of the Medical Association of Groningen, Netherlands, and the Louisiana State Medical Society. Ian married my sister Caroline in 1964 at All Souls, Langham Place. Caroline was the daughter of Geoffrey Yates-Bell, a consultant urologist at King's College Hospital. Ian and Caroline had two sons, Simon and Michael, and a daughter, Suzy, who works in Truro as a physiotherapist. Caroline acted as his private secretary, working well into the small hours of the night. She was also a formidable tennis player, playing at Wimbledon over many years, and representing Surrey at doubles. Through Caroline's connections, the family enjoyed the first Saturday at Wimbledon for many years. There are six grandchildren. Ian loved the Isles of Scilly and spent many holidays on Tresco. He was always joined by his children and grandchildren, who enjoyed his painting competitions and treasure hunts when younger. Later in the evening, he was the life and soul of the party with his odes, especially written for each adult and child, causing much hilarity. He was also a very keen gardener, with a leaning to the 'Hamilton tradition' of potatoes and beetroot! Ian died on 28 October 2014 in Truro. He was 81.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009333
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Lennard-Jones, John Edward (1927 - 2019)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Andrew Lennard-Jones
Publication Date 2019-09-16
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009600-E009699
Occupation Gastroenterologist
Details John Lennard-Jones was a consultant gastroenterologist at University College and St Mark’s hospitals, and a professor of gastroenterology at the London Hospital. Known to his colleagues as ‘LJ’, he was a gentle but inspiring teacher, a caring physician and a prodigious clinical researcher. Michael Farthing, a fellow gastroenterologist, stated that ‘…he instilled confidence in his patients. I never heard anyone ask for a second opinion after they'd seen LJ’. John was born in Bristol, the son of John Edward Lennard-Jones, a mathematician and scientist, and Kathleen Mary Lennard. (When the couple married in 1925, the then John Edward Jones added his wife’s surname to his own.) The family moved to Cambridge in 1932 when John’s father was appointed professor of theoretical chemistry. As a child, his main interest was the natural world, a fascination enhanced during the Second World War when he kept rabbits and grew food on an allotment. He originally intended to become a farmer and, after schooling at Gresham’s, which was evacuated to Cornwall, he studied natural sciences at Cambridge. After the war, he carried out his National Service at a burns unit in Birmingham. There he wrote two papers – one on the use of penicillin in finger injuries (‘Value of systemic penicillin in finger-pulp infection; a controlled trial of 169 cases’ Lancet 1949 Mar 12;1[6550]:425-30) and the other on distinguishing partial and full thickness burns (‘The impairment of sensation in burns and its clinical application as a test of the depth of skin loss’ Clin Sci 1949, 8 [155]) – and decided to study medicine. He returned to Cambridge and then went on to University College Hospital for his clinical studies, winning all the undergraduate prizes. He qualified in 1953 and held professorial house posts with Max Rosenheim and Douglas Black. In 1955 he met Francis Avery Jones and worked with him as a registrar at the Central Middlesex Hospital. When Avery Jones was appointed as a consultant gastroenterologist at St Mark’s Hospital, then predominantly focused on surgery, he introduced John as his assistant. John also toured gastroenterology departments in the United States on a Bilton Pollard fellowship from University College Hospital. In 1963 he was invited to join the Medical Research Council’s gastroenterology research unit at the Central Middlesex Hospital, and at the same time increased his clinical commitment at St Mark’s. He had a profound love for St Mark’s Hospital throughout the rest of his career, and much of his productive work was done there, although he also held a post as a consultant gastroenterologist at University College Hospital from 1965 to 1974 and was professor of gastroenterology at the London Hospital from 1974 to 1987. John was one of the first ‘pure’ gastroenterologists who worked throughout his career in one specialty. Avery Jones described him in 1991 as the leading architect for the organisation of British gastroenterology in the 20th century. Another gastroenterologist, Christopher Williams, noted his intellect and described LJ affectionately as ‘..an egg-head with a total command of the world literature…He was a walking reference base’. John became one of the world experts on inflammatory bowel disease, leading major clinical trials on its assessment and treatment. These had a major influence on the treatment of the disorder, notably the efficacy of topical therapy in ulcerative colitis, the powerful effect of immunosuppressive therapy in maintenance of remission in Crohn’s disease and, importantly, the lack of efficacy of long-term oral steroids for maintenance of remission in ulcerative colitis. He initiated landmark studies into the importance of the early recognition of cancer in colitis and the role of surveillance in reducing the risk of cancer death. During his career, John realised the importance of parenteral nutrition for patients with severe inflammatory bowel disease. The unit at St Mark’s attracted many patients with intestinal failure and he could give patients the confidence and the know-how to go home with the kit and to manage the bags and rest of it themselves. This involved close work with the nursing team and very rapidly the idea of nurse specialists having a major role caught on and he established a multidisciplinary team that developed broad expertise in nutritional support. He also built a research team to investigate irritable bowel syndrome and chronic constipation. He had a deep appreciation of the importance of psychological support in the management of patients with chronic gastroenterology disorders. As a result of his clinical acumen, comprehensive knowledge, high intelligence and an empathic consultation style, he created a cohort of devoted patients who would happily wait hours to see him in his long outpatient clinic. It seems that John inherited his father’s mathematical genes: his medical papers were permeated by the logic of the mathematician. For a time John worked with Richard Asher, and this too may have contributed to his fine uncluttered style and his remarkable ability to marshal facts and communicate them with such clarity. His long association with St Mark’s enabled him to make the maximum use of the remarkable concentration of clinical problems found in a specialist hospital, achieving the best coordination between positions, surgeons, pathologists, radiologists, endoscopists, nursing staff, social workers and other staff. It has been said that he succeeded on a scale hitherto possible only in a Medical Research Council unit. The numerous publications over his career show a remarkable justification for both specialist personal chairs and specialist hospitals. John was a leading light in many gastroenterological charities, including the Ileostomy Association and the Digestive Disorders Foundation. He co-founded the National Association for Colitis and Crohn’s disease, which have stated that ‘…without his skill, interventions and dedication, there would not be the same advancement in the understanding and treatments for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, nor would the charity have been founded 40 years ago and achieved so much in research, information and support for everyone affected by the conditions’. He was also instrumental in the formation of the British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. He was the first recipient of their new Lennard-Jones medal, which remains an important appreciation of merit. He served as secretary and also president (in 1983) of the British Society of Gastroenterology. John cared passionately about the NHS and was keen to make sure it was accessible to everybody. He therefore declined any private practice, reflecting his very strong Christian ethic. He was a medical adviser to and subsequently chair of the Sir Halley Stewart Trust, a Christian charity providing grants for innovative projects aimed at relieving human suffering. Colleagues recall that no one who worked with him ever had a bad word to say about him. John married Verna Down, a midwife, in 1955. They had four sons, David, Peter, Andrew and Tim, and instilled in them a love of the outdoors, including sailing, walking, golf and birdwatching. He was at his happiest walking around his beloved Cley marshes in Norfolk with his binoculars. John and Verna retired to Woodbridge, where they became active members of their local church, St John’s. Shortly after their arrival, John was asked to chair the new spire committee and oversaw the fundraising, planning and subsequent construction. At his funeral service, it was commented that the spire will be a permanent epitaph to him, a thought with which he would probably not have been too comfortable, as he was a supremely modest and unassuming man. In his latter years, John was increasingly immobile, a situation he found very frustrating. However, he coped with his disabilities in his usual phlegmatic, ‘saintly’ and patient way, continuing to show deep interest in anyone visiting him. Verna sadly died in February 2019. John deteriorated sharply after her funeral and died two weeks later. They were survived and greatly missed by their four sons, four daughters in law, and nine grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009645
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Millar, Douglas Malcolm (1929 - 2024)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Andrew May
Publication Date 2024-03-19
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010600-E010699
Occupation General surgeon Naval surgeon
Details Douglas Malcolm Millar was a consultant general surgeon in Colchester, Essex. He was born in Mill Hill, London, the son of Gordon Millar, a GP, and Ivy Muriel Millar née How, a housewife. In 1931 Gordon gave up his practice in Mill Hill to move to Tottenham, north London, to take over the GP practice of his father, William Millar, who had died. The Millar family remained in Tottenham, with the exception of the early war years, until 1948. During the Blitz, Douglas lived with his mother, godmother, aunt, brother and sister near Welwyn, while his father stayed in London running his mobile surgical ambulance throughout the Blitz, ably supported by his retriever, appropriately named Sandbags. Doulgas’ early schooling was in London then at age 13 he went to Aldenham School, Radlett, where he played cricket and hockey and was school captain. In 1946, somewhat inevitably given his family background, Douglas left school to read medicine at King’s College, London, and then went to St George’s Hospital at Hyde Park Corner to complete the MB BS. Whilst training at King’s and St George’s clearly took priority, he also played a great deal of sport, particularly hockey and cricket. He captained a combined London Universities and United Hospitals hockey team on a tour to Germany, the first post-war British hockey team to tour Germany. Incorrectly billed in Frankfurt as Great Britain vs Germany, they played in front of a ‘vociferous’ large crowd. It was an enjoyable tour, but sometimes quite challenging for a 20-year-old – for example, in speeches at a formal reception he was asked by the mayor of Frankfurt to explain why civilian districts had been targeted in the war; and he also stayed with the family of a former U-boat commander. He qualified in 1951 and then spent a year at St George’s doing medicine, surgery and then casualty. In 1953 he decided to carry out his National Service in the Navy, following his father, and joined the new destroyer, *HMS Defender*, as a surgeon lieutenant. Their first duty was to take part in the royal review of the fleet at Spithead after the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The next day they sailed for Japanese and Korean waters, where for the next 18 months he was the sole medical officer for a crew of more than 250 as they patrolled the Korean, Hong Kong, Chinese and Malaysian coasts during latter stages of the Korean War and then beyond the armistice. His many exploits included helping locals/police on small boat sorties into Hong Kong to treat locals, chasing pirates in the straits of Formosa (similar to his father’s exploits in 1919), accompanying fully armed, combat boarding parties – as medical officer, dressed in tropical whites – and various other outings, before *HMS Defender* steamed up the Johor river to support the Army ‘clearing out the last of the communists’ as part of the Malayan Emergency. He saw much pathology through doing clinics in many different places. There were also opportunities to play cricket and hockey whilst in Hong Kong, and other highlights included being given the controls of a Sunderland flying boat on a RAF patrol on the west coast of Korea (he had flown a Tiger Moth at school) and, at the age of 25, returning home in late 1954 on a troopship, performing an appendicectomy on a sailor in the middle of the Indian Ocean. After National Service, he returned to St George’s to pursue surgical training, working on the surgical and thoracic units, being an anatomy prosector at the Royal College of Surgeons of England and a registrar at the London Hospital and Black Notley Hospital near Braintree. He passed the fellowships of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of England and of Edinburgh in 1958. In 1960 he became a senior registrar at St George’s and worked in a number of specialties including paediatric surgery, plastic surgery, breast and thyroid surgery, urology, vascular surgery and, latterly, coloproctology with Sir Ralph Marnham and Bryan Brooke. He also spent a year at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester, where several St George’s senior registrars had worked. He met his wife, Sally (née Bilcliffe) in 1957 when she was working in outpatients; she became the youngest ward sister St George’s had had. They were married in 1960 after Douglas came back from a six-week tour of the Middle East (Iran, Iraq, Jordan and Cyprus) as an assistant surgeon to Victor Riddell, organised by the British Council to operate and lecture. They had three children, Malcolm, Clare and James. In 1967, he was appointed as a consultant surgeon to the St Helena Hospital Group in Colchester, Essex, with beds and operating sessions at the Essex County Hospital, and Black Notley Hospital at Braintree, where he had been a registrar when training at the London Hospital. He also had out-patient clinics at Halstead and Clacton. It was a typical district general hospital covering a large area with a population of 250,000 and only four general surgeons and he quickly established himself as a competent general surgeon with particular interests in breast surgery, colorectal problems and vascular work. He was a brave surgeon and would take on anything that needed to be done. His particular contributions were in breast surgery, where he realised that segmental excision followed by radiotherapy was appropriate management for many patients and avoided the cosmetic results of the more radical traditional surgery. He kept records of 130 patients treated in this way. Also, at that time the radiotherapy unit in Colchester had adopted the Manchester Selectron radiotherapy treatment for some gynaecological cancers, causing significant problems of bowel, bladder and pelvic damage from the radiation. A number of patients had very troublesome fistulae and Douglas recognised this as a complication and was instrumental in stopping the treatment. He also created a uro-ileostomy procedure which bypassed the fistula and considerably helped these patients; he wrote about it and presented his results nationally and abroad. Douglas was president of the coloproctology section and a member of the council of the Royal Society of Medicine, president of the Colchester Medical Society in 1974, president of the St Mark’s Hospital Association, a fellow of the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland, an honorary surgical tutor at the Charing Cross and Westminster hospitals and a surgical tutor for the Royal College of Surgeons of England in the north east Essex hospitals region. After he retired in 1992, he served on medical tribunals as an expert witness in the east of England area. He was always a keen sportsman, being a good cricketer and hockey player when younger. He had been captain of London University Hockey from 1947 to 1949. He also played first XI hockey for Hampshire, Surrey, Middlesex and Hertfordshire, the East of England, the Anglo Scots and for Scotland, for whom he won a cap against Wales in 1956. He played cricket for United Hospitals to minor counties level, and in Colchester played into his fifties, playing for the Gentlemen of Essex and captaining the Hoboes Cricket Club for three years, touring Belgium and Holland. He was an extremely competitive sportsman in all he did. Along with golf and painting, he continued his sailing throughout his retirement, racing in local and North Sea races, and in later years cruising the east coast widely, as well as the Mediterranean with old friends. Above all, he was a devoted family man. Sally predeceased him in August 2023, and while his health deteriorated after that, he was able to stay at home and was looked after by his children and devoted carers. He died on 1 February 2024 aged 94 and was survived by his children and seven grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010603
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Williams, John Leighton (1927 - 2020)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Andrew Raftery
Publication Date 2020-11-02 2021-10-08
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009800-E009899
Occupation Urological surgeon
Details John Leighton Williams was a consultant urological surgeon in Sheffield who had a major impact on the development of urological services both locally and nationally. He was born near Swansea and was brought up between Swansea and Gilwern in the Welsh valleys, where his father was a steel works engineer. From being head boy at his grammar school, Leighton, as he was known by his family to avoid confusion with the other John Williams in the family, entered medical training in Cardiff, before transferring to Guy’s Hospital for his clinical studies. He qualified in 1949 and undertook house posts in London. In 1951 he was called up for National Service and was appointed as a lieutenant in the RAMC. After basic training, he spent any available weekend in London in the RCS museum, studying for his fellowship and obtaining his part one the following year. On passing this exam, he was promoted to captain and deployed to Trieste as a medical officer, where he remained for the rest of his service. After leaving the Army, John continued his surgical training, obtaining the fellowship in 1954 and with registrar posts in Bristol, Derby, Sheffield and Los Angeles. On returning from the USA, he was appointed to Sheffield in the mid 1960s as the first pure consultant urologist, replacing ‘Jock’ Anderson when he retired. He spent his consultant career in the department at the Royal Hospital and then at the newly built Royal Hallamshire Hospital. With the advent of renal transplantation, John started performing transplant surgery, carrying out the first successful renal transplant in Sheffield in 1968. Urology and transplantation moved to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in 1978, with John relinquishing his transplant duties shortly afterwards. The new unit was opened by the Prince of Wales, and John and his colleague Miles Fox had the honour of showing Prince Charles around. In 2018, Sheffield transplant unit celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first successful transplant. John, being retired and in his nineties, attended the celebration and cut the cake jointly with the longest surviving successful transplant patient who was still alive with a functioning kidney, 41 years after his transplant. John also had a major interest in renal tract tumours, in particular bladder cancers. He set up and developed local services in Sheffield and the surrounding area. John was honorary secretary of British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) from 1978 to 1981, in this role following on from Eric Charlton Edwards and being succeeded by John Vinnicombe. He worked very closely with the presidents during his secretaryship and collaborated with his friend John Steyn who was honorary treasurer from 1978 to 1981. John also chaired the editorial board of the *British Journal of Urology*. He was awarded the BAUS St Peter’s medal in 1991. Following his retirement, John was able to devote more time to other interests, particularly music. He had been a talented musician since childhood and shared a love of opera with his wife Edna. Their special interest was Wagner, especially the Ring cycle, and they travelled widely to attend live performances. After Edna’s death in 2000, John set up a monthly Sheffield U3A group for opera appreciation. He continued performing for many years until a shoulder injury prevented it, playing viola in a string quartet known as the Ellawi Quartet (as in ‘where the ‘ell are we?’). When he wasn’t busy, John also chaired the Sheffield and District Orchid Society for many years. Whatever John did he did well, and he became an expert in growing orchids, wood turning and repairing clocks. He died on 11 September 2020 at the age of 93.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009867
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Murrant, Nicholas John (1958 - 2015)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Andrew Robson
Publication Date 2015-09-14 2016-01-15
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E008000-E008999/E008000-E008099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/380230380230
Occupation ENT surgeon
Details Nick Murrant was a consultant ear, nose and throat surgeon based initially at the City General Hospital and latterly the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle. He was born in Sotik, Kenya, on 25 August 1958 and moved to Eastbourne when he was three. He was the only child of Peter Murrant, an insurance broker, and Edna May Murrant, who worked for the Halifax Building Society. He was educated at Bexhill Grammar school from 1969 to 1976 and then went on to King's College Medical School, qualifying MB BS in 1981. After qualification, he pursued a career in otolaryngology, with senior house officer posts held in Swindon and the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital at Golden Square in 1985. He was a registrar at Bart's and Whipps Cross hospitals from 1986 to 1990, working for, among other distinguished consultants, Robin McNab Jones and Alan Fuller. One of his contemporaries was Jim Cook, an otologist who founded the Leicester Balance Centre. Nick Murrant spent time at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children, Hackney, where he developed an interest in paediatric otolaryngology. In February 1990 he was appointed as a senior registrar in Aberdeen and Inverness. Between 1991 and 1992 he spent six months as a fellow in head and neck surgery and neuro-otology at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, where he worked for Chris O'Brien. He gained his fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1989. He was appointed as a consultant in 1993 and served the people of north Cumbria for nearly 22 years. Nick Murrant was an integral part of a close-knit and happy ear, nose and throat department consisting of doctors, nurses, audiologists, secretaries and administrative staff who pride themselves on the quality of care they deliver to patients in north Cumbria. He was initially part of a team of three consultant ENT surgeons, which grew to four in 2005. Nick Murrant led this team by example, working tirelessly in providing high quality care, both for elective and for emergency cases. He had a particular interest in otology and operated on thousands of patients to improve their hearing and cure chronic infections of the ear. He also set up a bone anchored hearing aid service in north Cumbria, thus opening up more opportunities locally to rehabilitate patients with hearing loss. Nick Murrant's lasting professional legacy was in developing a multidisciplinary approach to helping children with severe and profound hearing loss. This has been until recently a neglected area of patient care, but north Cumbrian patients were fortunate that Nick recognised this gap many years ago and pulled together a dedicated team of audiologists, teachers of the deaf, representatives of the voluntary sector and health visitors to investigate, treat, rehabilitate and support these children and their families. Many hundreds of children have had their lives immeasurably improved as a result of his forethought and leadership in developing this service. He developed fruitful links with colleagues in Newcastle and was well regarded by peers both locally and nationally. Nick Murrant led by example. He was a true public servant, dedicated to the principles of the National Health Service. He dealt positively and constructively with challenges faced at work. He served as associate medical director for surgery in the hospital's trust for several years, and implemented many changes that have benefited patients. His unique sense of humour, humanity and common sense was appreciated by all and he inspired a huge amount of loyalty and friendship from all who worked with him. He was responsible for training many junior doctors and nurses in managing ENT disorders over the years, another lasting legacy that he can be proud of. In 1988 he married Felicite (née Craddock), a nurse who trained at Bart's, who has continued to work as a theatre nurse at the Cumberland Infirmary. Nick and his family settled in Longburgh, west of Carlisle. He was proud of his large garden, and enjoyed long walks on Burgh Marsh with his family and dogs. Nick passed away on 24 May 2015 from pancreatic cancer. He was 56. As well as his wife, he was survived by his father, his sons, Sam and William, and daughters, Kate and Harriet.
Resource Identifier RCS: E008047
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Fordyce, Gordon Lindsay (1925 - 2018)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Andrew Sadler
Publication Date 2023-07-05
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010200-E010299
Occupation Oral surgeon, Dental surgeon
Details Gordon Fordyce trained in dentistry at the University of St Andrews in Dundee from 1942 to 1946. After a few months of practice he was called up for national service where he treated army recruits and, after a year, was posted to Austria where he worked at the 31st British General Hospital as No 2 dentist and subsequently Senior Dental Officer. There he became responsible for trauma. After demobilisation he wanted to practise hospital oral surgery and back in Dundee he was advised by the Professor of Anatomy that a medical qualification would not be necessary if he passed the new Fellowship in Dental Surgery examination. Thus he worked as an anatomy demonstrator while studying for part one of the exam and was then appointed as Registrar at Hill End Hospital near St Albans, and a year later promoted to senior registrar. After his four years as a senior registrar Gordon was too young for a consultant post so he was appointed as a senior hospital dental officer. After the age of 32 he was appointed as a consultant at the Royal Free Hospital for two sessions a week and the North West Thames Health Authority agreed to upgrade him to consultant at Mount Vernon Hospital (to where the Hill End department had moved in March 1953). Gordon Fordyce published papers relating to oral pathology, facial trauma and orthognathic surgery. He became involved in local and national dental politics; he was a section chairman and a member of the representative board of the BDA, President of the Institute of Maxillofacial Technology and President of the British Association of Oral Surgeons. However, his major legacy to the dental profession was the introduction of vocational training for dentists. He became an elected member of the GDC and Dental Dean of the British Postgraduate Medical Federation. He found the GDC hostile and resistant to change. It took 15 years to persuade them, many of whom were deans of dental schools, that their undergraduate training was inadequate preparation for independent practice and to persuade the government to provide funding. The first vocational training pilot started in Guildford in 1977 and it became mandatory in 1988. Gordon Fordyce retired from clinical work at Mount Vernon in 1988 but remained Chairman of the Department of Health Vocational Training Committee until 1992. He was awarded the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977, OBE in 1988 and the John Tomes Medal by the BDA in 1990.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010289
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset
Publication Date 1999 1988

First Title value, for Searching Talbot, Clifford Heyworth (1925 - 2009)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Andrew Shorthouse
Publication Date 2011-08-26 2011-09-02
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001300-E001399
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373498373498
Occupation General surgeon
Details Clifford Talbot became one of the country's leading thyroid surgeons following his appointment as a consultant general surgeon to the Sheffield Royal Hospital in 1961. He rapidly gained a fine reputation for his outstanding technical ability and was highly respected as a colleague, trainer and mentor. He continued in the finest tradition of surgical technique pioneered by Cecil Joll two generations previously. He was born in Southport, Lancashire, on 22 April 1925, the son of Frank Heyworth Talbot, a barrister, and Mabel Jane Talbot née Williams. He was a pupil at the Downs School, Malvern, between 1933 and 1939, where he gained an academic scholarship to Leighton Park School, which he attended from 1939 to 1943. At both schools he continued to develop his interest in cricket. Having originally decided to become a surgeon as an eight-year-old, his ambition was unwavering: he gained a place at St John's College, Cambridge, followed by clinical years at Guy's Hospital, qualifying in 1948. At Cambridge, he pursued his love of cricket, representing the St John's College first XI. In 1949 he was called up for National Service and was a medical officer at the Military Corrective Establishment in Colchester. In preparation for a surgical career, he was keen to improve his knowledge of anatomy and taught medical students as an anatomy demonstrator at Cambridge in 1951. From 1952 to 1953 he was a house surgeon at Guy's and his FRCS followed in 1953. He was a registrar in Sheffield between 1954 and 1956 and was then appointed as a senior registrar in Bristol, where he remained until 1961. He was awarded his MChir in 1957. He was appointed as a consultant general surgeon to the Sheffield Royal Hospital in 1961 at the age of 35. He built up a very large thyroid practice and was an early proponent of multidisciplinary team working, building a close professional relationship with Donald S Munro, the eminent Sheffield endocrinologist. He published widely and reported on the surgical management of over 600 cases of thyrotoxicosis and more than 100 cases of autonomous hot nodules. He published his 10 year results of over 200 patients with Graves' disease treated by subtotal thyroidectomy, with an emphasis on the development of late hypothyroidism. He had a large experience of treating thyroid carcinoma, reporting his experience of over 100 cases, confirming that, in the absence of extra-thyroid dissemination, lobectomy is safe and effective. Large personal case series of operations performed in a standardised manner, such as those carefully documented by Clifford Talbot, are now part of surgical history. Clifford valued the close working relations he enjoyed with his team, and in particular the registrars. He trained them meticulously and encouraged them to make surgical decisions confidently and operate under supervision. He was very conscientious, always at the end of the phone for emergencies, and went into the hospital without hesitation if the registrar called for help. He was so supportive, and his trainees really appreciated working with him. Clifford played an important part in the amalgamation of the surgical departments of the Royal Infirmary and the Royal Hospital in Sheffield into the newly built Royal Hallamshire Hospital in 1978, where he had a pivotal role in the organisation of the new outpatient departments. He was a superb mentor to newly appointed consultants. I felt extremely fortunate to have such a supportive colleague in my early days, one who actively encouraged us to develop our practices and our management roles without restraint. He was a father figure on a very happy and functional surgical unit. We so much admired his wisdom, clinical judgment, gentlemanly demeanour and his technical ability He was a keen member of the Sheffield Town Trust, one of the oldest charities in England, during the latter part of his career, using its funds to protect and safeguard the city's heritage and environment. Clifford loved his adopted city and he wanted to give something back. He was also a well-loved and active member of the Grey Turner Surgical Club. On the day of his retirement he ceased all clinical work 'at a stroke' and concentrated on his family and his woodwork. He was an expert turner. But perhaps his greatest love was fly fishing. The Derbyshire river, the Derwent, was at the bottom of his garden and across a field; he liked nothing better than to teach his grandchildren to 'present the fly beautifully'. He enjoyed a long, healthy and active retirement before falling ill in his early eighties. Typical of Clifford, he continued to lead life to its full, until metastatic disease presented as a short illness just before his death on 24 March 2009. At Guy's he had met Margaret Hilda Hooper, a ward sister, and in 1950 they married. He adored Margaret and was hugely supportive to her. They had three children, David, Mary and Jenny, who survive him.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001315
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Spence, Alexander James (1921 - 2023)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Andrew Spence
Publication Date 2023-12-19
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010500-E010599
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/387733387733
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon
Details Alexander James Spence was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon in Fife, Scotland. He was born in Aberdeen on 23 March 1921. His father, also Alexander James Spence, was head of telegraphs at the GPO (General Post Office) in Aberdeen and part owner with his brothers (all North Sea fishermen) of a fleet of coal-powered steam trawlers. His mother, Florence Spence née Ballard, was a housewife. His love of the sea began at the age of five when he was taken out on fishing trips with his uncles for his holidays on board the trawlers to Iceland and Norway. He attended school at Robert Gordon’s College, Aberdeen, and was accepted into the medical faculty at the University of Aberdeen, where he graduated MB ChB in 1943. He was the first member of his family to attend university. During his time at university, he paid his way as a taxi driver and a telephone switchboard operator and represented the university at water polo. Within a few months of graduation, he joined the Royal Navy as a lieutenant surgeon and served on *HMS Deveron* (K265), an anti-submarine frigate, until 1946. The ship escorted convoys in the North Atlantic, calling in at Liverpool, where he met his future wife, Audrey (née Porter), who was serving in the Wrens. The ship then saw service in the Indian Ocean, where he remained until the end of the war, returning and serving in the Clyde until demobilisation. He was keen to become a surgeon and worked as an anatomy demonstrator under Robert Douglas Lockhart, who encouraged his training as a general surgeon before switching to his love of the restorative techniques of orthopedics, particularly managing the deformities of polio and tuberculosis. After gaining his FRCS in 1950, he became resident surgical officer at the Royal National Orthopedic Hospital, Stanmore, and also travelled to work with John Charnley to learn to perform the first total hip replacements. He was appointed as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy, Fife, in 1961, becoming the senior trauma surgeon for Fife. He worked there until his retirement. His papers included work on osteoid osteoma, congenital vertical talus, intertrochanteric osteotomy and finger amputations. He was awarded the fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh without examination in 1964 for his services to orthopaedics. He was an honorary senior lecturer in anatomy at the University of St Andrews and, in addition, had a healthy private practice. He was a member of the Scottish Committee for Hospital Medical Services and of the Central Committee for Hospital Medical Services. After retirement from the NHS, he was invited by former trainees to develop an orthopaedic training program in Abha, Saudi Arabia, as an associate professor in orthopaedics and then as chief of orthopaedics at the King Khalid Hospital in Jeddah for the next five years. He was never happier than when sailing his yacht (which in many places sported repairs involving high-quality plates and screws of stainless steel and later titanium). Indeed, in the days before pagers and mobile phones, his wife would be required to run up a flag depicting two crossed femurs with a saw to call him back to the house and telephone! He bitterly regretted having to give up sailing at the age of 96. He died peacefully, still living independently in his own home on 31 October 2023, at the age of 102. His wife, Audrey, to whom he was married for 62 years, passed away a decade before. He had two sons, Andrew Gordon Spence (director of intensive care, Bermuda) and Michael Gordon Spence (a markets analyst), who sadly predeceased him by one year, and four grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010582
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Sutherland, Hamilton D'arcy (1913 - 2008)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Andrew Sutherland
Publication Date 2014-11-25 2015-03-20
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E006000-E006999/E006400-E006499
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/378619378619
Occupation Cardiothoracic surgeon
Details Hamilton D'Arcy Sutherland was born in Adelaide in 1913. His father, Alan, was killed in 1917 as a result of a flying accident while serving as a pilot officer in the Royal Flying Corps - predecessor to the Royal Air Force. D'Arcy's only sibling, Lance, joined the RAAF and died in a very similar accident practising aerobatics just before WW2. D'Arcy and his brother attended St Peter's College on a bursary for the sons of old scholars who had died on active service. The decision for D'Arcy to do medicine was made by the Head Master, Cannon Julian Bickersteth, and he attended the University of Adelaide on a Sir Samuel McCaughey Scholarship graduating MB BS in 1937. He was an excellent sportsman playing cricket in the St Peter's College First Eleven, earning University and Australian Blues in Baseball and he had a single figure golf handicap for over forty years (lowest 3). In 1938 he went to London to commence surgical training. He passed the Primary Examination of the Royal College of Surgeons six weeks after his arrival and World War 2 broke out a few months later. He immediately returned to Australia spending the next five years in the RANVR rising to the rank of Surgeon Lieut. Commander. During the War he served at various Military Hospitals and on ships including HMAS *Platypus* and HMAS *Australia*. He was on the *Platypus* when the Japanese bombed Darwin Harbour. He passed the Fellowship examination of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 1944 and was also awarded a Master of Surgery (Adelaide). Because he was interested in the emerging specialty of Thoracic Surgery, much of which was based on new surgical and anaesthetic techniques developed during the war, he returned to London in 1947 on a Nuffield Dominion Travelling Fellowship. He had the good fortune to work at the Harefield Hospital under the doyen of British thoracic surgery Russell (later Lord) Brock. During this time he also achieved the Fellowship of the English College. On his return to Adelaide in 1949 he set up the new thoracic surgery unit largely under the auspices of the South Australian TB Service. The Unit was immediately busy dealing primarily with TB and other lung problems. By the mid 1950s they were doing closed cardiac surgery along with the other pioneering Australian teams. The first open heart operation was in 1960 and soon the unit had an enviable national and international reputation based on its outstanding results. D'Arcy Sutherland not only proved himself to be one of the outstanding surgeons of his generation but one of the first to understand the importance of surgical teams and the meticulous collection of data. He married Margaret Higgins in 1940 and they had three children Andrew, Elizabeth and Peter. Margaret died in 1977. Elizabeth pursued a career in public administration and Andrew and Peter both became surgeons - Andrew in Orthopaedics and Peter in Urology. D'Arcy was able to attend the Annual Scientific Congress in Christchurch in 2007 at the age of 93 when his son Andrew became College President - the first father/son combination to do so. During his professional career he presented numerous papers, addresses and reports and served on many State, National and International Committees. He was President of the Cardiac Society of ANZ from 1968 to 1970, President of the SA Division of the National Heart Foundation and Vice President of the National body from 1969 to 1977. He was made an Honorary Fellow of the American College of Surgeons in 1979 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1980 for services to surgery. D'Arcy Sutherland was President of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 1978/79 having been on the Council since 1967. He was Censor in Chief in 1974, Junior Vice President in 1975 and 1976 and Senior Vice President in 1977. The College was a major influence and commitment in his life. He was proud of his role as an Office Bearer at a time when surgical training was becoming more structured and better organised as a precursor to the present modern curriculum based specialty programmes. It has been said that D'Arcy retired several times. He finished as Director of the Cardiothoracic Unit at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in 1977 to take up the Directorship of the Cardiac Surgery Unit at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne. He remained in Melbourne to 1980 and was instrumental in establishing the RCH unit as a world leader. On returning to Adelaide he was invited to be the Director of the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science from 1981 to 1983 and then Director of Outpatient Services at the Flinders Medical Centre for the next five years finally finishing paid employment at the age of 75. Following his final retirement he and Rosie who he married in 1980 established an excellent cool climate vineyard in the Adelaide Hills. D'Arcy will be remembered as a man determined to be the best at everything he attempted whether that was surgery, sport or viticulture. His dedication to his patients was legendary. Many of the patients who attended his Memorial Service were happy to recall his personal concern for them and often the pride that they felt in being one of the first to undergo a certain procedure. He was an outstanding leader and master surgeon of the immediate post war era when new technologies opened up opportunities especially in cardiothoracic surgery.
Resource Identifier RCS: E006436
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Santer, Graham Julian (1930 - 2012)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Andrew Wu
Publication Date 2012-07-12 2013-10-18
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E002000-E002999/E002600-E002699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/374831374831
Occupation General surgeon Vascular surgeon
Details Graham Julian Santer was a consultant general and vascular surgeon at Walton and Fazakerley hospitals. He was born on 16 December 1930 in Liverpool, of orthodox Eastern European Jewish heritage, and was educated at the Liverpool Collegiate School, which set him on a sound foundation for a highly academic future vocation. Before entering medical school in Liverpool he carried out his National Service and later enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps based at the Royal Herbert Military Hospital, Woolwich. He was dispatched all over the country on a project designed to screen all personnel for TB. It was a period of camaraderie and *bonheur* in his life, which he often recounted with fond memories. After he qualified in 1957, he obtained his formative surgical experience in different parts of the country, including Blackpool, Chelmsford and Southport, whilst pursuing his fellowship for the Royal College of Surgeons, which he gained in 1963. As a registrar his interest in the exciting field of vascular surgery, a specialty very much on the ascendancy at that time, was heavily influenced by pioneers such as Peter Martin of the Hammersmith Hospital and Edgar Parry at Broadgreen Hospital. His research into thrombofibrinolysis made an important contribution to the understanding of venous disease and vascular reconstruction in limb salvage. This interest later led to a seminal publication in the *Annals* ('Extended deep femoral angioplasty and lumbar sympathectomy as a limb salvage procedure', 1979 Mar;61[2]:146-8). This was an important advance in the relief of rest pain from chronic limb ischemia and offered an alternative to major amputation in the elderly. He was appointed as a senior registrar and subsequently as a consultant in Walton Hospital and embarked on a long and distinguished career, exemplified by his tireless diligence, pursuit of excellence and ultimate patient care in a single-handed vascular practice in a major teaching hospital with a vast catchment area extending from north Liverpool to Lancashire. In addition to being on constant cover for vascular emergencies such as ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm, Graham was fully involved in all aspects of general surgery. He recognised that early mobilisation after surgery was a key factor in preventing post-operative deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolus. To reduce hospital stay, short surgical procedures were hitherto done as day cases performed in the main or accident and emergency theatres. In 1976 he published and gave lectures on his experience of the planning, organisation and management of a new independent purpose-built day case surgical unit at Walton. This was audited to show a highly efficient and successful scheme with no parallel in the country. Not only was he modest in material aspiration, Graham's unassuming confidence belied his immense ability and skill. A man of high principle and intellect, he was a fierce defender of the disadvantaged and the marginalised. His sense of righteousness made him an ideal representative on the health authority manpower committee. During a session with the hospital chairman, who was seconded from the chemical giant ICI, and who was insistent on reducing the level of nursing staff as a cost-cutting exercise, Graham retorted with his typical sense of humour that trained staff must not be treated as pots of paint. He epitomised the essence of professional integrity, pragmatism and clinical wisdom of the highest order. These fine qualities were indelibly imprinted in all who worked under him throughout his long, distinguished surgical career. A private man, Graham always considered himself fortunate in life. Happily married to his soul-mate Maggie (née Carpenter) for 40 years, they had three successful children and five grandchildren. A loving father and devoted husband, he placed great importance on a tight-knit family life. He was much loved for his caring nature. His vast knowledge of current affairs, politics, fine wine and history made him delightful company in any circle and to friends of all ages. Graham retired in 1993 and enjoyed his passion for reading, travelling to visit old friends and being surrounded by his loving family. He lived life to the full and bore his terminal illness with serene courage, resolute stoicism and graceful acceptance.
Resource Identifier RCS: E002648
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Gillingham, Francis John (1916 - 2010)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Angus E Stuart
Publication Date 2011-12-20 2013-11-15
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001700-E001799
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373969373969
Occupation Neurosurgeon
Details John Gillingham was professor of neurosurgery at the University of Edinburgh. He was born in Dorchester, Dorset, on 15 March 1916, the son of John Herbert Gillingham, a businessman, and Lily Gillingham née Eavis. He was educated at the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester, and then studied medicine at St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School, where he won prizes in surgery and obstetrics. After graduation and house posts with Sir James Patterson Ross and Ronald Christie, he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps. He was deployed for 18 months in Sir Hugh Cairns' 'crash course' at Oxford on all aspects of neurological trauma. Gillingham later became commanding officer of the number 4 neurological surgical unit in the Middle East and Italy - the 'nomadic surgeons'. His unit chased after the 8th Army in the desert for some two months during the huge battle of El Alamein and then to Sicily. During this time Gillingham contracted poliomyelitis, which left him with a paralysed jaw. He ate slops for three months, but, in his own words, he eventually 'cheeked' his way back to command the unit. After the war he became a senior registrar in general surgery and then in neurosurgery at Bart's, and in 1950 he was appointed as a consultant neurosurgeon and a senior lecturer in surgical neurology at the University of Edinburgh. Gillingham spent 12 years working alongside Norman McOmish Dott, one of the great triumvirate of neurosurgeons that also included Cairns in Oxford and Sir Geoffrey Jefferson in Manchester. In 1962 Gillingham became a reader and, in 1963, professor of surgical neurology at Edinburgh. Gillingham's experiences during the Second World War gave him an understanding of, and a lasting interest in, head injuries. He kept meticulous notes on how bullets entered, traversed and often exited soldiers' brains, and correlated these injuries with any abnormal central nervous system signs or behavioural and emotional aberrations. He later described an area now known as the reticular activating system, noticing that injuries to this part of the brain always resulted in total loss or serious loss of consciousness. Gillingham regarded this area as the seat of the conscious mind, an analogy being the central processing unit of the computer. In recognition of this work he was awarded the medal of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons (in May 2009). When his colleague in Edinburgh, David Whitteridge, described the use of microelectrodes in distinguishing between grey and white matter, Gillingham immediately saw their usefulness in distinguishing deep brain structures. From these first microelectrode recording studies, fundamental insights were gained which improved the accuracy of locating lesions within the brain, including the observation that spontaneous rhythmical discharge from the thalamus was synchronous with tremor. However, the main emphasis of his work in Edinburgh was on stereotaxis (or the use of three-dimensional coordinate systems to locate and operate on targets in the body), which he used as an aid to localising brain lesions. He was introduced to stereotactic surgery by Gérard Guiot, who had visited Edinburgh to learn aneurysmal surgery from Dott and Gillingham. Gillingham's wealth of experience in aneurysmal surgery led him to adapt Guiot's stereotactic method. Over the years he refined his procedures, targeting the cerebellum, brain stem and cervical spine to help patients with chronic pain and dystonias. Results from 60 patients with Parkinson's symptoms showed that electrocoagulation of lesions in the globus pallidus, internal capsule and thalamus, either separately or in combination, reduced tremor and rigidity in 88% of cases. In this era predating MRI scans, stereotactic neurosurgery proved to be one of the most important developments in 20th century brain surgery. Gillingham's interest in the nature of memory and evolution never diminished. One day, discussing Marcel Proust's *In remembrance of times past*, he remarked that Proust may have had temporal lobe epilepsy. Gillingham pointed out that temporal lobectomy on the left side had to carefully done, lest damage to the superior temporal gyrus caused loss of cognitive memory. He added that the hippocampus, amygdala and the wider functions of the temporal lobe are concerned with memory, both long- and short-term. Gillingham was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1970. In 1980 he became president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, where he vigorously pursued and established fellowships in surgical sub-specialties. Education was a primary interest, and he supported the use of television and other visual aids. After he retired from Edinburgh, Gillingham was professor of neurosurgery at the King Khalid University Hospital in Riyadh - at that time a veritable nest of distinguished medicos. Gillingham's services were in demand during the planning of a new medical school and I remember him insisting on a helicopter pad being built. With great gusto, he improved training and skills in the neurosurgery section, which soon began to flourish. In 1945 Gillingham married Judy (Irene Jude), who was a constant support. Cairns, a brilliant administrator, arranged their wedding locally in Oxford, followed by a reception in his house. After the war they settled in a splendid house overlooking the Forth, where Judy was a sparkling hostess, entertaining guests with tales of their many tours abroad. They had four sons (Jeremy, who predeceased him following a skiing accident, Timothy, Simon and Adam) and many grandchildren. John Gillingham died on 3 January 2010, at the age of 93. His modesty and kindliness were apparent throughout his life; all who met him admired him. Once, walking through the main corridor of the King Khalid Hospital in the company of a Syrian surgeon, we encountered John, advancing towards us with his entourage. As they passed by, the Syrian doctor lent over and whispered in my ear: 'Do you see that man? I would never tell him so, but I would do anything for him!'
Resource Identifier RCS: E001786
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Sri Skandarajah, Vallipuram (1938 - 2021)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Anita Skandarajah
Publication Date 2021-11-19 2022-04-19
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010000-E010099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/385180385180
Occupation General surgeon
Details Sri Skandarajah was a consultant general surgeon at Latrobe Regional Hospital, Gippsland, Victoria, Australia for 37 years. He made an outstanding contribution to medicine in the Latrobe Valley and the care of and kindness towards multigenerational families will be his legacy. Born on 18 August 1938 in Jaffna, Ceylon, towards the end of the British era, he was educated in English at Royal College, Colombo. He was an elite athlete and played badminton, basketball, hockey, tennis and athletics. In fact, it was a sporting injury to his toe which brought him to hospital for the first time and piqued his interest in all things medicine and surgery. He entered medical school in 1958, completing his MB BS at the University of Ceylon in 1963. Throughout this time, he was an excellent scholar but also maintained his passion for sport, culminating in him representing Ceylon as captain for the badminton and basketball teams at the Asian Games. Having started surgical training in Negombo, Ceylon, he married Savithri (Savi) in 1964 and emigrated to the UK in 1965. He obtained his primary at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 1966. His registrar training took him to posts throughout the Midlands, including Nottingham, Macclesfield, Burnley and Stourbridge, from which he sat and was successful in obtaining his fellowships of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (in 1967) and of England (in 1969). He was a true anglophile and always considered the UK a second home. However, the lure of a warmer climate and the desire to be closer to his family led Sri and Savi to emigrate to the Latrobe Valley, Victoria, Australia in 1970. Over his 37 years of practice and service to the Latrobe Regional Hospital, his initial phase also included orthopaedics, obstetrics and vascular surgery, but he truly specialised in general and laparoscopic surgery. He was forever the scholar and educator and was quick to adopt laparoscopic cholecystectomy and laparoscopic splenectomy in the 1990s. His colleagues report him to have been a true master surgeon and mentor. His students from Monash University recall him as a quiet, reserved man who was gentle, kind and calm. His patients remember him for his patience and having all the time in the world for them. Sri’s passion extended beyond surgery, and he was a serial hobbyist. He bred and showed cocker spaniels. He started painting and his work ranged from landscapes and portraits to abstracts. He was an obsessive and steadfast gardener and, when he finally retired in 2007, he needed to use his hands and extended this passion to bonsai, attending bonsai club classes and trading secrets about crafting beautiful bonsai. Although he came across as a shy and reserved man, those close to him knew how cheeky he could be. His highly intellectual side was balanced with a somewhat irreverent and bawdy sense of humour. His curious nature meant that he was a keen traveller and loved learning about other cultures. Sri and Savi were blessed to be able to travel extensively, especially after he retired, and one of his proudest adventures was returning to the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh to celebrate the quincentenary. Sri was a conservative man with ‘modern’ sensibilities. He was accepting of everyone – never judgmental about race, sexual identity or religion. Everyone was always welcome to the family home and everyone had to be fed! Sri was passionate about life and everything life had to offer. He was a faithful friend and adored his family. The sheer joy when his grandson Noah was born was palpable. Only a surgeon would think to purchase a plastic life-sized skeleton for his three-year old grandson and have it received with utter joy. Sri and Savi had two daughters, Angela and Anita. He valued education above all else: Angela, a lawyer, became chief executive officer of Development Victoria; Anita, a surgeon, is deputy director of general surgery at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. As his daughter, I can only share the values he imparted: ‘lead with kindness, live with passion and strive for excellence’.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010040
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Huckstep, Ronald Lawrie (1926 - 2015)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Ann Huckstep
Publication Date 2015-05-08 2016-06-02
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E007000-E007999/E007200-E007299
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/379413379413
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon Trauma surgeon
Details Ronald Lawrie Huckstep was the inaugural professor of trauma and orthopaedic surgery at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, and before that at Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda. He was born in Chefoo, China, on 22 July 1926. His father, Herbert George Huckstep, was appointed director of education in Shanghai, following a career of teaching in London, the West Indies and Shanghai. His mother, also a teacher, was born in China. Her Scottish father was an officer on a China tea clipper ship and remained in Shanghai as a Yangtse River pilot. Ron and his younger brother John spent their early childhood in Shanghai. Ron's formal education was interrupted on several occasions. In 1938 he was confined to bed for a year with rheumatic fever. In 1939, when he turned 12, it was decided that he should go to boarding school in England. After an eventful journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway, the family remained in Britain for a few months, then returned to Shanghai. Following the attack on Pearl Harbour on 7 December 1941, Ron and his family were placed under house arrest, but he was able, at the age of 15, to attend an engineering institute, engineering being his primary interest. Travel was soon forbidden, so he started basic studies for an external medical degree from a Paris University. In April 1943, Ron and his family, along with other British subjects, were interned by the Japanese, where they remained until 1945. Ron was able to continue his medical studies in a rudimentary fashion in the internment camp, thanks to the initiative of a missionary doctor, Donald Cater, who organised a secret medical class, using their own emaciated bodies as anatomy models. As a result of this, in 1946, Ron was accepted by Queens' College, Cambridge, to read medicine. Following graduation from Cambridge University, Ronald pursued his clinical training at the Middlesex Hospital, London. After qualification and some early house appointments, he travelled to Kenya in 1954 to widen his clinical knowledge. It was the time of the Mau Mau uprising, and Ron was put in charge of a typhoid ward and an internment camp for Mau Mau suspects. His work in this field formed the basis of his Cambridge University MD thesis. Returning to London, he completed surgical house appointments at the Middlesex and the Royal National Orthopaedic hospitals. During this time, he gained fellowships of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of Edinburgh and England. In 1959 Ronald was appointed as chief assistant to the orthopaedic unit at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London. In that same year he was awarded a Hunterian professorship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England for his work on typhoid fever. In 1960 he married Ann Macbeth (the daughter of Ronald Macbeth, an ENT surgeon). At this time, he was appointed senior lecturer at Makerere University Medical School, Kampala, Uganda, in order to establish an orthopaedic department within the department of surgery. During the course of ten years in Uganda, Ron developed a flourishing orthopaedic and trauma service, eventually becoming professor of trauma and orthopaedic surgery. With the help of the Round Table, he established a polio clinic and a workshop for the manufacture of simple appliances, such as calipers and crutches, as well as simple wheelchairs. Simple correction of deformities resulting from poliomyelitis was a large part of his work. He also travelled extensively in Uganda, establishing clinics in outlying hospitals. Pope Paul VI visited the clinic in 1969 during a pilgrimage to Uganda. In 1970 Ron was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George for his work with disabled patients. During this time Ron worked on early models of the 'Huckstep nail'. He also developed the 'skelecast', a simple means of immobilising fractures. In 1970 the Commonwealth Foundation invited him to become their first travelling professor in order to visit developing countries. He embarked on a 50,000 mile round-the-world tour, over a period of four months. This was recorded in *Orthopaedic problems in the newer world: report on a Commonwealth Foundation lecture tour March-September 1970* (1971), published by the Commonwealth Foundation. As a result of this tour, Ron was instrumental in founding World Orthopaedic Concern in 1973, a forum for orthopaedic surgeons from around the world to meet and discuss the management of disabled patients in developing countries. As the political situation in Uganda became increasingly unstable, Ron accepted the position of inaugural chair of trauma and orthopaedic surgery at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, arriving in Australia in 1972 with Ann and their three children. The position presented new challenges, but a viable department, as well as a comprehensive orthopaedic programme, was established. He also streamlined the accident and emergency services, and served on road trauma and other committees. Ron was passionate about teaching, both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He continued his research in various materials for implants. With a research team, he developed the Huckstep intramedullary compression nail for difficult fractures and also a ceramic hip. His publications were many and included a book on typhoid fever, simple guides to trauma and orthopaedics, as well as a simple guide to poliomyelitis. In retirement Ron continued to lecture and travel, keeping in touch with colleagues worldwide. His latter years were marred by increasing mobility difficulties following a hip fracture, but his mind remained active and sharp. He had a special interest in the activities of his six grandchildren. Ron Huckstep died on 10 April 2015, at the age of 88. His legacy is the gratitude of his colleagues, students and patients in many parts of the world.
Resource Identifier RCS: E007230
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Batten, Keith Leslie (1926 - 2016)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Ann Kivett
Publication Date 2016-11-21 2017-06-09
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009200-E009299
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381457381457
Occupation General surgeon Ophthalmic surgeon
Details Keith Batten served as the chief surgeon and hospital warden of the St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital for a decade between 1969 to 1979, and later as their hospitaller between 1989 and 1992. He oversaw many of the significant occasions in the history of the hospital and left a tremendous impact on the region through his service. Keith's father, Edward Leslie Warner Batten, owned a business in the Bear Flat area of Bath. His mother Beatrice Lucy Batten (née Mullett) was a teacher at Duke Street School. Keith enjoyed a happy childhood, growing up in Bath. After attending a couple of private schools, he became a boarder at Monkton Combe Junior School and then continued on into the senior school. Whilst at the senior school he took up rowing and was in the first eight. Rowing continued to be an interest in his life and he often went to Henley Royal Regatta. Anxious to do his part for the Second World War, he opted to do his first MB at St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School and left Monkton in 1942. Barts pre-clinical departments were evacuated to Cambridge because of the London bombings. He lived at Queens' College for his first year and then moved into digs. It was whilst in Cambridge that he met Patricia Margaret Poyner Wall, who was at Bedford College, having also been evacuated to Cambridge. They met at a tea at St Paul's Vicarage and were involved with the Cambridge Inter Collegiate Christian Union. Keith and Pat were married in July 1949, after Keith had done a couple of house jobs, but prior to conscription. Following various postings to Tidworth Military Hospital, Bicester Command Ordnance Depot and finally as a senior medical officer of the Devizes Garrison, Keith left the Army and was accepted into the Colonial Service for a post in the Uganda Medical Service. He took a course for nine months at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where he obtained the diploma in tropical medicine and in April 1952 sailed on the *Kenya Castle* to Mombasa. After a two-day train journey to Kampala, he arrived to take up a post for six months to work at Mengo Hospital. Keith and the family then moved to Mubende, where he had been posted as district medical officer. He was working extremely hard, often more than 12 hours day running the hospital, operating, touring and holding clinics and administering the hospital and dispensaries and the public health staff. After three years in Mubende he moved to Soroti to be district medical officer in the Teso sub region for four years, where among other things he treated patients with leprosy. The local view of the disease was that it was either sent by spirits or caused by eating fish. The fishermen around Lake Kyoga lived in slum conditions around the shore gathered into small villages. They had a higher incidence of leprosy than the general population who lived in family groups surrounded by their own areas of cultivation and overcrowding was less. When Keith left four years later to start a career in ophthalmology they had over 8,000 lepers under treatment. What really made the African local administration sit up and take notice was when the children with leprosy who attended the school at the leprosy centre won the district school sports. It brought home to the councillors that loss of fingers and toes was no longer an inevitable consequence of the disease and that people could be cured and lead normal healthy lives. He left Soroti to pursue a career in ophthalmology. He moved to Kampala and worked as number two in the eye department at Mulago Hospital and then went back to the UK to study at Moorfields. Following his diploma in ophthalmology, he worked as a registrar in the eye department. The clinics were huge, the operating lists long and the work heavy. When Uganda was granted independence, Keith returned to the UK and re-joined the Royal Army Medical Corps, where he had an enjoyable tour of duty in Germany, mainly working at the British Military Hospital in Rinteln. He also worked at Millbank and Aldershot. In 1966, he was seconded from the Army to the St John Eye Hospital, which he found very interesting and rewarding. Aldershot seemed tame after his year in Jerusalem and so when Sir Stewart Duke-Elder invited him to apply for the post of warden and chief surgeon of the St John Eye Hospital he jumped at the chance. In 1969, he returned to Jerusalem for ten happy, exciting and rewarding years. He enjoyed meeting many interesting people during his time in Jerusalem: patients, people working in the community and some very well known people. He was delighted to meet Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, who visited the hospital in 1975, and also Margaret Thatcher. No two days were the same at the hospital. In the aftermath of the Yom Kippur War in 1973, the hospital's outpatient clinic saw 510 patients in one day seen by three doctors - one of the busiest days ever recorded there. In 1976, he received a CBE for medical service to the community in Jerusalem. Returning to the UK, Keith took up a consultant post with the Ministry of Defence at RAF Wroughton and worked there for ten years. He also worked for a few weeks in an eye camp in Bihar in India, where he operated on a large number of cataracts. He visited Cyprus many times whilst working at Wroughton to hold clinics and run operating sessions. On retirement, he took a consultant post at the Riyadh Military Hospital for a few months. He led a full life, loved people and would do all he could to help humanity. Keith's Christian faith was central to his day to day living and the church played an important part in his life. He enjoyed his time as churchwarden in Kampala, London and in Jerusalem. He died peacefully at home on 18 October 2016 after a long illness, bravely borne, surrounded by his family. He was 89. He was survived by his wife, Pat, and two daughters Ann and Jane, six grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009274
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Lo, Thomas (1927 - 2012)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Annabelle Lo
Publication Date 2012-07-12 2017-03-24
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E002000-E002999/E002600-E002699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/374824374824
Occupation ENT surgeon
Details Tom Lo was a consultant ENT surgeon in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand. He was born in Hong Kong, the son of a solicitor, Man Wai Lo, a member of the Legislative Council and, with his brother Sir Man Kam Lo, co-founder of the law firm of Lo & Lo. Tom's education was interrupted when he was 14 by the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in 1941. During the four years of the occupation his schooling was limited to English lessons at a private tutor's home, dodging Japanese sentries on the way, and private Chinese lessons at home. After the end of the Japanese occupation, Tom passed his matriculation exam and went on to study medicine at the re-opened University of Hong Kong, in spite of not having studied any science subjects. He qualified in 1954 and was a house surgeon and junior registrar to both Francis Stock, dean of the faculty of medicine and professor of surgery, and A R Hodgson, senior lecturer in orthopaedic surgery. In 1958, with his wife and eight month old son, Tom went to Edinburgh and then Liverpool to prepare for the fellowship exams of the Edinburgh and London Colleges. He passed both in 1961. Then followed several years working as a surgical registrar and senior registrar at Clatterbridge Hospital, Cheshire, Kent and Canterbury Hospital, and Chester Royal Infirmary. On a visit to England in 1966, Francis Stock advised Tom to take up ENT surgery, as the specialty might provide more opportunities to gain a consultant post. With a family of by then four young children, Tom returned to his studies and gained his diploma in laryngology and otology (DLO) in 1967. He was appointed as a senior registrar at the Liverpool Ear, Nose and Throat Infirmary, and later moved on to Alder Hey Children's Hospital and Sefton General Hospital in Liverpool. In 1969 he applied for and was appointed as a consultant ENT surgeon by the Hawke's Bay Hospital Board in Napier, New Zealand. Tom and his family arrived in Napier in February 1970. He took over the private practice of Reg Bettington, who had been killed in an accident, and over the years built up a successful private practice of his own. For eight years Tom was the sole ENT specialist for Hawke's Bay and had operating sessions at both Napier Hospital and Hastings Memorial Hospital. In addition, he had operating sessions at the two private hospitals, Royston and Princess Alexandra. Most of his surgery was for tonsils and adenoids, grommets, stapedectomy and otosclerosis, operating with a microscope. Tom was a somewhat reserved and quiet man, but he was well-liked and respected by colleagues, staff and patients. Chris Peychers, an audiologist, remembers Tom as 'a very caring person who was especially good with children'. He enjoyed close co-operation with Tom, resulting in a team approach to ear issues. Grace Williams, a retired theatre sister at Napier Hospital, recalls that it was wonderful to work with Tom: he always pleasant and courteous to patients and staff, and very good at explaining things to students. Tom had always been keen on sports. With studies, work and a young family, in the UK he hadn't had the opportunity to play. In Napier he joined the Greendale Tennis Club and eventually built his own tennis court. Sunday tennis at home with friends and colleagues was a regular fixture. He was also very keen on cricket and enjoyed playing in the social grade of the Taradale Cricket Club. He was their opening bat and once made a century. When he retired from playing, he was invited to become patron of the club. Tom retired in 1988 after a third ENT consultant was appointed for Hawke's Bay. In accepting Tom's retirement, A P Jones, the medical superintendent-in-chief at the time, noted: 'The hallmarks of your service over the years have been your conscientiousness, reliability and equable temperament.' He also advised Tom that the board had granted him 'honorary status providing public recognition of the high personal regard in which you are held by the board and your consultant colleagues in the two hospitals'. In his retirement Tom enjoyed a lot of travelling, including going on safari in Kenya, trips to Antarctica, Machu Picchu, Petra and Jordan, Indonesia, and many other parts of the world. He made frequent visits to family members in Hong Kong, Britain and the United States. He also took great pleasure in spending time on a sheep and cattle farm in Hawke's Bay, which he had bought several years earlier. He learned much about farming and rural life from his farm manager. In November 2002 Tom suffered a severe stroke that left him paralysed on his left side. He recovered his speech, but lost his peripheral vision, which sadly left him barely able to read or watch TV. Before the stroke he was an avid reader. Fortunately, he did not suffer any memory loss and at the nursing home where he lived he would from time to time be approached by student nurses who found they could discuss medical issues with him. All through the nine and a half years that Tom was confined to a wheelchair he remained patient and tolerant as ever and never complained about his condition. Tom died on 1 May 2012, the day after his 85th birthday, after failing to recover from a chest infection. He was survived by his wife Annabelle, two sons and two daughters, their spouses and nine grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E002641
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Davis, Peter Reginald (1923 - 2013)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Anne Davis
Publication Date 2014-02-24 2014-06-13
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E005000-E005999/E005000-E005099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/377205377205
Occupation Anatomist
Details Peter Reginald Davis was professor of human biology at the University of Surrey. He was born on 27 July 1923 in Wimbledon, the younger son of A H Davis, a government physicist, and his wife, Amy. Peter's childhood was spent in west London, and he went to St Paul's School. He became a medical student at St Bartholomew's Hospital in 1941, qualifying as a doctor in 1946. After house jobs, he went into the Army as a surgeon. At that time, you were expected to deal with anything that came your way as a surgeon, with very little backup; he gained extensive experience in post-war Germany, leaving him with alarming surgical stories which he enjoyed telling for many years. On leaving the Army in 1953, he chose to become an academic, and at the Royal Free Hospital Medical School he started a distinguished career in anatomical teaching and research. He was highly regarded by his students, and he loved teaching his children as well. They were regularly taken to the anatomy dissection room from a very young age and learned much anatomy at home. While at the Royal Free his interest grew in the anatomy and evolution of the human arm. This led to a research trip to Africa in 1959, where he spent two months on the Serengeti Plains, and in Olduvai Gorge, working with Louis Leakey. His subsequent PhD thesis was a study of the arm of the hominid *Proconsul africanus*. He was appointed professor of human biology at the University of Surrey in 1969. He developed extensive research into back injuries; his interest was fuelled by his own tendency to back problems, which he treated with typical inventiveness. Peter worked with the Coal Board to design better coal shovels, and the Army to improve tank driving seats. With his colleagues, he had fun with the Army - on one occasion he was locked in the guard room under suspicion of spying, and on another drove tanks on Salisbury Plain in the name of applied research. His work led to membership of the Ergonomics Society (this has since become the Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors). He was editor of *The Ergonomist* from 1970 to 1971, and chair of the Society in 1985. He wrote many published academic papers and was an inspiring leader in the field of ergonomic research. One great pride was his fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons, awarded in 1973. He finally retired, becoming professor emeritus at the University of Surrey, in 1983. Peter Davis married Elizabeth Mary Jenman ('Betty') in 1947. Betty was also a doctor, involved in pathology and public health. They had three children, two of whom became consultant head and neck surgeons; their younger daughter was a senior psychologist. Peter and Betty retired together to a house in St Mawes, Cornwall, where they had a wonderful view over the estuary. Retirement gave them many happy adventures together on the water. They had a wooden boat built, as well as owning several cruisers, and Peter specialised in a range of small boats, including unstable pram dinghies, in which he used to meet his offspring on their arrival by sea. His life was made happy by his family of four generations; he always delighted in childlike things, including Winnie the Pooh, and in retirement he loved to see them and show off his continuing achievements. Despite frailty, his sense of humour remained until his last hours and 'The Prof' was a great favourite in his retirement home. He died very peacefully on 6 December 2013, aged 90.
Resource Identifier RCS: E005022
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Kulkarni, Revaneppa Tirkappa (1937 - 2013)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Anne Kulkarni
Publication Date 2014-02-24 2015-02-20
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E005000-E005999/E005000-E005099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/377210377210
Occupation General surgeon
Details Revanappa Tirkappa Kulkarni was a surgeon in Gadag-Betageri, Karnataka, India. He was born in Savanur, in Dharwar district, Mysore State, on 6 March 1937, one of 14 children of Tirkappa Ningappa Kulkarni, the town clerk and a landlord, and Nilgangawa Kulkarni née Godhi. Only six children survived in the family. He was educated at Majid High School, Savanur, and won an open merit scholarship to Karnatak College, Dharwar, where he was first in the premedical intermediate science examination. He then joined Grant Medical College in Bombay, where he won another scholarship. After qualifying MB BS in 1961, he worked at the National Hospital in Mahim, Bombay, under several reputed surgeons, including M H Keswani, a plastic surgeon. He then went to the UK for postgraduate studies and worked for 11 years at various hospitals, including Maidenhead General, Bradford Royal Infirmary, Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital, and at Walsgrave, where he was particularly influenced by Roger Abbey Smith, a cardiothoracic surgeon. He was also a GP for two years in Lincoln. Whilst in England he secured his fellowships of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and of England. In 1970 he married a British nurse, Dorothy Anne Mardel, and in 1973 they settled in Gadag-Betageri, a small town in southern India, and built their own 20-bed hospital. Life was not without its ups and downs. This was before disposable hospital equipment, and blood transfusion was in its infancy in Gadag. An anesthetist was not always available and many operations were carried out using ether. Power cuts were a regular feature, as were water shortages. Kulkarni performed thousands of operations, from the rare to the commonplace, including hare-lip and cleft palate surgery, gastrojeujunostomy, thyroidectomy, tonsillectomy and appendectomy. He gave many papers to conferences organised by the Karnataka State Chapter of the Association of Surgeons of India (KSCASI), including on repair of a torn axillobrachial artery using basilic vein graft and Meckel's diverticulum. He was chair of KSCASI in 1991 and in 2004 had the honour of delivering the prestigious Dr H S Bhat Oration at the KSCASI conference. He also gave several popular radio talks and published articles in several leading newspapers on health issues, including heart disease in pregnant women, respiratory diseases in industrial workers, dog bites and rabies, vasectomy, sex education, sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS, safe disposal of human waste, blood transfusion and blood donation. Outside medicine, he was involved in several social work and community projects. He was chairman of the Tontadarya College of Engineering in Gadag and of the Kalyan Kendra Jatra committee (which manages the local annual fair at the Hindu temple). With the help of Rotarians in Gadag-Betageri and the UK and Rotary International, he helped fund a residential college of music for the blind in Gadag, established a modern well-equipped eye care centre and improved the infrastructure in 30 local schools, establishing sanitary facilities and water supplies, and providing equipment, including desks. Among the many honours he received, he was presented with Rotary's Service Above Self award. Revanappa Tirkappa Kulkarni died on 22 October 2013 in Gadag-Betageri, aged 76. He was survived by his wife and two sons.
Resource Identifier RCS: E005027
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Siegenberg, Joe (1927 - 2015)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Anne Siegenberg
Publication Date 2015-09-15 2019-03-27
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E008000-E008999/E008000-E008099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/380266380266
Occupation General surgeon Gastrointestinal surgeon Physician
Details Joe Siegenberg was a surgeon in British Columbia, Canada. He was born on 3 January 1927 in Johannesburg, South Africa, the son of Lewis (Lou) Siegenberg and Sarah Siegenberg née Bernstein. He was a self-starter, an individual who, even though he came from a challenging, difficult background, managed to become a charismatic, caring human being. Even though he lost his father at the age of seven and his mother had to put him and his brother in an orphanage so she could work, against all the odds he became a prefect at school and was the cantor at his school’s synagogue. Not only did Joe do well academically, he also excelled at many sports, including javelin throwing, soccer, tennis, cricket and squash, and later on at Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg became a champion middleweight boxer whilst attending medical school there. Prior to medical school he went into the Army and was stationed in Italy and the Suez Canal. He met my mother, Myrna, at a musical evening one night in Johannesburg when she was 17 and he 22. It was mutual love at first sight, with my father falling for my mother’s quiet, sweet Titian beauty and my mother attracted to his disarming intelligence, blond hair and green eyes. Not long after they married, Joe, with his beloved ‘Emmy’ in tow, moved to London in 1955, where he pursued his FRCS and where his daughter, Anne (myself), was born a few years later. Following their time in the UK, Joe with his wife and daughter emigrated to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. During his career, Joe was first and foremost a surgeon and a family physician. During his 33-year tenure, he performed hundreds of surgeries and trained hundreds of residents at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, where he specialised in gastrointestinal surgery. He was notorious among his surgical residents due to his insistence on them going for runs around the hospital between surgeries in order to remain fit and to prepare them for the tireless work required as an on-call surgeon. Despite his busy schedule, he also participated in medical research. His focus was on the responses of a variety of organs and tissues to surgery, with canines and golden hamsters as model organisms. In 1960, he published a paper on ‘Post-operative intussusception in the dog’ in the *Canadian Veterinary Journal* (1960 Oct;1[10]:452-6). Although intussusception is rare it affects 1 in 2,000 children and can be deadly if not diagnosed and treated correctly. In a paper published in the *Canadian Journal of Surgery* he studied the effects of tumours induced by methylcholanthrene in the gallbladder and liver of the golden hamster (‘Further studies on methylcholanthrene-induced tumours of the gallbladder and liver in the golden hamster.’ *Can J Surg*. 1963 Jul;6:367-71). He later published a case study on pancreatic pseudocysts (‘Unusual presentation of a pancreatic pseudocyst: a case report.’ *Can J Surg*. 1987 Jul;30[4]:281-2). Being the Renaissance man that he was, Joe was not content with just being a surgeon/physician, he was also widely read, particularly in the areas of English literature and history, spoke a number of foreign languages, and was responsible for bringing the game of squash to junior players in western Canada. He also took a great interest in Churchill, having crossed paths with him as an impressionable student on the streets of London, becoming president of the Winston Churchill Society for many years. My father was a great speech writer and orator, and our family would look forward every year to hearing his well-informed speeches about the people surrounding Churchill, who he would invite to speak to the society each year, including Churchill’s daughter, Lady Soames, and his biographer Martin Gilbert, who both knew my father personally. Joe was also an incredibly loving grandfather who doted on his grandsons. My father never viewed his grand parenting duties as a chore, but as an honour, an opportunity to spend quality time with his grandchildren, Zaccary and Aydan, and enjoy re-living his childhood through them. My father also enjoyed doing locums for some of the general practitioners in Richmond, a suburb of Vancouver, right up until the age of 80. Joe did not retire easily, and after a few years his health began to deteriorate and he was forced to deal with the challenges of cancer, a pacemaker and, later, developing a form of dementia. From the beginning, I remember my father Joe as always being a very happy, positive person with a great sense of humour. His loving encouragement in every interest and activity I pursued was palpable – from running the 100-yard dash in high school track and field, to patiently teaching me chemistry, to always being there for me during my piano competitions with a linen handkerchief in tow to dry my sweaty hands. What was incredible to me as his daughter, and I think was his greatest feat, was that, even though Joe suffered memory loss, the beautiful, caring person that he was always shone through, greeting people in the Steveston streets where they resided, whilst walking with my Mom, telling every woman she was beautiful. When Joe Siegenberg passed away on 13 June 2015 at the age of 88 he left his family a beautiful, inspiring legacy of love, deep caring for the suffering and pain of others, and of never giving up.
Resource Identifier RCS: E008083
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Weliwita-Gunaratne, Lucien Gladwin (1930 - 2012)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Anne Weliwita-Gunaratne
Publication Date 2012-04-13 2013-12-19
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E002000-E002999/E002100-E002199
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/374379374379
Occupation Accident and emergency surgeon General surgeon Orthopaedic surgeon
Details Lucian Gladwin Blaise Weliwita-Gunaratne was an accident and emergency surgeon in Kidderminster, and later returned to Sri Lanka, where he was a consultant surgeon at the Central Hospital (Nawinne). He was born on 3 February 1930 at Teldeniya, near Kandy, Ceylon. His parents, Don Zacharias Weliwita-Gunaratne and Theresa Weliwita-Gunaratne (née Perera Illanganratne), were headmaster and headmistress of boys' and girls' schools in Ragama, near Colombo. He attended secondary school at St Joseph's College, Colombo. He displayed a talent for languages. He was introduced to Sanskrit and Pali at home by his father (who was a linguist and hymn writer), had the obligatory Latin at school, was bilingual in Sinhala and English, and, as an adult, learned Tamil and French. He contemplated following his cousins, Julian and Paulinus, into the Catholic priesthood, but was dissuaded by his (otherwise devout) mother, who had already lost three of her young children to illness, leaving only him and his older brother Michael. The loss of his younger brothers, Paul Leslie and Peter Kingsley, were formative experiences in his childhood, and pointed him towards his calling to become a surgeon. The loss of four-year-old Peter had an especially painful impact, about which he found it difficult to speak, even 60 years later. He entered the University of Ceylon, and graduated MB BS in 1954. He then worked for two years as a medical officer in charge of a peripheral unit in Hingurakgoda, and then moved to England. His surgical education began as a junior house officer at Birch Hill Hospital, Rochdale. He was then a senior house officer at Louth, Coventry and Bromsgrove, and at Battle Hospital, Reading. From 1959 to 1962 he was a surgical registrar in Bromsgrove, and subsequently a registrar in the thoracic unit at Yardley Green Hospital, Birmingham. He gained his FRCS in 1962. Returning to Ceylon in 1963, he worked as a resident surgeon at the General Hospital Colombo, and then as a general surgeon at the General Hospital Ratnapura. He was also a consultant surgeon in two missionary hospitals in Jaffna and Marawila, and at Sulaiman Hospital Colombo (from 1969 to 1973). In 1973 he returned to the UK, joining Kidderminster General Hospital in Worcestershire, where he worked variously as a locum registrar, accident surgeon, and associated specialist in the accident and emergency dept. In 1985 he returned to Sri Lanka, where he worked as a consultant surgeon in trauma, orthopaedics and general surgery in Central Hospital (Nawinne) until 1990. His professional life as a surgeon spanned two very different countries, but he was always aware, in his own words, that 'a human being in pain, is a human being in pain'. Well into his retirement he was always ready to listen, give advice, alleviate worries and make judicious use of his first aid kit when necessary. He truly felt that his profession was a calling, a vocation. So much so that when there was a dearth of surgeons in the war-torn area of northern Sri Lanka, he volunteered in 1996 for five months of what could only be termed gruelling surgery, taking care of civilians and soldiers alike. The most heart-breaking cases, in his view, were the children with abdominal injuries from anti-personnel mines, designed to injure the legs of adults. While he was no stranger to trauma from his previous work in accident and emergency, the cruelties of war and the lack of post traumatic care for caregivers took a toll on his psyche. He did however have a great sense of humour. He was an avid philatelist, and was a member of the Kidderminster and District Philatelic Society and the British Society of Australian Philately. He had enjoyed ballroom dancing in his youth, and loved reading, listening to bird song, jazz, classical music, opera and Gregorian chant, playing chess and bridge, collecting (in both countries) a fascinating group of bridge partners. Manual dexterity was another skill, which remained with him to the end - it is not an exaggeration to say that he repaired every man-made object in and around his home. He died on 6 February 2012 from cancer of oesophagus, aged 82, and was survived by his wife Anne (née Balasuriya), whom he married in 1955, his daughters Chintra and Cherine, and grandchildren Nina and Martin. Perhaps his greatest legacy was the National Institute for the Care of Paraplegics in Sri Lanka, which he founded in 1988, the first meetings taking place at his home in Kurunegela. Today it is in the capable hands of professionals from Kandy Teaching Hospital and other volunteers from Digana Rehabilitation Hospital.
Resource Identifier RCS: E002196
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Heycock, Morris Hensman (1928 - 2020)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Annette Court-Hampton
Publication Date 2020-11-02
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009800-E009899
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/383974383974
Occupation Plastic surgeon
Details Morris Hensman Heycock, or ‘Bob’ or ‘Bobby’ as his family, friends and colleagues knew him, was a consultant plastic surgeon in Hull. He was born in Dublin on 31 October 1928. His father, Morris Sadler Heycock, read natural sciences at King’s College, Cambridge and was a chemist before becoming head brewer at Guinness in Dublin and then at Park Royal in London. His mother, Kathleen Mary Heycock née Wallis, was the daughter of Arnold Wallis, a fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. She was an extremely gifted amateur violinist who played with, and entertained, many world-famous musicians in Dublin. Bob’s paternal grandfather, Charles Heycock, was an acclaimed chemist and metallurgist who was elected a fellow of the Royal Society. His godmother, Lucy Wills (the sister of his father’s first wife), was a haematologist who discovered that macrocytic anaemia of pregnancy could be cured with yeast extract; the agent later became known as folic acid. From Ashdown House Prep School in Sussex, Bob went to Winchester College following his two older brothers, Charles and Edward. Bob never really got over losing his beloved brother Charlie in the Second World War and had a photo of him by his bed to the day he died. Unlike his brothers, Bob joined the naval section of the officer training corps, to his family’s dismay. He later said this was one of the best decisions he ever made. Following Winchester, he went up to King’s College, Cambridge as at least the third generation of his family to study there. Bob was awarded the Barcroft prize in 1951 while studying for the natural sciences tripos. He carried out his National Service in the Royal Navy as a medical orderly, serving for much of that time at the Royal Naval Hospital, Stonehouse in Plymouth, where he developed his love of the West Country. After Cambridge, he did his clinical training at St Thomas’ Hospital in London and then decided to become a plastic surgeon. After house jobs, in 1957 he became a demonstrator in anatomy at Cambridge and gained his FRCS in 1961. He was a senior registrar in plastic surgery at St Thomas’ and at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital. He also spent a year in Miami in 1969 as a fellow with Ralph Millard, who had developed a new technique for cleft lip repair. While Bob admired his work tremendously, he didn’t apparently find him easy to work with. In 1971 Bob was appointed as a sole consultant plastic surgeon with a remit to set up a plastic surgery department in Hull, which he developed and ran very successfully, expanding it steadily until his retirement at the end of 1989. There are now six consultant plastic surgeons working there. One of Bob’s chief interests was in plastic surgery in children, including the repair of congenital anomalies, especially cleft lips and palates. He also enjoyed working on adults with serious hand and facial injuries, usually acquired following road traffic or industrial accidents, and he became lasting friends with many. He stated quite forcibly that he was not at all interested in cosmetic surgery. It is a tribute to him and his skills that just three years before he died one of his most seriously damaged patients came looking for him in Devon just to thank him for repairing his face. He had invited Bob to his wedding as he said Bob had made him the man he had become, a successful businessman, father and grandfather and enabled him to go on and live a fulfilled life. He also said that Bob had made a great difference to the lives of ‘thousands of past patients’. Bob had joined the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) in 1961, when he was a surgical registrar at St Mary’s in Portsmouth. After a spell in Derby, when he returned to London in 1964 he was able to attend HMS *President* on a weekly basis. Bob subsequently sailed 12 days a year with them on Royal Naval ships as a medical officer. He also served on HMS *Sheffield*, including sailing from the Baltic back to Portsmouth via Rotterdam. Although Bob had started as a medical orderly, in 1973 he moved through the ranks to become a surgeon commander. He was also presented with a reserved decoration, awarded for more than 15 years of service. He wrote that his reputation in the RNR was nothing to do with his medical ability but entirely to do with his navigational skills and his cooking. When in London Bob was a keen member of the Royal Choral Society, singing tenor under the baton of Sir Malcolm Sargent. Music was important to him, but he only really liked true classical music. Bob had always been very good with his hands, and this showed in his plastic surgery, in woodwork and in the art of silversmithing. He had started to make silver objects in Barnet, where he lived while at St Thomas’, but when he arrived in Hull he discovered that there were excellent night classes in silversmithing and he attended these whenever his work allowed and rapidly demonstrated his aptitude and artistic flair. He backed this up with an annual visit to West Dean College for silversmithing classes for a fortnight each summer, where his talent was developed and recognised. He became a liveryman of the Goldsmiths’ Company and had his own hallmark (MHH) registered at Goldsmiths’ Hall. Some years before retiring he bought a bungalow in Newton Ferrers with a wonderful view of the river Yealm with all the yachts at their moorings and with the sea in the distance. On his retirement at the end of 1989, he bought a 28-foot yacht called *Corkscrew* and sailed it around the British coast and to France from its mooring in Newton Ferrers for many years. He also sailed a friend’s yacht from the Bahamas across the Atlantic to the Azores and then back up through the Bay of Biscay to England. His garden in Hull had been lovingly created, and, when he retired and moved to Newton Ferrers, he set to making another superb garden. He loved gardening and he knew the correct Latin names of all the plants he grew. In his later years he employed a gardener to keep the garden immaculate, although he never stopped doing some gardening and it remained his retreat until he reluctantly had to sell his house in 2019. Throughout his adult years he had enjoyed an evening tipple and alternated between single malts and Pusser’s rum. He was a man of habit and drank a bottle of beer with Saturday lunch and a glass of sherry before Sunday lunch, but not a drop with weekday lunches! Bob never suffered fools gladly and was an amazing raconteur. When his sight deteriorated rapidly from macular degeneration, he found it difficult to cope on his own so he sold his house and moved into a home. He found it very difficult to accept being registered blind and, with the restrictions of Covid, he grew suddenly increasingly frail a few weeks before he died, though his brain was still very much active. He died peacefully on 27 August 2020 aged 91.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009861
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Huang, Guo Jun (1920 - 2015)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Annie Wang
Publication Date 2015-12-10 2015-12-14
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009000-E009099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381197381197
Occupation Thoracic surgeon
Details Guojun Huang was among the first generation of thoracic surgeons in China and, in the 1980's, a world leader in the treatment of oesophageal cancer. He was born on 2 November 1920 in Guangdong province, China, the son of Hejian Huang, a herbal medicine trader, and his wife Huiqin Liang. Guojun was born with clubfeet, and his father bent and bound his feet every day for years to correct the deformation. At the age of six, Guojun was able to stand and walk for the first time. He recounted this experience in an interview with China Central Television in 2004, when he was 84 years old, remembering vividly the pain of his deformity and the joy of having been cured of it. This joy was one of the reasons behind his determination to become a surgeon. Guojun Huang studied at Pui Ching High School, the most famous high school in Guangdong province, China, at the time. Besides excelling at maths, physics, biology and English, he also had a talent for the visual arts. His artwork was often selected for exhibitions. In 1939, Guojun graduated from Pui Ching with the highest honours and was awarded guaranteed admission to the prestigious pre-med programme at Yenching University, which was founded by American Christians and was one of the best universities in China. Just six months before he was due to take the medical school entrance exam, Yenching University was forcefully closed by the Japanese occupation after Japan declared war on the United States. Guojun Huang had to move to the medical school at St John's University in Shanghai and then, in the autumn of 1943, transferred as a second-year student to the Union Medical College of West China Union University (WCUU) in Chengdu, which had a joint programme with New York State University offering MD degrees. In 1948, he received his joint MD degree from New York State University and WCUU. Huang was offered a residency position at Garfield Hospital in Chicago, USA, but decided to remain in China, because he knew that he would be treating many more patients in China than in the USA. He chose Peking Union Hospital and found a great academic mentor, Yinkai Wu, the founder of thoracic surgery in China. After his internship, young doctor Guojun Huang joined Yinkai Wu's group, then at the leading edge of the specialty. Guojun Huang completed over 6,000 operations over the next 41 years. Some of his patients were statesmen from China and other countries, but most were ordinary Chinese farmers, miners and other workers. For example, commissioned by Premier Enlai Zhou, Huang went to the zinc mines in Yunnan province on seven occasions, treating miners with cancer and training local medical workers. Huang regarded each surgery as an art - he always chose the best way of cutting with minimum bleeding. The procedures he invented became the best treatment for oesophageal cancer in the world in the 1980's. He also initiated multidisciplinary rounds, consisting of surgeons, radiologists, pathologists and physicians of internal medicine, performing joint diagnosis and follow-up reviews after surgeries. This practice significantly enhanced the accuracy of doctors' diagnosis and improved the effectiveness of cancer treatment and raised survival rates. After China opened its door to the world in 1980's, Guojun Huang lectured dozens of times in the US, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong and Japan, and received honorary fellowships from the top academic institutions in many of these countries. He was made an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1988. From 1964 to 1986, for 22 years, Huang was director of the surgical department at the Cancer Hospital at the Chinese Academy of Medical Science, the best hospital for cancer treatment and the most prestigious academic institute for cancer research in China. He led more than 50 surgeons and, as a full-time professor at the Union Medical School, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, taught over 350 PhD and masters students, as well as hundreds of interns and junior doctors from all over China. Huang published many books and over 200 journal articles as the sole or first author. Guojun Huang cared deeply about his patients. His son remembers one time when Guojun Huang rushed home in tears, taking his only cotton-padded jacket to give to a dying poor patient, who had dreamed of owning one all his life. The Tiananmen Square massacre of student protesters by the Chinese Government in 1989 made Guojun Huang indignant. He retired and relocated to the United States, joining his sons there in the same year. However, he remained a consultant, working at the Cancer Hospital for several months every year until 2014, when he was in the final stages of lymphoma. Guojun Huang had only one dream in his life: to be one of the best thoracic surgeons and to treat as many patients as possible, which he realised. In the eyes of all his colleagues and patients, Guojun Huang was a pure doctor in every sense of the word. Guojun Huang had a very happy marriage. His wife of 64 years, Shuru Guo, was his colleague and the head nurse of the operation rooms at Peking Union Hospital and then moved with him to the Cancer Hospital at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Guojun Huang died on 30 January 2015, aged 94. He was survived by his widow, Shuru Guo, their sons, Alex Huang, Li Huang and Liping Huang, and seven grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009014
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Haggart, Brian Gerard (1928 - 2014)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Anthony Haggart
Publication Date 2014-02-24 2014-10-14
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E005000-E005999/E005000-E005099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/377209377209
Occupation General surgeon
Details Brian Haggart was a consultant general surgeon at Walton and Fazakerley hospitals in Liverpool. He was born in Walton, Liverpool, on 6 May 1928, the eldest of three children. He had two younger, twin sisters, Shirley and Pauline. They were from a modest background; their father worked for Reece's Dairy in Liverpool. Brian was educated at St Francis De Sales Junior School and then by the Jesuits at St Francis Xavier School, where he attended from 1939 to 1946. This period included a brief evacuation to north Wales during the Second World War. When he was there the diet consisted mostly of rabbit, ensuring a life-long aversion to this particular delicacy. A visit to hospital to have his appendix removed as an early teenager convinced him that surgery was his vocation. He gained a place to study medicine at Liverpool University in 1946 and graduated in 1951. He was a house officer at the Stanley and Whiston hospitals from 1951 to 1952. During his early years, two surgeons particularly influenced him - Stanley Unsworth, who he described as 'an outstanding surgeon who treated operative surgery as an exercise in anatomy', and Dicky Doyle, who he described as 'just brilliant'. After National Service as a medical officer with the RAF (ironically he never flew in his entire life), he became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1960. This was followed by two years of research. His thesis 'The radio-isotope renogram' earned him a master of surgery degree in 1963. Brian was appointed as a consultant surgeon at Walton Hospital in 1965, and later gained an appointment at Fazakerley Hospital. Further published work included a paper 'A general intensive therapy unit' (*Br Med J*. 1966 Jan 1;1[5478]:39-41), which shared experiences of acute medical and surgical cases at the Royal Southern Hospital in Liverpool. The paper recommended more widespread use of intensive care units (which at that time were relatively new), in the belief that they would 'prove indispensable in future hospital services'. His main interests were abdominal, thyroid and urological surgery. His ward rounds were a time for many stories and many cigarettes! A colleague once recalled his comment about the welfare of the man who had had an open prostatectomy the day before - from the ward door he said 'he is sitting reading the newspaper so all is well!' He was respected by his colleagues for both his surgical and teaching skills. Many young surgeons benefited from watching his superb surgical technique. He retired in 1989. Brian Haggart was a committed Catholic and was active in CAFOD (the official Catholic aid agency) in Liverpool for several years. His academic interests were extremely varied and included astronomy, physics and philosophy. More prosaic interests included storytelling (of the Tommy Cooper variety), *The Daily Telegraph* cryptic crossword (which he completed most days) and chess. In December 2013 he received a certificate of life membership from the Liverpool Medical Institution, of which he was very proud. He died of lung cancer aged 85 on 31 January 2014 and was survived by his wife Columba Haggart (née Gilleran), who he married in 1955, his sister Pauline, a daughter, four sons and 11 grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E005026
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Hein, Pierre Louis Raymond (1937 - 2018)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Anthony J Atkinson
Publication Date 2018-12-13 2020-03-10
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009500-E009599
Occupation Ophthalmic surgeon
Details Pierre Hein was a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Northampton General Hospital from 1979 to 2000. He was born on 8 April 1937 in Mauritius, the son of Marcelle Hein née Piat and Sir Raymond Hein, a senior barrister and former mayor of the capital, Port Louis. Pierre grew up in Mauritius, with French as the family tongue and frequent use of Creole and English. The rich intellectual and cosmopolitan family environment imbued him with a deep affinity with French language, literature and culture. He was educated at the Royal College on the island, before moving to Balliol College, Oxford, supported by an Anderson scholarship. Qualifying in 1965 with the Brian Johnson prize for pathology, he remained in Oxford for house jobs at the Radcliffe Infirmary and Churchill Hospital. In 1966 he moved to Paris, to work for three years at the American Hospital and the l’Hôpital Lariboisière. It was after returning to Oxford that he met his future wife Nicolette Oppenheimer, daughter of David Oppenheimer, senior lecturer in neuropathology, who became an anaesthetist. Intent on a career in ophthalmology, Pierre began specialty training at the Oxford Eye Hospital and then at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London. He completed the four-year rotation training programme, passing the FRCS in 1974, before returning to experience clinical practice in his home country, Mauritius, in 1975 as a consultant ophthalmologist at the Clinique Darné. In 1979, he decided to return and settle with his family in England, and was subsequently appointed as a consultant to the Northampton eye department. Pierre Hein was above all a practical clinician with finely tuned and perceptive clinical judgement. He was intrigued by the surgical minutiae of ophthalmic microsurgery, and by the selection of specific instruments required to achieve success in particular cases. He was a good teacher. The registrars on the Oxford rotation valued learning skills from him, their experience enhancing the close connection Northampton enjoyed with Oxford ophthalmologists. Despite his lively intelligence and natural curiosity, he was not drawn to undertake research, but concentrated on developing lasting mutual relationships with his patients. Whilst having well thought through and definite opinions, his non-confrontational personality led him to eschew involvement in hospital politics, preferring instead to contribute ably to the fostering of good relationships within the department. He was always open to new ideas and developments and regularly attended the annual Oxford Ophthalmological Congress, meetings of the Midland Ophthalmological Society and Moorfields alumni meetings. In his youth, Pierre had been an international athlete, representing Mauritius as a sprinter at the 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, becoming one of the first to represent the then colony of Mauritius in any international sporting event. He had a lifelong love of French and English poetry and literature. In 1988, his fluency in Latin brought him success in the competition to find a motto for the new College of Ophthalmologists – ‘ut omnes videant’ (‘so that all may see’). On retirement, he requested and was presented by the Medical Society with a bicycle, but never saw the need to cycle when a car was available. He became a strong bridge player, and indulged his passion for classical music and films, his keen appreciation of fine wine, and his armchair enthusiasm for and expertise in horse racing. He also made frequent visits to friends and relatives across the globe in France, Australia and Mauritius. Pierre’s health started to decline ten years into his retirement, and he died on 9 March 2018 at the age of 80. He was survived by his wife Niki, sons, Dominic and Olivier, daughter, Sophie, and their families.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009549
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Brough, William Andrew (1950 - 2021)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Anthony R Quayle
Publication Date 2021-09-23 2021-10-08
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E000000-E000999/E000300-E000399
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/385013385013
Occupation General surgeon
Details William Brough was a general surgeon with a special interest in laparoscopic surgery. He was appointed as a consultant to Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport in 1989 and to Macclesfield District General Hospital in 2001, where he remained until his retirement in 2011. He gained a fine reputation for his technical ability as one of the country’s leading laparoscopic surgeons and travelled widely to demonstrate his skills in hospitals both in the United Kingdom and abroad. William was born in Nottingham on 30 November 1950, the son of William Brough, a builder, and June Brough née Radford. He was a pupil at Loughborough Grammar School between 1959 and 1969, followed by St George’s Medical School, where he gained a BSc in pharmacology as well as his MB BS, qualifying in1976. From 1976 to 1977 William was a house physician at St George’s and a house surgeon in Cambridge. This was followed by a lecturer post in anatomy at St George’s in 1978, prior to obtaining his fellowship in June 1980. He was a senior house officer and a registrar in Hull, Cambridge and Manchester from 1978 to 1985, and was appointed as a senior registrar in 1985 in Manchester, during which time he spent a year in Melbourne. William had an impressive list of publications, totalling 57 papers, 46 abstracts and two book chapters. More than half of these publications were related to laparoscopic surgery. He was a member of ten professional organisations, including the Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland (AUGIS) and the Association of Laparoscopic Surgeons. He was a council member of five of these, as well as being an examiner for the Royal College of Surgeons of England, a member of the 1921 Surgical Club and president of the surgical section of Manchester Medical Society. William was an excellent sportsman and played cricket for Nottinghamshire second 11 as a schoolboy. He is one of a select group of surgeons who has a mention in *Wisden*. He was a good golfer, enjoyed walking and cycling in the Peak District, and held a pilot’s licence. Sadly, William’s retirement was spoiled by ill health. He suffered a cerebral haemorrhage in 2013 and he went on to develop Alzheimer’s disease in 2016. He met Sylvia Glass in Cambridge in 1979, where he was a surgical registrar and she a house surgeon, and they married in 1982. They had two children, Tom and Claire, and three grandchildren. He died on 15 July 2021 at the age of 70.
Resource Identifier RCS: E000333
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Neill, Robert Watson Kerr (1933 - 2021)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Anthony R Quayle
Publication Date 2021-11-19
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010000-E010099
Occupation General surgeon
Details Robert Neill was a consultant general surgeon in Macclesfield from 1973 to 1995, where he was well respected by his patients and colleagues. He was the eldest of four children born to Scottish parents, Dorothy Knight Neill née Watson and Robert Andrew Neill, who was a general practitioner in Middlewich, Cheshire. He was educated at Sandbach School and Clifton College, Bristol, where his love for sport, including rugby, was first kindled. He played rugby and rowed for both Clifton and for Manchester University, where he entered the medical school in 1951. He qualified in 1957. Bob then took up his first appointments as a house surgeon and then house physician at Crumpsall Hospital Manchester, after which he received his call-up papers for National Service and signed on for three years in the Royal Navy. Starting in Portsmouth, he learned how to deal with the medical problems of sailors in the isolation of a ship, and how to act as the officer in charge of the rum ration, taking care to throw anything left over the side. Bob also had to familiarise himself with the Queen’s Regulations and Admiralty Instructions, including how to hold a cutlass at a brother officer’s wedding. After three months, he was assigned to HMS *Resolution* on Christmas Island. A highlight was the arrival of the Royal Yacht *Britannia* and being invited on board for a reception with the Duke of Edinburgh. Bob next joined HMS *Apollo*, supporting trawlermen during the Cod Wars with Iceland. Not surprisingly, being winched across to a trawler in rough seas to a sailor in agony with toothache stayed in his memory. For the rest of his time in the Navy Bob was based in Singapore. He then began studying for his surgical fellowship examinations whilst in Edinburgh. His publications included papers on urinary tract infections in paraplegics (‘Survey of the different urinary infections which develop in the paraplegic and their relative significance’ *Paraplegia*. 1965 Aug;3[2]:124-43) and the treatment of snake bite complications with streptokinase (‘Complication of snakebite successfully treated with streptokinase’ *Injury*. 1974 May;5[4]:350-2). His registrar and senior registrar posts were at Manchester Royal Infirmary, following which he was appointed as a consultant surgeon at Macclesfield Infirmary and Congleton War Memorial Hospital in 1973, where he was one of two surgeons. He was responsible for the introduction of a gastroscope and a stapling instrument for bowel surgery. In 1994 Bob became president of the surgical section of the Manchester Medical Society and his presidential address described the history of silk, for which Macclesfield is famous. In 1995 he took a well-earned retirement. Time was spent on the golf course and in the garden. Music was a great joy throughout his life; he played the piano, liked jazz and opera and attended Northern Chamber Orchestra and Hallé Orchestra concerts. Bob was also a member of Macclesfield Rugby Club. He was a trustee of the Lyme Green Settlement, Macclesfield, a charity which provides accommodation for disabled residents. He became chairman and was awarded the Order of St John. Bob died on 6 June 2021 at the age of 87 and was survived by Grace, whom he married in 1965. They had four children and eight grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010041
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
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First Title value, for Searching Decker, Gustav Adolf George (1931 - 2013)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Anton Decker
Publication Date 2013-12-16 2015-03-13
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E004000-E004999/E004700-E004799
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/376967376967
Occupation General surgeon
Details George Decker was chief of surgery at J G Strijdom Hospital, Johannesburg, one of the five main provincial teaching hospitals of the University of the Witwatersrand. He was born in Mossel Bay, a coastal town in the Cape Province of South Africa. His parents were of Dutch and German decent; his only sister was seven years older than him. A childhood of play and discovery came to a sudden end when, at the age of 11, his father died of a perianal abscess just months before the commercial availability of penicillin. A sombre adolescence was ameliorated by his athletic and academic aptitude. He was a natural sprinter and broke the national 100-yard dash for the under-17 age group, an achievement that was celebrated in his hometown and beyond. He studied medicine at the University of Cape Town, where he continued his athletic pursuits until his second year when, in the interests of his studies, he abruptly hung up his athletic shoes. He never regretted this decision that likely portended his ability to make surgical decisions. Bert Myburgh, who became a life-long colleague and friend, was a few years his senior and on the same athletics team. After graduating in 1954, he did his internship at Groote Schuur Hospital, which included rotations under D J du Plessis and J H Louw, surgical savants who would shape his career. After senior house officer rotations in Cape Town, he left for London, where he furthered his surgical training from 1959 to 1962. After passing his primary exams at the Royal College of Surgeons in London he was interviewed by Sir Gordon Gordon-Taylor, who suggested that he gain more 'cutting' experience and recommended a post in Leicester. He worked at Leicester General Hospital under Paul Hickinbotham and he became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1960. He then trained at the Royal Free Hospital in London for six months. In 1962 he returned to Cape Town as a surgical registrar under J H Louw. He soon met Margaret Coleman, an intern, and after a three-week romance they were engaged. They married a few months later. Margaret was born in England and moved to Zambia with her parents at the age of 14. She was George's intellectual equal and they had a happy marriage for almost 50 years until his death. They both loved medicine and enjoyed the academic challenge of making a diagnosis or improving the fate of patients far more than the monetary rewards that the profession may bring. Shortly after their marriage in 1963 they moved to England, where he accepted a senior registrar post at the Whittington Hospital in London. In his memoirs he describes fondly those times of early married life and learning in London. They returned to South Africa in 1966, where D J du Plessis offered him a consultant post at Baragwanath Hospital, originally built for convalescing British and Commonwealth soldiers in 1941, just outside Johannesburg. They settled well in Johannesburg, where his surgical and academic career at the University of the Witwatersrand advanced. Margaret built a thriving general practice from home. In 1968 he obtained an appointment in du Plessis' unit at the Johannesburg General Hospital. In 1970 he was awarded a Michael and Janie Miller travelling fellowship and spent six months pursuing mitochondrial research at the University of McGill in Montreal, Canada. He craved surgery and was grateful to be back in clinical medicine once his research had finished. He returned to Baragwanath Hospital, where he honed his surgical and teaching skills in one of the world's busiest hospitals, one that attracted students of all ages because of the vast pathology and experience to be gained. He was a constant observer, learner and educator. Most of his publications were based on clinical observations. In 1977, after observing the absence of atherosclerosis in an abdominal aortic aneurysm, he described the first case of intimomedial mucoid degeneration of the aorta in the *British Journal of Surgery* ('Abdominal aneurysm in South African Negroes due to intimomedial mucoid degeneration.' *Br J Surg*. 1977 Jul;64[7]:513-6). He also edited *Lee McGregor's synopsis of surgical anatomy* (Bristol, John Wright) in 1986. The apogee of his professional career was as chief of surgery at J G Strijdom Hospital, one of the five main provincial teaching hospitals of the University of the Witwatersrand. He held this position from 1977 until 1989, only leaving out of loyalty to the university and a disagreement with the provincial government when the hospital was segregated. These were his golden years as a surgeon. A student and future colleague, Moshe Schein, described him in his own memoirs: '…his surgical department functioned like a Swiss watch. I had never seen, or would after, a surgical system so closely controlled by its Boss. It worked like this: the two registrars, each supported by a team of two or three interns, shared the calls and the sixty something patients. Each patient belonged to a given registrar and his team, from admission to discharge. Period. There was no cross coverage, no "sign off", no "I'm off, could you do this case for me?" You started looking after a patient, you had to be with him at all times - until discharge or death. I remember his short, stubby fingers - he liked to use them for "finger dissection" of tissues. Each of our movements was painfully scrutinized, each knot had to slide home perfectly. One was totally exhausted after a gastrectomy with him but the gastrectomy was perfect, like the ones he had been doing previously with his old British masters.' After leaving J G Strijdom Hospital his career was never quite the same. He was appointed professor of surgery, but this was of less importance to him. All he wanted professionally was to be an inquisitive and technically excellent surgeon who ran a near-perfect surgical teaching unit where patients were cared for with meticulous attention. He continued to operate and teach in a variety of hospitals well into retirement, but quietly longed for the heydays when he ran one of the best kept surgical secrets, Mr Decker's surgical unit at J G Strijdom Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. Perhaps it was not such a secret, for a multitude of surgical trainees passed through his hands and are now in leadership positions worldwide, passing his teachings to the next generation, and serving patients in need. Outside medicine, he revelled in his family's happiness and success. He enjoyed home-cooked French cuisine and the comforts of home, but was not materialistic. He was a kind, caring and unselfish man, who did not feign attention or recognition. Family, friends and colleagues appreciated his dry sense of humour and hospitality. He died on 15 January 2013 in Johannesburg, aged 81. He was survived by his wife, Margaret, and their two children, Nicola, a general practitioner, and Anton, a gastroenterologist.
Resource Identifier RCS: E004784
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Brierly, Robert David (1969 - 2023)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Ari Basru
Publication Date 2023-03-07
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010200-E010299
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/386430386430
Occupation Urologist
Details Rob was appointed as a consultant urologist to the Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust in 2005. He was born on 21 October 1969 in London, the son of Malcolm I Brierly and Margaret A Brierly née Howard. He qualified from St Bartholomew Hospital Medical School in 1993, received his specialist training in London and South East, and did a one-year fellowship in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. During his training he was awarded an MSc for his research on bladder dysfunction. At Ipswich Rob developed a special interest in the management of bladder cancer. Rob was always passionate about teaching the next generation. This led him to develop an interest in medical education and become the director of education for the Trust, a position he held for many years. In his role, he was a constant source of encouragement and inspiration for numerous junior doctors and staff. His interest in cancer led to him becoming the first Trust cancer lead, offering advice to different multidisciplinary teams on best working practices and setting up modern techniques for prostate cancer detection and treatments. He was an advocate for best working practices, which steered him to become integral in the amalgamation of urology joint working practices when Ipswich and Colchester hospitals merged to become one Trust. He was a hardworking, humble and a very highly rated colleague, who was always known to offer balanced and highly skilful urological opinions. In his spare time Rob loved to keep fit, play squash and walk in the Lake District with his family. Rob died suddenly and tragically on 28 January 2023 aged just 53 and is sorely missed by his friends, colleagues and family. He was survived by his loving wife Emma (née Bizzey) and three children: Joseph, Tom and Grace.
Resource Identifier RCS:E010216
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Chesterfield-Evans, Hugh Harvey (1922 - 2005)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Arthur Chesterfield-Evans
Publication Date 2009-05-15 2021-05-20
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E000000-E000999/E000600-E000699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/372797372797
Occupation General surgeon
Details As a consultant surgeon working in rural Australia, Harvey Chesterfield-Evans was a founder member and past president of the Provincial Surgeons Association. He was born in North Korea on 19 January 1922, the son of an Australian who worked for an American mining company and a New Zealander. He was educated at a missionary school, which left him with a marked distrust of organised religion. Before returning to Australia as a 16 year old, he had already assisted in operations and helped administer anaesthetics for the only doctor in the district. He had also witnessed the destructive Japanese occupation of North Korea, travelled widely, and absorbed Eastern cultures and philosophies, which encouraged a broader diagnostic approach in his later career. Harvey attended Sydney Grammar School and Sydney University faculty of medicine, graduating with second class honours. He married his wife Enid and became a general practitioner in Brisbane. With his wife and first child, Arthur, Harvey went to the UK to study for the fellowship, which he passed in 1955. They then returned to Australia, now with Deirdre and Nigel, to be followed two years later by Jan. Harvey established himself in a surgical practice in Wollongong. In 1968 he returned to the UK study neurosurgery in Edinburgh under John Gillingham, which greatly benefitted his patients in Wollongong, the nearest neurosurgeon then being in Sydney. Harvey dealt with a wide variety of surgical problems. The Port Kembla steelworks and the local mines were a constant source of accident and injury, in addition to the usual car accidents and elective surgery. As one of four ‘honoraries’ he was on call for 48 hours non-stop, every fourth weekend. The honorary system allowed specialists to admit private patients to hospital provided that pensioners or those who could not afford it were treated free of charge. This paternalistic system before Medicare ensured that no one who needed emergency surgery would go untreated. He believed in this system and treated everyone equally. Perhaps because of his upbringing in Korea, Harvey was always practical and inventive in his approach to surgical problems. As the senior surgeon in Wollongong for some years, his patients left hospital within four days, while other surgeons’ patients stayed in for ten. Together with a physiotherapist friend, Peter Swan, he developed a post-operative system for hand injuries which is now in widespread use. A strong believer that ‘prevention is better than cure’, he refused to operate on overweight patients because of the inherent risks and would tell them to “stop smoking and come back when you’ve lost three stone”. It did not help his popularity with some, but many complied, and it did help his success rate. He was an active member of the South East Medical Association, a local affiliate of the Australian Medical Association, but it was into the Provincial Surgeons Association (PSA) that he put his heart and soul, as one of its founders. In the 1950s, with the influx of post-war immigration and later the ‘ten pound’ immigrants, the need increased for experienced surgeons in the country regions of Australia. As with today, city-trained Australian doctors were reluctant to ‘go bush’, whilst surgeons who had trained in the UK and were emigrating to Australia found it impossible to obtain a position in a city. These surgeons were not products of the Royal Australasian College and had no affiliations or associations in Australia. Working in country towns, often far away from the capital, they were isolated. They faced everything from elective surgery to acute trauma, head injuries requiring decompression, caesarian section and multiple fractures. It was to meet this need that the PSA was formed. It quickly became not merely a fraternity, but a forum for brainstorming. At its meetings surgeons discussed their successes, their failures and their ideas. They invented new instruments and brought them to meetings to be discussed and fine-tuned. They telephoned each other when faced with a perplexing problem or shared a textbook over the phone. Lateral thinking was encouraged and indeed vital to their work. At the time of its inception the PSA was the only forum, medical or political, for rural surgeons. Today, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons is specifically training surgeons for work in rural areas. As its founder and past president Harvey was involved in every aspect of the PSA, worked tirelessly to extend its membership, organised and hosted meetings, maintained its records and wrote its history – *A mantle of care: a history of the first twenty five years of the provincial surgeons of Australia* (Mangerton, NSW: Provincial Surgeons’ Association of Australia, c.1991). He was very proud of his work on the road trauma committee of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, which worked for some years to get seatbelts made mandatory. This was successful and the State of Victoria, home of RACS, was the first jurisdiction in the world to make wearing seatbelts mandatory. He spoke about the complete change in the pattern of road trauma injuries: instead of cases coming in with terrible head injuries, facial injuries from going through the windscreen and major chest injuries from the steering wheel hitting the chest, they were more likely to have abdominal organ ruptures, which were at least repairable with the hope of a normal life in the medium term. He was then part of RACS’ campaign for random breath testing to discourage drink driving. This campaign was also successful and caused another significant drop in Australia's road toll, which had been the highest in the world. Harvey was a generous contributor to his local area: he taught doctors and nurses, taught first aid to St John’s ambulance officers for 25 years (recognised by being made a serving brother of St John of Jerusalem). He was a charter member of West Wollongong Rotary, and was awarded its highest honour, a Paul Harris fellowship in 1989. He was a practical handyman, and as a founder member of the Illawarra Alpine Club, helped to build their lodge and organised the team that built the Rutherford scout hut at Tudor House. Meanwhile he raised four children and read voraciously – always fact rather than fiction, constantly educating himself. He resigned from his practice in 1984 with the re-introduction of Medicare. Having experienced the British NHS when training for the FRCS, he was disgusted that Australia could envisage an inferior system. He feared bureaucratic interference and, whilst espousing capitalism, practised socialism in terms of his attitude to people. In the two years before his death Harvey would have liked voluntary euthanasia, but did not have the strength: his demise was protracted by a system that, as he said, “has no mercy”. His mind was active until close to the end. After Sunday dinner with his family, he announced that he would not leave his bed again, had a last beer with a few friends, before losing consciousness under the care of the palliative care team and died on 15 September 2005 in Wollongong.
Resource Identifier RCS: E000614
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Broomhead, Ivor William (1924 - 2014)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Arthur MacGregor Morris
Publication Date 2016-02-19 2017-11-09
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009000-E009099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381237381237
Occupation Plastic surgeon Plastic and reconstructive surgeon
Details Ivor William Broomhead was a consultant plastic surgeon at the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, Guy's Hospital and the Royal Masonic Hospital, London. He was born on 7 December 1924 at Armthorpe, Yorkshire, the son of Frederick William Broomhead, head of mining engineering in Doncaster, and Florence Elizabeth Broomhead née Percival. As a child, Ivor helped his father repair and rebuild cars: this early, practical experience of reconstruction may well have led to his chosen career in the surgery of reconstruction. Ivor was educated at Doncaster Grammar School, and then went on to St John's College, Cambridge. He gained his BA in 1945 and then went on to University College Hospital (UCH) to complete his clinical training, qualifying in 1948. As a student at UCH Ivor was on the general surgery firm of Gardham and Matthews, and it was here that he first came under the influence of David Matthews, who encouraged him to go into surgery. He returned to Cambridge as a demonstrator in anatomy and took an interest in the anatomy of the soft palate - in particular its nerve supply. The paper he published in the *British Journal of Plastic Surgery* in 1951 is still widely quoted in the literature to this day ('The nerve supply of the muscles of the soft palate' *Br J Plast Surg*. 1951 Apr;4[1]:1-15). During training as a house surgeon and registrar at UCH he again worked under David Matthews. He was a senior registrar at St Thomas' with Richard Battle, and then worked once more with David Matthews at Great Ormond Street, also as a senior registrar. He was subsequently an assistant to Matthews until 1964, when he became the second consultant plastic surgeon at Great Ormond Street. Progress into posts was very slow because of a distinct lack of consultant posts in plastic surgery at that time. An opening came at Guy's Hospital, which he took in 1970 to become the first in the specialty there: his predecessor was appointed as a part-time casualty surgeon and there was one other wartime-trained plastic surgeon, but his contract was in general surgery. Ivor was an extremely skillful, careful surgeon, who could tackle the whole range of reconstructive plastic surgery as well as aesthetic surgery with equal ease. He was technically a very good surgeon. His attention to detail and gentle tissue handling contributed greatly to his good results with few complications. A particular point was his insistence on keeping tissues moist with saline and covered, especially when operating under tourniquet. He had an outstanding bedside manner, and in the out-patient department in particular was a very thorough and caring surgeon with great empathy for patients and their relatives. As his registrar at Guy's I was able to observe this closely as the out-patient department was held in a large single room clinic with four cubicles curtained off. He could also easily monitor my activities and I could gain good feedback if necessary from him. As an educational arrangement, this was very efficient, but in the modern world of confidentiality would be frowned upon. His kind, twinkling sense of humour was not often overtly expressed, but was a major part of his personality. The overwhelming impression he made on patients and colleagues was 'what a nice man'. By the time Ivor was appointed at Guy's, his experience pursuing steps on the career ladder was invaluable in doing all he could to promote recruitment into the specialty. Analysis of the workforce at that time showed 60% of the 65 consultants were over 50. He foresaw big problems ahead because of the imminent retirement of consultants trained during the Second World War. He made very active moves to widen the scope and remit of the specialty with expansion of training and units throughout the UK, particularly while secretary of the British Association of Plastic Surgeons from 1969 to 1974. Plastic surgery units at that time were usually in peripheral hospitals and Ivor's own practice was widely spread, with in-patient commitments and operating at Great Ormond Street Hospital, Guy's Hospital main building with adult beds and a children's burn unit, Evelina Children's Hospital and New Cross Hospital. In addition, he ran a highly successful private practise. This all involved extensive travel over central and south east London. In addition, he made a point of visiting every in-patient under his care every Sunday. As a result, he was a firm advocate for centralising patient specialist services in the interest of better patient care, but progress was very slow. He was a very good teacher, particularly in theatre at New Cross Hospital. A modern twin theatre suite allowed a careful sequence for a junior surgeon to observe one operation, do one assisted by the boss and then carry out another with Ivor immediately available a few yards away. He was totally unflappable, as shown at Evelina Hospital one summer day in 1971. During the repair of a cleft palate, just as the incisions had been made a fire alarm was heard and smoke started coming under the door. Wet theatre drapes were placed to block the gap. An urgent phone message instructed all staff to 'cease all activities and evacuate immediately'. A rapid question to all staff, including the anaesthetist David Carnegie, buoyed by the sight of a turntable fire appliance outside the third-floor window, confirmed the decision to complete the operation, by which time the fire had been extinguished. Publications over a wide range of topics included palate anatomy, early and late bone grafting of clefts, ear reconstruction, injection treatment of cutaneous haemangioma, cystic hygroma, water bed for treatment of decubitus ulcer and other topics. He treated a large number of epidermolysis bulosa patients and received international referrals. A long-time member of the Royal Society of Medicine, he served as president of the plastic surgery section from 1980 to 1981. He was on the council of the British Association of Plastic Surgeons from 1975 to 1977, vice president in 1984 and as president in 1985 organised a very successful annual meeting at Cambridge. Throughout his life, Ivor had a great interest in practical engineering reconstruction projects. When he retired in 1987, he helped his son, Tony, rebuild and restore a 1936 Riley Kestrel. On moving to Lymington, he bought a boat and, in his meticulous way, passed all the correct examinations as a qualified skipper before making numerous cross Channel voyages with his retired anaesthetist colleague David Carnegie. Ivor died on 25 September 2014 at the age of 89 after a long illness, and was survived by his wife, Primrose (née Wagstaff), a medical graduate, three children, Amanda, Tony and Sue, and five grandchildren, Ian, Tom, James, Josephine and Sam.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009054
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Ahmadi, Mahmood (1936 - 2019)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Arthur Pomerantz
Publication Date 2019-12-18 2020-02-19
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009600-E009699
Occupation Thoracic surgeon General surgeon Vascular surgeon
Details Mahmood Ahmadi was a surgeon at the Veterans’ Affairs (VA) Hospital in West Palm Beach, Florida, USA. He was born into a privileged family in the small agricultural village of Vastan in Iran not far from Tehran. As an infant, he survived an earthquake to which many of his siblings succumbed. Growing up he enjoyed a multicultural upbringing and was exposed to many different customs and beliefs, from Kurdish bareback riding to the Judaic roots of Purim in Persia. Like his older brother, Abdol Ghana Ahmadi, a noted lawyer and jurist in Iran, Mahmood possessed a superior intellect. He combined this with a familial motivation to master his scholarly pursuits in all disciplines, not just science and medicine. Mahmood developed his addiction to surgery at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences and received his MD in 1960. He pursued two years of missionary work in rural Iran, followed by a rotating internship and residency in Canton, Ohio, USA at the Aultman Hospital and then a general surgery residency in Cleveland, Ohio at Fairview Park Hospital and Mount Sinai Hospital under the Case Western University system. His chief of surgery there, Charles Marks, recommended that he seek further training at the Royal College of Surgeons in England. After completing a paper with Marks in 1969 (‘Agnogenic myeloid metaplasia: role of splenectomy’ *Postgrad Med J*. 1969 Apr;45[522]:261-5), Ahmadi crossed the pond to London to immerse himself in his studies with a clinical appointment at King Edward Memorial Hospital, riding around town in a red Triumph convertible. His rewards for his efforts were the fellowship on 7 July 1971, when he passed his exams, and, more importantly, Marsha Savage of Centreville, New Brunswick, Canada, whom he married on 22 August 1970. After gaining his FRCS, Ahmadi went back to his native country in 1972, to work as a general surgeon in Qom. His thirst for mastery of advanced surgical techniques took him and his family back to Cleveland, Ohio from 1974 to 1976, where he received cardiothoracic residency training at St Vincent Charity Medical Center. He again returned to his homeland to practise his newly-honed skills in Tabriz and then Tehran. He subsequently rose steadily in clinical reputation to university faculty representative to the Shah in his specialty. Throughout his rise to professional eminence in his home country he always expressed a desire ‘to do my best to help the people’. He did this financially, spiritually and medically. Unfortunately, he had to survive another earthquake in the form of the Iranian Revolution at the end of 1978. Marsha and their daughters took the last Pan Am flight out of Tehran on the day after Christmas. Mahmood made it out on Easter weekend of 1979 after tending to casualties of both sides of the hostilities. They were united at the Savage family homestead in New Brunswick, Canada. Mahmood had the equivalent of $47 in his pocket. Always looking forward, he took a fellowship at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston under Denton Cooley from July 1979, and then worked as a general, thoracic and vascular surgeon at the Aroostook Medical Center (AMC) in Presque Isle, Maine, the town across the border from Centreville. After nine years as a mostly-solo practitioner with a splendid reputation for excellence in surgical care, Mahmood joined the four-man group of surgeons assembled by David Sensenig. For six more years, this surgical programme was fully funded under the auspices of US Senator George Mitchell of Maine, at the VA Hospital at Togus, Maine, where I first met him. We had a challenging and interesting practice covering the full scope of surgery except open heart surgery. After Senator Mitchell retired, the Togus inpatient programme was cut back and Mahmood and I were reassigned as part of the start-up crew for the newest VA Hospital in West Palm Beach, Florida in 1995. For five more clinical years at the VA, Mahmood became the go-to guy when patients presented for complex surgical intervention. He also returned to Iran on short sabbaticals to practise open heart surgery at a university hospital in Tehran and was appointed to the Iranian Board of Cardiothoracic Surgery. Ahmadi retired from the VA and clinical practice in 1999 mostly because of concerns about the hospital’s inefficient IT revolution. We remained close friends for another 20 years. I remember driving him to Hollywood, Florida, where I worked as a surgical oncologist so that he could observe his true passion, cardiac surgery, after a good breakfast in the physicians’ cafeteria. He eventually befriended every member of that department headed then by Michael Rosenbloom. He called them his cousins. Throughout his life, he maintained an interest in comparative religious philosophy, liturgy and history. He was a self-proclaimed Deist, Sufi and follower of the poet Rumi for most of his life, but accepted the sacraments of the Catholic faith just before his death. He befriended many clergy of nearly all denominations as his cousins as long as they shared his inherent honesty and concern for individuals. Many of us counted on his fatherly support as well as biblical knowledge to help us through difficult times. He honoured me, a colleague and friend for his last 30 years, by presiding during the funeral of my eldest son. As a young man, Ahmadi was an active and accomplished intercollegiate athlete, competing throughout the Middle East and Europe, as a champion weightlifter. He developed immensely appealing social skills, which, with his handsome countenance, muscular appearance and vitality, earned him a thick address book, of which he was proud. He was certainly not shy with the opposite sex. He was a polyglot by inclination and personal experience. Ahmadi passed away on 19 November 2019 at his home in Jupiter, Florida from a brief illness arising from acute myeloid leukaemia. He was 82. He was survived by his widow Marsha, three daughters, six grandchildren and dozens of devoted friends and colleagues. Ahmadi was truly a citizen of and surgeon to the world: all of his cousins like me really miss him.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009674
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Soni, Krishan Gopal (1934 - 2022)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Asha Fowells
Publication Date 2022-07-28
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010100-E010199
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/385835385835
Occupation Ophthalmic surgeon
Details Krishan Gopal Soni was a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King’s Lynn, Norfolk. His medical career started in Punjab, India, then took him to Kenya before he settled in the UK, where he specialised in ophthalmology and worked in London, Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Norfolk. Krishan was born in Bajwara, Punjab, India, the third youngest of nine children of Amar Chand Soni and Lakshmi Devi Soni née Bhandari. His was a farming family, but the uneasy political situation in India, particularly in Punjab during and after the Partition of 1947, resulted in all the siblings looking to other lines of work to secure their futures. For Krishan, this meant medicine, and he qualified from Punjab University in 1957. Working at Amritsar Hospital, he realised that ophthalmology was a good fit for him, mainly because there was no blood involved and he had realised he was a little squeamish! After marrying Krishna Kumari Maini in 1959, Krishan moved to Kenya, first working at the King George VI Hospital in Nairobi to register as a doctor, then as a medical officer in Kapsabet, Narok and Embu. He introduced many initiatives, including disease mapping and universal vaccination against polio, pertussis and tetanus. During this time he also travelled to the UK, completing his diploma in ophthalmology in just four months, motivated by a desire to get back to his wife and new-born son, Ashok. In 1965, the family moved to the UK permanently. The boat was delayed en route, so Krishan disembarked at Naples and flew to London to start his Royal College of Surgeons of England fellowship. His hard work – in terms of studying and observing at Moorfields Hospital – paid off, and he secured his primary fellowship in less than six months. He then relocated with his family to work at Wolverhampton Eye Infirmary, passing the second and final part of his FRCS on his first attempt only a year or so later. Krishan was quickly promoted, first to registrar and then senior registrar, rewarded for his knowledge and expertise, as well as the sympathy and understanding with which he treated all his patients. His wife Krishna had also developed an interest in eyecare and, after completing her orthoptics qualification, started work at Birmingham Eye Hospital. She was soon joined by Krishan, who took up a senior registrar role, and the family expanded with the arrival of a baby girl, Anita. In 1972 came the final professional move, this time to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in west Norfolk to take up a consultant role. Krishan steered the ophthalmology departments at King’s Lynn, Wisbech and Doddington into the 20th century by persuading the powers that be to purchase essential equipment such as slit lamps. He also furthered himself – and patients – in several ways, for example by introducing corneal graft surgery, setting up diabetic screening clinics, and identifying the unpopular Monday morning slot as one in which he could run an additional surgery session. At the same time, he was undertaking research into the impact of road traffic accidents on eyes; his paper was included in the evidence used to introduce laminated windscreens and compulsory wearing of seatbelts to the UK (‘Eye injuries in road traffic accidents’ *Injury* 1973 Aug;5[1]:41-6). In 1976, only a couple of years after the birth of his second daughter Asha, Krishan was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. A decade after receiving this news, his renal function had deteriorated to the point that he needed to start active management, and he was concerned that the fistula in his arm – necessary for the weekly haemodialysis procedure he now required – could impair his surgical skills. A year later, he received a kidney transplant, which meant he was able to work for a few years longer. However, retirement soon followed, with Krishan first stepping down from his NHS consultant role, then from his private practice and work at local ophthalmic optician practices. Retirement saw Krishan and his wife move back to Birmingham. While his kidney held steady, Krishan’s health was something of a rollercoaster, and he experienced various problems with his heart, as well as being prone to nasty infections as a result of the immunosuppression medication he needed to take for his transplant; a three-week stay in intensive care with pneumonia and pleurisy being a particular low point. He was contented though, happily continuing to play golf for many years and, particularly as his mobility faltered, to watch sport on television, read and spend time with his family and friends. He died, peacefully, on 9 June 2022 just after his 88th birthday and 63rd wedding anniversary, and was survived by his wife Krishna, children Ashok, Anita and Asha, and a host of grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010146
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Gilmore, Owen Jeremy Adrian (1941 - 2019)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Badenoch
Publication Date 2021-05-19
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009900-E009999
Occupation General surgeon Breast surgeon
Details Jerry Gilmore was a consultant general surgeon at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, where he established the pioneering breast unit. He was born on 27 December 1941, a much-loved son of Owen Dermot Gilmore and Carmel Gilmore née Cantwell. His father was a respected and successful family doctor and ophthalmic physician in Highworth, north Wiltshire, and his mother was a housewife and magistrate. He, together with his younger sisters Clare and Sarah, were brought up in a strong and supportive family. Tragically his youngest sister Katherine died aged three with cerebral palsy. It was always evident how much Jerry appreciated his luck in being part of such a nurturing, close knit family: educated, stimulated and, above all, loved. After prep school in Buckinghamshire, Jerry attended Beaumont College. At Beaumont he flourished on the sports field, excelling as a rugby player and oarsman and also as a county tennis player. He was always proud to have rowed at Henley and continued to attend the royal regatta annually in grand style. Jerry’s great passion was for rugby, both as a player but also later as an administrator and supporter of the game: this remained with him throughout his life. Jerry entered Barts in 1961 after an interview with Denis Ellison Nash, then dean, who noted that Jerry had listed one of his hobbies as architecture and enquired about which particular aspects interested him most. Having spent his childhood with his parents on numerous tours of European cathedrals, Jerry replied without hesitation ‘ecclesiastical sir’. He was offered a place. At Barts initially his focus was not surprisingly the rugby field in his preclinical years, where he played for the first team and United Hospitals. There Jerry made many friends; friendships which remained throughout his life. It was there that he met Hilary McCrudden, a young Barts nurse, who shortly after qualifying became his wife. As a clinical student Jerry put his head down and clearly impressed: on qualifying he was offered a house surgeon’s post at Barts with Alan Hunt and Martin Birnstingl. Both were highly acclaimed surgeons with international reputations, who positively influenced Jerry’s decision to pursue a career in surgery and continued to support Jerry’s progress. Indeed Jerry’s postgraduate career was spectacularly successful, and his intellect, hard work and imagination really took hold. He won the Begley prize at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and this was a springboard to junior posts at Barts and then Reading, where he came under the influence particularly of Gordon Bone, Norman Rothnie and Conrad Latto, three exceptional surgeons and clinicians. He then returned to Barts as a senior registrar to Edward Tuckwell, James Robinson, Ian Todd, John Griffiths and Martin Birnstingl. He took time out to perform research into antisepsis in surgery, for which he gained a master of surgery degree by thesis, a sheaf of publications and presentations, plus a Hunterian professorship at the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Jerry was appointed to the permanent consulting staff of Barts against strong opposition at the relatively young age of 36. He was also on the staff of Hackney Hospital, where he, alongside James Thomson, combined to form the ‘Tom and Jerry’ firm, providing exceptional care to the local community. In parallel he also managed to build up a very successful private practice based in Harley Street. Jerry continued to carry out clinical research, lectured extensively, teaching undergraduates and postgraduates and giving enormous support and guidance to his juniors. This included being a very active president of the hospital rugby club and then of United Hospitals, but also at that time raising six young children with Hilary (Anna, Emma, Inigo, Laura, Natasha and Rod). To say he was busy is an understatement. He had easy rapport with everyone: patients, medical and nursing staff and all supporting healthcare staff whatever their position or rank. These qualities led him to be able to cut through unnecessary obstacles and to undertake a massive amount of work effectively, efficiently and safely with excellent results. This was of great benefit not just to the individual patient but streamlined the care of a much larger number of patients. It was at this time that he was given the task of developing the breast unit at Barts with the formation of a one-stop breast cancer diagnosis and treatment programme with the collaboration of excellent radiologists – Audrey Tucker, Nick Perry and later Shirley Bradbrook. Of pivotal importance was the novel and innovative introduction of fine-needle aspiration cytology: Jerry realised its potential and, harnessing the expertise of great pathologists Marigold Curling and George Canti, was the first to introduce this into clinical practice. Until that time this had not been undertaken as an outpatient procedure. There was further collaboration in oncology and radiotherapy with Nick Plowman and Len Price. What resulted through Jerry’s streamlined organisation and leadership was one of the first, if not the first, one-stop breast clinics in the country. This was then copied by many other hospitals, becoming the template for what is now considered standard practice. It succeeded because Jerry had looked at the detail of how to process the various problems, leading to rapid diagnosis and best treatment. This strategy he also developed in the private sector, which was again highly successful and much copied by others. At around the same time as developing this rapid breast service, Jerry described ‘Gilmore’s groin’, a severe musculotendinous injury of the groin, leading to him having a large practice predominately of athletic young men from the football, rugby and athletic worlds. His approach was different to what had gone on before, with early surgical repair resulting in a more rapid recovery and successful earlier return to the sport for professional sportsmen – a vital improvement. As well as the loyalty that he gained from his trainees and staff, Jerry had a loyal cohort of referring doctors and in consequence a large number of very loyal patients. Of course Jerry had a fantastic sense of humour and had a strong belief that humour could be used positively in medicine to help patients In 1991 Jerry resigned from his NHS posts at Barts and Hackney: this certainly came as a huge blow to both institutions but was brought on by his frustration with the workings of the NHS and the demands of his huge practice that he had developed in Harley Street. Jerry’s success in the private sector continued and his workload both with outpatients and also in the operating theatre was massive. He was *the* man to go to for breast, groin and general surgery. Within the medical world Jerry was much in demand for every club, association or society one can imagine: his contribution to the Chelsea Clinical Society was significant, where he was president and a trustee. Likewise his attendance and presidencies of the St Albans Club and the Fountain Club ensured that that all present were in for an engaging and amusing evening. Jerry, on his resignation from Barts and Hackney, founded the Smithfield Surgical Research Society, again centred on Jerry’s fellowship and humour and formed of his former trainees. The above has touched on many of Jerry’s qualities – his intellect, his drive, his enthusiasm, his humour, his extraordinary generosity and his great loyalty to family and friends. He also had courage. He was never afraid to challenge the established way of performing medicine or surgery, or to innovate. But, above all, over his last five years was his phenomenal personal courage for the difficulties he faced in his prolonged series of illnesses. He was diagnosed as having an adenocarcinoma of the appendix in 2014, which had spread to his liver. Post operatively one would have thought he had just recovered from an ingrown toenail procedure. He knew exactly what he was in for and faced up to all the vicissitudes with the utmost bravery and always with humour. Throughout his long and difficult illnesses Jerry remained upbeat, committed to life and his large and loving family, but also to his friends and colleagues. There was never one ounce of self-pity during this very difficult time, which was full of troughs rather than peaks. This would not prevent him from attending overseas rugby internationals, parties, dinners and flying off with his family to the Caribbean, despite on occasion being very frail. Jane Gant, who had been working with him as a breast nurse, became Jerry’s second wife and they were to raise three daughters – Georgia, Octavia and Chiara. Jerry died on 13 November 2019 at the age of 77. Hilary, Jane and his nine children survived him. He is much missed by his family and by all those who had the good fortune to know him.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009975
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
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First Title value, for Searching Withanage, Athula Senarathna (1943 - 2024)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Athula (Shane) Withanage
Publication Date 2024-04-30
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Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010600-E010699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/388014388014
Occupation General surgeon Vascular surgeon
Details Athula Withanage, a consultant general and laparoscopic surgeon, was lead clinician in the department of surgery and clinical director at Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest, Wales. He was born in Gonagalapura, southern Ceylon, the son of Paul De Silva and his wife Piyaseeli Kanahera Arachchi, and was educated first at Gonagalapura Mahavidyalaya and later at Ananda College in Colombo. He later studied medicine at the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia on a government scholarship. He qualified in 1970 with distinctions in surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, hygiene and organisation of public health, and a credit in general medicine. After qualifying, he went to Ireland. He was first an intern in general medicine and general surgery at Barrington’s Hospital, Limerick, and went on to hold training posts at Barrington’s, St Vincent’s and Sir Patrick Dun’s hospitals and at the National Children’s Hospital in Dublin. He moved to Wales in 1980, where, prior to his consultant appointment, he was a specialist registrar at Withybush Hospital. Over his 40-year career, he operated on thousands of patients. He always aimed at improving the quality of life of the patient, irrespective of age. The oldest patient he operated on was 94. It was a touch-and-go case, but he took a chance and saved him. Later the patient visited him to thank him and left a card and a huge wall clock, which he treasured. As well as general surgery, he developed skills in vascular surgery. At Withybush he reattached two near-amputations as a result of trauma. The first arm he reattached was of a seven-year-old boy; his mother had brought the arm to the hospital in a bucket full of ice! He was a senior lecturer and tutor covering the whole of Pembrokeshire, attached to the Welsh Institute for Minimal Access Therapy in Cardiff. With the help of surgical colleagues, he trained postgraduates at Withybush to prepare them for the MRCS examinations. He was also a clinical and educational supervisor and examiner for Colombo East Teaching Hospital, Sri Lanka. His unique qualities made him stand out as an excellent surgical trainer. He passed on theory as well as skills to his trainees, taking each one through all the steps of any procedure. His patience was paramount. He was never sarcastic or irritable and was always tactful and considerate. He never put down his colleagues or trainees or criticised them in front of patients or colleagues. Problems were addressed privately, and advice was always friendly and constructive. He was nominated three times for the prestigious Silver Scalpel award, which recognises exemplary surgical trainers, in 2000, 2003 and 2006. In 2000 he was one of only two consultants from Wales to be put forward for the award, out of 870 contestants from all over the UK. He was awarded clinical leader and mentor of the year awards by NHS Wales in 2008 and 2009. In recognition of his services to the people of Pembrokeshire, he was invited to attend one of the Queen’s garden parties at Buckingham Palace. Apart from surgery, he was interested in writing and drama. He wrote fiction in Sinhala and English, including *Noriena and Wasantha*, a novel first published in 1974, *Samanmali Sandamali*, which was made into a television drama in Sri Lanka, and a translation of Alexander Pushkin’s novel in verse *Eugene Onegin*. In Ireland in 1996, he became the first Asian to take part in an Irish language drama festival, taking a role as a doctor in the play *Citi*. In Wales he was a member of the Clarbeston Road Players and played a variety of roles. He was married to Simon Meru Pathiranage Jinadasa, known as Nelum. They had three children, Triona, Shane and Dylan, two of whom followed him into medicine, and another became a lawyer, and six grandchildren. He died on 1 March 2024 at Morriston Hospital, Swansea at the age of 81. He was a simple guy who had to work hard to achieve what he did. He dedicated his life to medicine, to help others, and had a great fondness for teaching. Our father was a warrior; he never wanted to stop working, always educating himself and others, and, best of all, he was caring and compassionate. He was a simple, uncomplicated surgeon doing a service he loved. He will always be in our hearts and his legacy will continue forever.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010613
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Eastcott, Harry Hubert Grayson (1917 - 2009)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Averil Mansfield
Publication Date 2010-04-28
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E000000-E000999/E000900-E000999
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373109373109
Occupation Vascular surgeon
Details Harry Hubert Grayson Eastcott, known as ‘Felix’, was the first man to perform carotid endarterectomy, thereby preventing strokes in countless patients. He was born in Montreal, Canada, on 17 October 1917, the son of Henry George Eastcott, a resident engineer with the Canadian Pacific Railway, and Gladys née Tozer. The family returned to England in 1920 and he was educated at Hoe Grammar School, Plymouth, the Latymer School, Edmonton, and St Mary’s Hospital Medical School. When a student in the anatomy class, he was observed by Neil Pantin to walk along leaning forwards with his hands behind his back, like the cartoon cat, and henceforward became known as ‘Felix’. As a student he played the piano in a honky-tonk band, which included Harding Rains on trumpet. He qualified with honours in 1941 and without delay went on to sit and pass the primary FRCS. He was house surgeon at the Hammersmith Hospital under Grey Turner and Dick Franklin, where he met a theatre nurse, Doreen Joy (‘Bobbie’), the daughter of Brenchley Ernest and Muriel Mittell. They were married in 1941. He then joined the RNVR and served throughout the war, reaching the rank of surgeon lieutenant-commander, and during his service visited Australia for the first time. On demobilisation, he returned to St Mary’s to work for Dickson Wright and Sir Arthur (later Lord) Porritt, and passed the final FRCS at the sixth attempt. An exchange sponsored by Arthur Porritt took him in 1949 to the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston, where he came under the surgical mentorship of Charles Huffnagal and learned the latest techniques of vascular surgery. On his return, he passed his masters in surgery, gave a Hunterian Lecture on arterial replacement with grafts, and became assistant director (honorary consultant) of the surgical unit under Charles Rob. It was in 1954 that he performed the first operation to prevent strokes. The patient was Ada Tuckwell, who had had many transient ischaemic attacks. The decision was taken by Denis Brinton and Pickering to carry out arteriography – in those days a hazardous procedure. This revealed a short stenosis of the internal carotid artery, the source of the previous emboli. Charles Rob delegated the operation to Felix. He had grave concerns that this might induce a stroke during the operation, but Rob and Pickering took the view that without it this would happen inevitably. May 19th was a cold day. The operating theatre was chilled. Ice packs were placed over the patient to reduce the risk of brain damage. Felix remarked that you could almost hear the nurses’ teeth chattering. The operation was carried out in the presence of some members of the council of the American College of Surgeons who were visiting the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Happily, the operation was successful and the patient lived for another 20 years without neurological symptoms. It was a superb outcome for the patient, but even more for mankind as this opened the doors for stroke prevention surgery on a major scale. Felix always referred to it as ‘my little operation’, but its impact was anything other than little. In a later article he quoted Winston Churchill as saying: ‘We have reached the end of the beginning’. He remained anxious about its scientific credentials until the results of a large multicentre trial showed once and for all just how valuable it had been in preventing stroke. Eastcott’s vascular surgical practice grew steadily from then on and he attracted the complex and difficult cases to St Mary’s and the other hospitals with which he had a connection, the Royal Masonic Hospital and King Edward VII Hospital for Officers. His book *Arterial surgery* (London, Pitman Medical) was another major contribution. It had been suggested to him by Zachary Cope, but it took several years to prepare and was finally published in 1969. It was a big success. Two further editions followed, the third in 1992, almost 10 years after he retired. He published extensively and was the editorial secretary of the *British Journal of Surgery*. Felix received many invitations to lecture around the world, particularly in the USA and Australia. In 1973 he was the King’s Fund travelling fellow to Australia and New Zealand. He was honoured in many countries and by many colleges and received honorary fellowships from the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, the American College of Surgeons and the American Surgical Association. He received the Fothergill gold medal of the Medical Society of London 1974 and the Galen medal of the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries in 1993. At the Royal College of Surgeons, he was an examiner from 1964 to 1970, a council member from 1971, vice-president from 1981 to 1982, and was acting president for a few weeks after the untimely death of Sir Alan Parks. He was a Hunterian professor and Bradshaw lecturer and was awarded the Cecil Joll prize. An enthusiastic Freemason, he ensured a continuous and major source of funding for the College from the Grand Lodge. He was later appointed to the Court of Patrons. Long after his retirement, Felix would attend early morning meetings in the vascular unit at St Mary’s, when he would recall in vivid detail some of his old patients and their problems. He loved his work: on one occasion in the middle of an operation he turned to his anaesthetist, Harry Thornton, and said, ‘Harry, I can’t believe they are paying us to do this’. Felix had many other interests. He always supported the music society at St Mary’s and sometimes participated. He loved to play the piano and did so most days after dinner: he called this ‘washing-up music’. Since his prep-school days he had been fascinated by flying and flew his own Tiger Moth. He was an elegant skier, an accomplished linguist, and a member of the Garrick Club. He had a few helpful encounters with the medical world. Once, in Australia, he choked on a piece of meat. He whispered hoarsely ‘Heimlich, Heimlich’. Sir Peter Bell responded with life-saving speed. Long before many of his contemporaries he appreciated the importance of non-invasive measurements in vascular disease, and so began the Irvine Laboratory, established by John Hobbs and W T Irvine. Felix supported Andrew Nicolaides and made sure that he combined vascular and cardiac surgical skills, at that time unique in the UK though common in the USA. At St Mary’s he worked closely with a wide group of colleagues, especially Ian Kenyon, Lance Bromley and Mike Snell. He also maintained close contact with other surgeons both in London, like Roger Greenhalgh at Charing Cross, and the USA, such as Michael de Bakey. He was president of the Vascular Surgical Society, the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland and the Medical Society of London. He contributed to the design for the tie of the Vascular Surgeons, which was based on a postcard received from Dickson Wright showing an artery dancing with a vein. He was the college visitor to the council of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists from 1972 to 1980. He was president of the section of surgery of the Royal Society of Medicine in 1997. A romantic soul, he dearly loved his wife and family. He died on 25 October 2009. A memorial service in St Clement Danes was attended by the president and council of our college and the council of the Vascular Society of Great Britain.
Resource Identifier RCS: E000926
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
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First Title value, for Searching Trapnell, John Eliot (1930 - 2011)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Averil Mansfield
Publication Date 2012-01-18 2013-10-04
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Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001800-E001899
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/374047374047
Occupation General surgeon
Details John Eliot Trapnell was a consultant surgeon in Bournemouth with a special interest in the pancreas. He was born in Bristol on 25 April 1930, the son of Eliot Trapnell, a solicitor, and Ruth Manson Trapnell née Fells, a domestic science teacher whose father had been a medical missionary and a surgeon. In addition to his grandfather, two of Trapnell's uncles were also medically qualified. He was educated at the Downs School and then Clifton College, Bristol. He went on to study at Trinity College, Cambridge, and Middlesex Hospital Medical School, qualifying in 1954. At Cambridge he achieved half blues in swimming and water polo. House officer posts were at the Middlesex Hospital on the medical unit and then the surgical unit at the Central Middlesex Hospital. He was a senior house officer at Leicester Royal Infirmary and then became a medical officer to Masecon Mission Hospital in Kenya. When he returned to the UK, he became a registrar in Bristol at the Frenchay and the Royal Infirmary. He was a prosector in anatomy at the Royal College of Surgeons, and obtained his primary fellowship in 1958. His senior registrar training was at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and then back in Bristol at Southmead Hospital and Bristol Royal Infirmary. At this stage he was trained by R V Cook, W M Capper, R G Paul, J A Pocock, A G MacPherson, Ashton Millar and J P Mitchell. In 1965 he was awarded a Fulbright fellowship and, armed with this, he set about obtaining a most important qualification in those days, the 'BTA' or 'been to America'. He went to Philadelphia to work with John M Howard, an eminent surgeon who had a particular interest in the pancreas. From this time onwards Trapnell's main academic and clinical work centred on this organ. In 1966 he published two papers on the subject, in 1967 five papers, and so his research grew exponentially, until he was a leading expert on the subject. He was awarded his MD for his work on pancreatitis, and gave a Hunterian lecture at the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1965 on the same subject. In 1968 he was appointed as a consultant surgeon to the Royal Victoria and West Hants Hospital, Boscombe, Bournemouth. Here he saw out-patients and cared for and operated on in-patients. His responsibilities encompassed Christchurch Hospital and a clinic at Milford on Sea. No European working time directive for him: in one year alone he saw 2,500 patients. Right at the beginning he set up a clinical investigation unit, which was the foundation of the gastrointestinal and endoscopy unit. He did not however lose sight of the bigger picture, and he continued to publish academic papers throughout this time, mainly on the pancreas and in particular to pancreatitis and its management. The needs of patients were also met by producing instruction leaflets for them - this is commonplace today, but was innovative then. He saw the importance of the surgical colleges and societies, and was a much-valued contributor to their activities. He was a founding member of the Pancreatic Society and became president in 1980. This was a fitting accolade for a man who had done so much to improve the care of patients with pancreatic disease. He recognised the importance of surgical education and the maintenance of standards and so became the Royal College of Surgeons' surgical tutor for Bournemouth and then the regional adviser for Wessex. He was appointed a member of the court of examiners of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1981. He was much in demand as a visiting professor, not just to the glamorous countries, but also to ones that most needed help, such as Ghana and Iraq. He had a particular interest in the overseas doctors training scheme of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He was a member of the working party that looked at which training posts in this country were most suitable for training overseas doctors, with the aim of ensuring they had a fair deal and obtained real training. He was awarded the E K Frey prize of the German and Austrian Intensive Care Society There were many other important aspects to John's life and these included sailing, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Ringwood School. For much of his adult life he was a lay reader of the Church of England and during his retirement he preached regularly at churches throughout Hampshire and Dorset and beyond. He had health problems over a number of years, but he bore these with good humour. In 1956 he married Hazel Patricia Anderson and they had four daughters. Hazel died in 1965, and in 1983 he married Penelope Ann Reeves, a nurse. This marriage ended in divorce and he married his third wife, Sandra-Anne ('Sandy'), in 2000. His alma mater, Trinity College, Cambridge, was very important to him, so it was not entirely inappropriate that he should die there peacefully on 5 July 2011, in his sleep, after a happy reunion. He was 81. He was survived by Sandy and his four daughters.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001864
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
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First Title value, for Searching Williams, John Kay (1940 - 2004)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by C J R Kettler
Publication Date 2023-08-11
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010400-E010499
Occupation Orthodontist
Details John Williams, Consultant Orthodontist to Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield and Leeds Dental Hospital, had nearly completed his term as President of the British Orthodontic Society at the time of his sudden death on 3 September 2004. The presidency is the highest honour the Society can bestow on a member, and one that John richly deserved and characteristically performed with all the zeal he brought to everything he did. In the early 1990s John, with others, made a very great contribution to the unification of the five UK national orthodontic societies which existed at the time – leading to the founding of the British Orthodontic Society in 1994. He was elected to the Board of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1989, serving the maximum period allowed, 14 years, and was elected Vice Dean in 1995-96. He was an examiner for the MOrth for many years. John was born on 7 May 1940 in Leicester. His father was a dentist in the School Dental Service and his mother a primary school teacher. He attended Wyggeston Grammar School in Leicester and qualified BDS at the Royal Dental Hospital of London, School of Dental Surgery in 1962. He passed the DOrth and FDS in 1966 and the MOrth in 1988. John was an expert and very productive clinician. His students and trainees greatly admired his very practical approach to clinical problems. He was the co-author of two popular orthodontic textbooks. He was part of a team which regularly lectured, gave hands-on courses in the Far East and was a visiting lecturer in Libya and visiting examiner in Sri Lanka. John had the knack of making friends easily and was extremely generous with his time in helping them. In particular he loved machines and anything mechanical and was much in demand by his friends to mend anything from watches to cars. He had an extraordinarily enquiring mind and delighted in posing conundrums to his friends. He had a very wry sense of humour and would have enjoyed the great amusement we shared when some of his wonderfully funny spoof letters from the past were read out at his memorial service. John is survived by his wife, Sonia and two children.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010413
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
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First Title value, for Searching Porter, Nigel Harry (1925 - 2017)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by B M Hogbin
Publication Date 2019-12-18 2020-07-15
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009600-E009699
Occupation General surgeon
Details Nigel Porter was a much-admired consultant general surgeon with wide surgical interests, working first in London, where he trained, and then in Sussex. He was born on 19 February 1925 in Ross-on-Wye, the son of George Harry Porter and Elma Blackhurst. He attended school in Ross-on-Wye, and then studied medicine at Guy’s Hospital Medical School, qualifying in 1946. From 1948 to 1950 he carried out his National Service as a medical officer with the 16th Independent Parachute Brigade with the rank of major. On his last jump before demobilisation he landed awkwardly, breaking his lower leg. Treatment at that time was early mobilisation: this resulted in poor alignment, with a lifelong problem and eventually an ankle fusion. From 1952, he trained in surgery at Guy’s Hospital and at St Mark’s Hospital, London, and in 1963, he was appointed to his consultant post in Brighton. He was also a visiting fellow in the school of applied sciences at Sussex University from 1970 to 1975. He was well-known for his work at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton and at Lewes Victoria Hospital. He retired from hospital work in 1985. In the same year, he was president of the Brighton and Sussex Medico-Chirurgical Society. In his work as a consultant surgeon he was always keeping up with new developments. One example of this was his introduction and early use of staple guns in gut operations and endoscopy. He helped many younger surgeons to progress. He facilitated the appointment of a Macmillan nurse specialist for stoma and breast care. This extra post led to advanced nurse practitioners in breast care who were integral to the development of the breast unit in Brighton. This was one of the first such units in the country and, as he had been such an inspiration to raising the standards of surgery and specialisation in Brighton, it was called the ‘Nigel Porter unit’. As this unit grew, it was the springboard for a much larger and fully integrated department, which needed larger premises, so became the Park Centre for Breast Care. The breast care nurse of the time has said that Nigel was a true gentleman, who was never ruffled. He was good with patients at any level, with particular sensitivity towards women. His breast work included augmentation. Another area with which he was involved at an early stage was sex change surgery. Over many years much of his work was with large bowel surgery. His anal sphincter physiology service was open to any patient who was referred. Retirement from the NHS was a gradual process, initially dropping to three sessions, thus allowing the appointment of a new colleague, and later volunteering to drop out to create another new post. In addition to being committed to his NHS work, he also had private consulting rooms and ran an efficient private hospital, the Avenue Clinic in Hove, which was used by many colleagues. One colleague commented that Nigel was very hard working and was noted for doing very late ward rounds, so he was given the nickname ‘The night Porter’, which he certainly liked. Nigel had a long interest in opera that started when, as a surgeon at Lewes Hospital, he treated members of the Glyndebourne opera company. This kindled a long interest and he was a supporter and regular visitor to the Glyndebourne Festival Opera. Sailing was a big part of his life, but mainly after he retired. Once he was unable to manage his 12m yacht, he took up watercolour painting. It came as a great surprise to the family that he had such a talent; his handwriting was (in common with others in the medical profession) awful, but his landscapes of local views in West Sussex were very good and are a treasured reminder of his varied skills. In retirement, he lived on at his farm, Mannings, with his family and enjoyed painting and cooking (another late blossoming talent). He grew vegetables (with varied success – but he did have his own shed). He had an interest in fine wines and kept an excellent cellar. He enjoyed walking, interested in butterflies and locating scenes to paint. He loved his garden at Mannings, where he lived for over 50 years, but rarely had time to enjoy given his significant work ethic. Nigel Porter died on 11 June 2017. He was 92. He was survived by his wife Leone (née Olliff-Lee), their three children – Melanie, Hilary and Guy – and five grandchildren, Polly, Craig, Imogen, Leo and Lucy.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009697
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Duff, Iain Stewart (1936 - 2016)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Barrie Parker
Publication Date 2017-01-25 2017-02-24
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009200-E009299
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381475381475
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon Trauma surgeon
Details Iain Stewart Duff was a consultant orthopaedic and trauma surgeon at the West Middlesex Hospital, Isleworth. Iain was of Scottish descent. His parents were devout, strict Christians. He was educated at King's College School, Wimbledon and became captain and fullback for the first XV rugby team. He entered Westminster Hospital as an undergraduate and, following his house posts, decided on a surgical career. After a period of general surgical training, he elected to train in orthopaedics. He held registrar posts at St George's Hospital and linked training hospitals in south west London, and a senior registrar post at King's College Hospital. Iain was a very practical and skilled surgeon and, although not particularly academically inclined, he was well-liked by his colleagues and trainees. A general orthopaedic and trauma surgeon, his main interests were in hip and knee arthroplasty and sports injuries. With his continuing interest in rugby, it was not surprising that he became the medical officer of the England Rugby Union at nearby Twickenham, which he also served with distinction. He also held sessions at the Teddington Memorial and Royal Masonic hospitals. He was a fellow of the British Orthopaedic Association and the Royal Society of Medicine. He was a leading light of the local Kingston Medical Club. He enjoyed golf and skiing particularly, and I enjoyed his company on the slopes on many occasions. He also enjoyed travelling. My wife and I joined him and his sister Jean on trips to South Africa, New Zealand and Canada. Iain was a delightful companion at social occasions, with a great sense of humour. He had many girlfriends but never married. He remained active after retirement for several years, but suffered heart and spinal problems later, which he endured bravely. His death on 26 October 2016 was quite unexpected and sudden. He was 79. He was survived by his sister Jean, who was a Westminster nurse, and many close friends.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009292
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Way, Neville James (1924 - 2018)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Belinda Sharpless
Publication Date 2018-11-19 2018-11-27
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009500-E009599
Occupation General surgeon
Details Neville James Way was a consultant general surgeon at the Royal Perth Hospital, Western Australia. He was born on 16 March 1924 in Boulder, Western Australia, the son of Inman Way, a general practitioner in Boulder and Kalgoorlie. He was educated at Eastern Goldfields High School, concentrating more on sport then academia, leaving in 1942. Neville had an unremarkable service career in the Royal Australian Navy and resumed his medical studies at Adelaide University in 1944, where he won the Lister prize for surgery in 1947 and the Gosse medal for ophthalmology in 1948. He was the top medical student in his final year, becoming a third-generation doctor. During his medical studies, he played Australian rules football for Norwood from 1944 to 1950 and represented South Australia from 1944 to 1949. He was runner up in the Magarey medal in 1947, awarded to the fairest and best player in the South Australian National Football League. Neville was a surgical trainee at the Royal Adelaide Hospital from 1949 to 1952 and an anatomy tutor, then spent two years training in England. He passed the FRCS in 1953 and worked as a senior registrar in south east Kent. In 1955, he returned to Australia to marry his English wife, Margaret Helen Thomson, passed the FRACS, became an honorary staff member of the Royal Perth Hospital and commenced private practice. He continued part-time private practice and as a visiting surgeon at the Royal Perth Hospital until 1989. During this time, he was also chairman of the department of general surgery. He taught many medical students who later became leading surgeons in Perth. He always felt proud of his teaching and being able to pass on his own knowledge and experience to junior doctors. During Neville’s working life, he was a member of West Australian Turf Club and later became vice chairman (1980 to 1988) then chairman (from 1988 to 1990). He also played squash, was a keen fisherman and was at his happiest whilst fishing and camping at Ningaloo reef and the Abrolhos Islands or gardening and attending to his roses. Neville and Margaret had one daughter, Belinda and three grandchildren, Melissa, Michael and Tim. Two of his grandchildren continued in the family tradition and are currently doctors in Queensland; the third is an economist with Deloitte. Following Margaret’s death, three years before Neville, he learnt to cook, wash, clean and shop, totally new experiences for him. He was very determined and lived independently in the family home until he died of a cardiac arrest on 13 June 2018, two days after being admitted to his second home, the Royal Perth Hospital. He was 94.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009502
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
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First Title value, for Searching Brewer, Arthur Clifford (1913 - 2017)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Bill Brewer
Publication Date 2015-12-02 2017-05-17
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E008000-E008999/E008800-E008899
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381044381044
Occupation General surgeon
Details Clifford Brewer was for many years the senior consultant surgeon at the Liverpool Royal Infirmary. He was born on 29 April 1913, the second son of Oscar John Brewer, inspector of education in the city of Liverpool, and Marian Brewer née Almond. He attended Quarry Bank School and then went to Liverpool University to study medicine. He graduated in 1935 with honours, having had an exceptional career as a student. He obtained a unique collection of university medals and prizes, including the Mitchell Banks medal in anatomy, the Holt medal in physiology, the Torr gold medal in anatomy, the Rankin exhibition in anatomy, the Kanthack medal in pathology, the university medal in pharmacology, the A C Rich prize in medicine, the gold medal in gynaecology and obstetrics, and the university gold medal in surgery. As a student, he was a gifted after-dinner speaker and represented Liverpool medical students in many other cities. Following graduation, he held the usual house appointments at the Liverpool Royal and was then awarded a Rankin exhibition in anatomy, doing anatomical teaching and research. He became surgical registrar to Robert Kelly and senior surgical tutor at the Royal Infirmary. He obtained his FRCS in 1938. Brewer then moved to Oxford as a resident surgical officer at the Radcliffe Infirmary, a post combined with that of surgical tutor to the University of Oxford. The new Nuffield appointments had just been made at the Radcliffe. In 1939, he was awarded a Leverhulme fellowship at the Royal College of Surgeons, an appointment which he was unable to take up as he was an officer in the Territorial Army on the staff of the 6th (1st Southern) Oxford Territorial Hospital. This hospital was mobilised at the outbreak of the Second World War and was stationed at Lincoln College and the Examination Schools. The hospital was chased out of France at Dunkirk, returning to Oxford. He then saw service in Palestine, Egypt and Syria, being transferred to a field surgical unit. This saw service in France, Normandy and Belgium, after which he became an officer in charge of a surgical division. He was demobilised in 1945 with the rank of lieutenant colonel. While working in Palestine he had operated on General Wladyslaw Sikorski, the commander-in-chief of the Polish Armed Forces, who invested him with the Order of Polonia Restituta. This allowed him to place the letters 'PR' after his name, a useful distinction for a rectal surgeon. Following the war, he returned to Liverpool as a lecturer in surgery and clinical assistant to the new professor of surgery, Charles Wells. He was appointed as a consultant surgeon to the Royal Infirmary in 1946. He was also appointed as a consultant surgeon to the Liverpool Homeopathic Hospital and to St Helens Hospital, and as a clinical lecturer in surgery to the University of Liverpool and lecturer in surgery to the Liverpool Dental School. He always enjoyed his association with the dental school and he continued to be lecturer in surgery to dental students until his retirement in 1978. He was appointed as an examiner in surgery to the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1949, an appointment which he held intermittently until 1970. He was an examiner in surgery to the University of Liverpool and to several other universities. His surgical interest centred on 'busts and bottoms' - breast surgery and rectal work being his forte. He was one of the first to do adrenalectomies in the treatment of advanced malignancy and he developed a breast clinic at the Royal Infirmary. His interest in breast work was responsible for his becoming a fellow of the International College of Surgeons as he was particularly interested in the many continental surgical breast clinics. He served on the usual host of committees, which multiplied and developed over the years, including the Liverpool board of governors, Liverpool regional hospital board, the hospital board of St Helens medical district, Liverpool regional consultants and specialists' committee, the management committee of the Liverpool Radium Institute and of the medical faculty of Liverpool University etc. He was, however, not a committee man, taking no real pleasure from increased time spent in such work. Following his military service, his hearing became impaired and this also made committee work difficult. Brewer served on the council of the Liverpool Medical Institution, but his great interest was in the Liverpool University Club, which included all university departments. This club had been founded in 1884, shortly after the foundation of the university, and had grown and developed as the university increased in size. He played a very active part in the club's activities and it was here that his ability as a speaker fully developed. He was made president of the club in 1968. He was also a member of the Athenaeum Club, serving on many of their committees, having a very special interest in the library. As a member of the library committee he was largely instrumental in helping this club to financial stability by selling books from the library, always a most difficult decision for any club to make. Clifford's interests other than surgical were most diverse. He had a lifelong interest in all matters horological and he collected a very extensive collection of antique clocks. He wrote a *The Country Life collector's pocket book of clocks* (Middlesex, Country Life Books, 1983). He contributed to many of the journals on clocks and watches, and was a foundation member of the Antiquarian Horological Society. His interest in antiques led him to become the area representative for the National Art Collections Fund in Merseyside. He greatly enlarged the work of the fund locally. He served for many years on the fine art committee of Liverpool University, and played a part in the establishment of the university collection in Abercromby Square. He was a member of the Furniture Society and a member of the Liverpool dining club known as the XX Club, of which he became president. He was foundation president of the Liverpool Literary Society and a member of the Liverpool Antiquarian Society. He was a collector of old Liverpool pottery and he wrote articles on Herculaneum pottery in *The Connoisseur* magazine. He presented specimens of this pottery to the university collection. He had an extensive collection of antique silver and old Sheffield plate, of which two very fine pieces grace the university collection. More recently, he wrote the *The death of kings: a medical history of the kings and queens of England* (London, Abaon Books, 2000), a medical history speculating on the possible cause of death of monarchs from William I to Victoria. He was a keen fly fisherman and wrote several articles on fishing for *The Field* magazine. This hobby, particularly fly tying, became an absorbing interest after he retired to his residence near Winchester. Clifford married Marjorie Hirst, whom he met while reducing a compound fracture of the femur in an operating theatre in Normandy. They had three sons and two daughters. Clifford Brewer died on 29 April 2017, his 104th birthday. Possibly his greatest achievement, despite the above, was (in his own estimation) landing a 13 lb rainbow trout in Hampshire.
Resource Identifier RCS: E008861
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Fleming, William Brian (1927 - 2016)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Bill Fleming
Publication Date 2016-08-18
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009200-E009299
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381418381418
Occupation General surgeon Head and neck surgeon
Details Brian Fleming was a head and neck surgeon at the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH). He was born in Zeehan, Tasmania, on 13 February 1927, and was educated in Burnie, before moving to Melbourne to complete his secondary education at Scotch College, graduating in 1943. He was able to make the wartime quota for medicine, and as medical students were exempt from call-up, began his medical training at the University of Melbourne medical school in February 1944. Brian's clinical training was undertaken at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and he graduated MB BS in November 1949. He became an intern at the RMH in 1950 and a senior house surgeon the following year. He became a resident surgical officer in 1952 and married Margaret in July of the same year. In December 1953 Brian attained his fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, and combined his surgical duties with research as the Randal and Louisa Alcock scholar in pathology. In May 1954 he received his MS by examination, and in June was appointed to his first job as a trained surgeon. From June to December 1954, Brian served in the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps as a major with the British Commonwealth Forces, Korea, based at the British Commonwealth General Hospital in Kure, Japan. He was discharged to the Army Reserve as a consultant surgeon for the Southern Command, a post he held until 1972. He was earmarked for a stint with the UN Force in Laos, prior to the Vietnam War, but fortunately Australian forces were not required. Because of his young family, he was not needed to serve in Vietnam. After further study in the UK and USA, Brian attained his fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in May 1955. From December 1955 he was appointed to the staff of the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and in the following year to the staff of the Footscray and District Hospital. In 1968 he received his fellowship of the American College of Surgeons, and was appointed head of his own unit. As the years progressed he became recognised as a gifted specialist head and neck surgeon, serving both the Peter MacCallum and Royal Melbourne hospitals in the field of cancer surgery. The Royal Melbourne Hospital recognised Brian Fleming's exceptional leadership skills when he was appointed as chairman of the division of surgery and head of the medical advisory committee in 1975, two posts he held until 1983. He was appointed head of the head and neck service in 1980, and held this appointment until his retirement. He was appointed to the board of management in 1983, and became the junior vice president of the hospital in 1986. He was the acting treasurer in 1989 and retired from the staff of the RMH, after 36 years service, in 1991. Besides his commitments to the RMH, Brian was deeply involved in cancer research and prevention outside the hospital. In the early 1970's cancer clinicians around Australia knew more about overseas practice than about what contemporaries were doing within a few hundred kilometres. Noel Newton and Leicester Atkinson in Sydney sought a like mind in Melbourne and were rewarded when Brian Fleming agreed to collaborate. He helped found the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia, becoming its first president from 1974 to 1976. Brian was invited to assist the Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria, and as their delegate became vice president (from 1980 to 1983) and then president of the Australian Cancer Society from 1983 to 1986. He also served the Society in other ways, chairing its medical and scientific committee, editing *The cancer-related health check-up: a guide to medical practitioners* (The Australian Cancer Society, 1991), advising on national cancer prevention policy, chairing a national consensus conference on cervical cancer screening and serving as a member of the National Cancer Advisory Committee. He was appointed as surgeon to the health department of Victoria's Consultative Council on Anaesthetic Morbidity and Mortality in 1991. Brian was presented with the Australian Cancer Society gold medal in November 1992. On this occasion, the president, Heather Wain, in presenting the medal said: 'In his voluntary service to COSA, the Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria and the Australian Cancer Society Brian added a further dimension to the care and compassion he gave to his patients. Through his selfless commitment he has aided the advancement of cancer care for the whole Australian community and upheld the noble ideals of the medical profession. His example continues through his family with a wife a former nurse, one daughter a nurse, one a science graduate, two sons who are doctors, and Melissa who decided to follow her father's artistic talent into architecture. He deservedly joins a list of distinguished Australian cancer workers which includes a number of Victorians: Sir William Kilpatrick, Don Metcalf, John Colebatch and Ken Cox; his addition to the list adds to its lustre.' Brian retired from active surgical practice and direct patient care in 1991, but continued in medico-legal practice in Melbourne and Mildura for many years. With the introduction of workcover insurance by the Kennett government in Victoria in December 1992, Brian was appointed as a sessional conciliator, one of the few medically trained, and the only surgeon. He continued in this role to March 1996. In May 1997 Brian was presented with the inaugural head and neck surgery medal by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons' section of head and neck surgery. Despite his advancing age, the Victorian government acknowledged Brian's exceptional skills as a wise and fair conciliator, appointing him to medical panels. He was regularly asked to keep going and was reappointed on into his seventies, before finally retiring from medico-legal practice on the occasion of his 79th birthday in February 2006. In his leisure time Brian played golf and indulged in oil painting. He began exhibiting with the Australian Medical Association Arts Group in 1962, three years after its inception. One of his paintings, 'Banksia', was bought by Sir Daryl Lindsay, chairman of the Commonwealth Art Advisory Board for the Australian Government Collection, and two paintings were purchased by the politician Sir John McEwen. Brian was awarded the membership of the Order of Australia on 11 June 2001 for service to medicine, particularly oncology treatment as a head and neck surgeon, and as a medical administrator. Brian Fleming died after a long illness on 5 July 2016. He was 89. He was survived by his wife Margaret, his five children, Helen, Judy, Bill, Rick and Melissa, and by his seven grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009235
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Jones, Hugh Owen (1918 - 2013)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Bing Jones
Publication Date 2016-11-21 2017-03-30
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009200-E009299
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381466381466
Occupation General surgeon Vascular surgeon
Details Hugh Owen Jones was a general surgeon in Cardiff. He was born in Monmouth on 12 May 1918 and brought up in a school house in the tiny village of Goytre near Pontypool, where his father, William Lewis Jones, was a schoolmaster. His mother, Rebecca Jane Jones née Davies, was a nurse. The toilet for both the schoolchildren and the teacher's family was a bench over a trench, where they turned the soil and then grew vegetables. Hugh loved telling of running beside the first bus to the village, which theatrically caught fire and melted its glass windows. He went to school at Haberdashers' Aske's West Monmouth School in Pontypool. When his brother, Peter Henry Jones, who became a thoracic surgeon and was also an FRCS, went to Westminster Medical School, Hugh was asked if he too wanted to be a doctor and replied 'I am not averse'. There were inadequate funds for two students and Hugh was funded by a scholarship, which he won by learning the entire Gospel according to Saint Matthew. This became a reservoir of biblical wisdom and pithy quotes, passed on to his children and grandchildren. He and his brother Peter lived in the attic of a hotel run by an expatriate Welshman, sending their weekly laundry home by train to Monmouth for their mother to wash. Hugh trained as a medical student and then as a surgeon at King's College Hospital, where his grandson later worked. He soon decided on a career in surgery and studied under many famous surgeons of the time, including Cecil Wakeley, Clement Price Thomas and Russell Brock. He served in the merchant Navy at the start of the Second World War, and then in the Army in India, where he fell in love with his wife Pauline (née Jackson), a newly qualified doctor, also trained at King's, smoking Passing Clouds cigarettes on the steps of the Taj Mahal Hotel in Delhi. He was appointed as a consultant surgeon in Cardiff in 1952 and remained in Cardiff until his retirement. He had a busy general surgical practice, including operating lists at hospitals around the city, including Caerphilly and Llandoch. He would often come home saying that he had needed to 'drive like Jehu' (*Second Book of Kings* 9:20) over the mountain to perform an emergency operation at Caerphilly Miners' Hospital. He was a committed teacher and retained a wealth of connections with past trainees who settled all over the world. One of his trainees recalls him saying: 'I don't mind if you make a mistake whilst learning providing it is an error which I can easily correct.' Hugh developed an interest in vascular surgery. His son recalls being taken into the operating theatre as a child to watch a novel balloon angioplasty clearing a femoral arterial clot and the blood decorating the operating theatre wall. Hugh worked for the Medical Defence Union well into retirement. He was actively involved in the development of the Heath Hospital in Cardiff. He and his wife were active members of the Surgical Travellers Club. Hugh had wide interests, including learning Russian, sailing, navigation, silversmithing, beekeeping and wood turning. He survived more than 30 years after a soft tissue sarcoma was successfully resected from his arm. On retirement to an 18th century cottage in mid-Wales, he put his many talents and skills to use in the beautiful remote setting and was active well into his 90's. In retirement, Hugh and Pauline started a whole new shared career as foster parents for a series of very young babies. He was an inspired father and grandfather, nurturing and encouraging everyone, but particularly children, building enchanting log cabins in the woods, massive dams in the stream and an impossibly long rope slide into the valley. Hugh Jones was a lover of nature. He was always filled with wonder. He found everything and everybody fascinating. He never failed to make those close to him feel important and worthy. He gently faded and died peacefully on 3 December 2013 in Cardiff, aged 95. He led a full life. He was survived by his widow Pauline, three children - Penelope Anne, a general practitioner, David Andrew, a haematologist, and Helen Mary, a social worker - nine grandchildren (including one doctor) and one great-grandchild…and a wealth of biblical aphorisms.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009283
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Williams, Peter Frederick (1922 - 2009)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Bob Dickens
Publication Date 2016-08-25
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009200-E009299
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381420381420
Occupation Paediatric orthopaedic surgeon
Details Peter Frederick Williams AO FRACS was educated at Melbourne Grammar and graduated in medicine from Melbourne University in 1946. He was an intern at the Royal Melbourne Hospital after which he proceeded to the United Kingdom where he obtained his Fellowship and trained in Orthopaedics at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic hospital in Oswestry. It was while at Oswestry that Peter designed the Williams Screw driver, a device designed to lock the screw in to the driver thus freeing up the surgeons hand. Upon his return to Australia he obtained his Australian Fellowship and held appointments at both the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH) and Royal Children's Hospital (RCH). He became Director of the Department of Orthopaedics at the RCH in 1963 and was involved in the transfer of the hospital from Carlton to its current site, opened in 1963 by Her Majesty the Queen. Under his leadership the department was to become one of the leading hospitals in Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgery in the English speaking orthopaedic community. As a consequence of his expertise he was invited to participate in training faculties in the USA and was an invited guest to a number of orthopaedic institutions. He was an outstanding surgical technician. Those fortunate enough to have seen him operate will attest to the deftness of his operating skill and the gentleness with which he handled tissues. There was a paucity of movement; a characteristic of all great surgeons. Having seen the methods of training in North America, Peter set about developing a program along similar lines to train orthopaedic surgeons in Australia. This was the genesis of the current program so highly regarded by those fortunate enough to have been selected to participate. As an educator he ran conferences at the RCH to which virtually all trainees in Victoria were privileged to attend. It was to no avail to hide in the back row with the eyes averted, in order to avoid his probing questions. He would fix the trainee with his steely blue eyes and ultimately extract an answer. He did not expect the newcomer to know everything but once taught would be critical if the information was not remembered at a later date. He ran Workshops where staff members in the department would present "How I Do" various aspects of paediatric orthopaedic surgery to trainees and anyone willing to attend. These evolved in time in to a more formal meeting which was the genesis of what is now the Australian Paediatric Orthopaedics Association. He developed a Fellowship Program at the RCH which involved post graduate training in orthopaedics for local and overseas trainees. It was a matter of great pride to Peter and to the entire department to see these fellows go on to become eminent in orthopaedics in many other countries. He was the prime mover in motivating the Department members to contribute to the *Text Book of Paediatric Orthopaedics*. Peter Williams was the author of many articles in the orthopaedic literature his major interests being Cerebral Palsy, Arthrogryposis, Dislocation of the Patella and all aspects of paediatric orthopaedics in general. He was an examiner for the College in Orthopaedics and served in this capacity for a number of years. He was ultimately appointed Chief Sensor of the College. He became President of the Australian Orthopaedic Association at the time of the Combined Meeting of Orthopaedic Associations of the English Speaking World in London in 1975. He was invited with the other Presidents to a gathering arranged by the Queen Mother patron of the meeting. He was the Presidential Guest Lecturer at the Scoliosis Research Society meeting in Hong Kong in 1976. He was the Presidential Guest Lecturer at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in 1983. All of these attest to the high regard in which Peter was held by his colleagues not only in Australia but Internationally. He was recognized for his contribution to Australian when he was awarded an Officer in the Order of Australia in 1986. At a personal level Peter was a great mentor to many of us privileged to have known him. He was a hard task master and expected perfection from all who were involved with him. He was a private man and it was for many an eye opener to hear of his exploits and interests at his funeral. He was an expert wood turner and carpenter, had a keen interest in motor cars and for many years ran a farm in Red Hill which he was able to shape in to a magnificent establishment "Pirralilla". He was also a yachtsman and was Commodore of the Point Leo Yacht Club for a time. In later years he renewed his acquaintance with golf. He was very guarded in his philanthropy, anonymously providing financial assistance to a number of projects. He endowed the first chair in Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgery at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne in 1987. Peter is survived by his wife Prue, his children Tim, Mitty (Andrea), Susan and Richard and ten grandchildren. Those of us who were his friends will miss the opportunity to call upon him and benefit from his wise counsel.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009237
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Beddow, Frank Howard (1927 - 2015)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Bob Owen
Publication Date 2015-03-13 2015-06-05
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E006000-E006999/E006900-E006999
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/379132379132
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon
Details Howard Beddow was an orthopaedic surgeon in Liverpool. His forebears came from Pembrokeshire, but he was born in Sheffield. As a young boy he moved with his family to Merseyside, where he spent the rest of his life. His early education was at Kingsmead and Birkenhead schools. He was an enthusiastic model railway fan and considered engineering as a career, but finally decided on medicine. He went to Liverpool University to study medicine and qualified MB ChB in 1950. Having served in the Army for his National Service and held numerous posts as a young trainee, he was attracted to orthopaedic surgery, having as a student been fascinated by the anatomy of the human arm. Early in his training he gained his fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and a masters degree in orthopaedic surgery (MCh Orth) with the examiner's prize. He enjoyed travelling. As a young registrar he was dispatched by his teacher Bryan MacFarland to Lapland to study the incidence of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) in Lap babies armed with a portable X-ray machine, which he carried in his ancient Morris Minor. His first consultant post at the age 34 was at Whiston Hospital. After some years he moved to the Liverpool Infirmary as a surgeon and part-time lecturer at the university. As a teacher he excelled: he had his own style of teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and was highly respected by students and colleagues. He was a faithful supporter of the MCh Orth course. He developed an early interest in rheumatology, first working in tandem with his colleague Nicholas Bennett-Jones at Whiston and later continuing his interest in all aspects of rheumatic diseases at the Infirmary. He was a meticulous master surgeon in a difficult field where repeated procedures are common and where patience and sympathy are important. He was also innovative: he was a pioneer in the development of the Liverpool shoulder prosthesis and was a founder member of the British Elbow and Shoulder Society. He published widely on orthopaedic topics and was an examiner for physiotherapists and plaster technicians. Locally, he was vice president of the Liverpool Medical Institution. He enjoyed his involvement with university life as a teacher and examiner, and also contributed substantially to health board affairs. He was a man much in demand on Merseyside and always dependable. Nationally he served on the council of the British Orthopaedic Association and was a regional adviser for the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Howard had courage and perseverance in abundance. As a young surgeon he developed an osteosarcoma in his left femur, necessitating disarticulation at hip level. He was back at full duties soon after, including full days of operating. Some years later a large secondary tumour appeared in his chest, which was removed. This did not deter him. He returned to full duties in a few weeks. This was the measure of the man. He continued with teaching and surgery until he retired aged 65. To his colleagues and students he looked remarkably young and was sometimes mistaken for his own registrar by his patients. He was a perfect gentleman with a whimsical smile and sense of humour. Howard had many interests outside work. As an undergraduate student he was a top class tennis player. He and his wife Ann were later enthusiastic gardeners. Most of all they enjoyed cruising on their traditional narrow boat *Badger*. He especially enjoyed archaeological cruises. They also were keen on world cruising, with Ann always in support. Howard was a deeply religious man much involved in local church activities in their village of Caldy on the Wirral peninsula, where, despite his limb problem, he played the church organ and collected many friends on the way. During his last years, following a stroke, he was cared for at a peaceful nursing home with Ann in constant support. Howard died on 21 February 2015, aged 87. He was survived by Ann and his sister Jean. There are few of us that can emulate Howard's achievements in the face of adversity.
Resource Identifier RCS: E006949
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Roarty, John Stanislaus (1924 - 2017)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Brett Courtenay
Publication Date 2018-02-22
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009400-E009499
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381814381814
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon
Details Dr John Roarty is regarded as one of the pre-eminent orthopaedic surgeons, and a pioneer of hip replacement surgery, in Australia. He devoted his life to his profession, and with a gentle tenacity, in his characteristically unassuming way, rose to the top of his field. Born on April 18, 1924, to Winifred and Stanislaus Roarty in Bellevue Hill, Sydney, John was the eldest of four children. He completed high school at St Aloysius College in Kirribilli and entered the Faculty of Medicine at Sydney University at the age of 17. He graduated in 1947, joining the staff at Lewisham Hospital as a resident medical officer, initially as an intern and then as the orthopaedic registrar before becoming medical superintendent in 1950. While the Orthopaedic Association had been established 15 years before, no formal exam nor formal training program existed for specialists in this area of medicine in Australia. The most renowned post-graduate qualification was at the University of Liverpool in the UK which fuelled John's desire to move to the UK to pursue a career in this field of medicine. His plans were almost thwarted when earlier that year he met and fell in love with June Shepherd, a violinist at the Conservatorium of Music in Sydney. They met at a Loreto Normanhurst Old Girls gathering at the Minerva Theatre in Kings Cross and courted over their shared love of music, regularly attending Sydney Symphony concerts at the old Sydney Town Hall. Together they agreed he should go to the UK to continue his studies, and June would follow him to London. He left Sydney in June 1950 as the doctor on a Swedish war freighter, The Wangaratta, carrying Tasmanian apples and wool. His journey on this ship reinforced his lifelong passion for sailing. He was a member of Middle Harbor Yacht Club and then became a member of The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron where he raced regularly on his yacht, Julimatch. An active sportsman, he was a keen golfer, holding memberships of Pymble Golf Club and then Royal Sydney Golf Club. Having commenced his studies at the University of Liverpool in 1950, he graduated with the Master of Chirurgie at the end of 1951 and then began three years of orthopaedic training, working at the Birmingham Accident Hospital, Wingfield Morris Hospital in Oxford and at St Mary's Hospital in London. In 1954, he was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. It was at that point John decided to return to Australia, again as a ship's doctor, to join his dear friend and mentor Ron McEwen in his medical practice. Sadly, Ron died suddenly of a heart attack before John arrived back. He honoured his commitment and Ron's legacy, returning to Sydney in November 1954 and continuing the practice. He took up a position at Lewisham Hospital as well as taking over the clinics at the Royal Far West Children's Health Scheme at Manly. This scheme brought children from remote areas to Sydney for specialist care. As well as doing clinics at Manly and operating on patients at St Vincent's and Lewisham Hospitals, Roarty regularly travelled to remote clinics in Bourke, Cobar, Nyngan, and Wentworth and continued working for the Far West until nearly 1980 by which time there were specialists in rural areas and no longer the need for this service. He was passionate about his remote area work. In 1955 he was appointed as a clinical assistant to St Vincent's which began a lifelong involvement with both St Vincent's Hospital and the Sisters of Charity. It was in that year that he married his wife, June, on October 29 at St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney. They went on to have five children. They were devoted to each other until June's death in December 2005, sharing a love of travel and the arts, in particular classical music. They were generous philanthropists in the arts, medicine and the Catholic community. In 1969 Roarty studied with John Charnley, the father of modern hip replacement surgery, attending operating sessions and outpatient clinics to learn the techniques of hip replacement. As a result, he brought groundbreaking hip replacement surgery to St Vincent's. During the 1980's, Roarty and a number of other doctors conceived the idea of a medical clinic attached to a large hospital campus, similar to those they had seen in the US. After an enormous amount of work as chair of the steering committee and later chair of the Medical Council, Roarty developed the plan for and oversaw the construction of St Vincent's Medical Clinic, together with the Sisters of Charity. He was the first of many orthopaedic surgeons to move into the clinic following its opening in August 1990, and continued his practice there until 2000. He was a founding trustee of the St Vincent's Clinic Foundation and its chair from 1998 to 2000. In addition, under his leadership, the clinic became a world-class private medical and research facility. His commitment to and passion for the hospital continued throughout his life - until his final weeks, he was always interested in what was happening at St Vincent's and the clinic. He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia on Australia Day 2012, for his services to medicine, in particular through his contributions to the St Vincent's Clinic. He was a great supporter of and mentor to generations of surgeons and could always be relied on for a valuable opinion. He is survived by children, Chris, Julianne, Mark, Lisa and Tim, 12 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009410
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Claffey, Thomas Joseph (1925 - 2014)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Brett Courtenay
Publication Date 2021-03-19
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009900-E009999
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon
Details Dr Thomas Joseph Claffey AM was born in Woollahra, Sydney on 25 January 1925. He began school at St Francis Paddington and was there for his primary school. He won a bursary to Waverley College and was there for 5 years. Tom’s father originally came from Gympie and worked as a tram conductor. Without the bursary it would have been very difficult to complete high School. Tom was a determined student and was eventually the Dux of the school in 1942. Tom of course went to Sydney University Medical School and graduated in 1948. He worked in General practice and at St Vincent’s. During this time he met Patty O’Neill, a young stenographer and they were married on 26th May 1951. Tom went to Oxford for his Orthopaedic training to the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre where he worked under Josep Trueta. He received the FRCS in 1955 and returned to Australia and St Vincent's where he was appointed a Clinical Assistant in 1957. He received the FRACS in 1959. Tom became an Active Member (now Fellow) of the AOA in 1958. Tom remained at St Vincent's for his entire career working at both the Public and Private hospitals. He was the Director of Accident and Emergency at St Vincent's which when he took on the role, was a 50% staff specialist role. He continued in that role until specialist emergency physicians had been trained and were appointed. There are now 6 full time staff specialists working in the department. Times have certainly changed. Tom held many positions within the Orthopaedic Association. He was the Assistant Secretary in 1967 and then Honorary Secretary from 1968 to 1971. He was a Board member in 1972 and was appointed Censor in Chief (now Director of Training) from 1973 to 1977, having taken over from Peter Williams, the first Censor in Chief. At the same time he was a member of the Board of Orthopaedic Surgery for the College from 1969 to 1977. He was NSW State Chair in 1979 to 1980. He was elected to the Presidential role as President elect in 1982, President in 1983 and past President in 1984. Tom’s other great Orthopaedic passion was as consultant to the NSW Society for Crippled Children. Tom was honorary consultant to the Society for 28 years. He became involved when he was a consultant surgeon for a period at Canterbury Hospital. He would consult at both the Society’s Cleaveland Hospital until it closed and then in the physiotherapy department of the Society's home. When the Society moved to the Western suburbs Tom was unable to continue as his commitments had increased at St Vincent's. He was made a Life Member of the Society in 1988 in recognition of his long service. As Tom was slowing down his practice, Tome lost his beloved wife Pat after quite a long illness. He cared for at home over many trying months. At the same time he lost his daughter, Margaret. After he finally retired he had a number of medical issues and moved into hostel care. With further deterioration he eventually needed full care for just over a year before his death. His final passing occurred quite quickly and Tom left us as an inpatient at St Vincent's where he had spent most of his career. Tom is survived by his son Michael and grandchildren, James, Elizabeth, Alexandra, Emily and Amy.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009937
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Collins, Patrick Gerard (1923 - 1999)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Brian E Lane
Publication Date 2016-03-24 2016-09-01
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009000-E009099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381266381266
Occupation General surgeon
Details Patrick ('Paddy') Collins was professor of surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and a consultant surgeon at Jervis Street Hospital, Dublin, and later at Beaumont Hospital. Paddy was the eldest of five children born to Patrick Archibald 'Archie' Collins and Mary Ann (née Collins). Both parents were school teachers in a rural setting in County Cork. In many ways he had a sad life: his father died at a young age, as did his two sisters, as well one of his brothers and his first wife, Pauline Higgins. Pauline was an anaesthetist at Derby Royal Infirmary when they met. His second wife, Catherine McGovern, was a theatre sister at Jervis Street Hospital. He was educated at the Presentation Brothers College, Cobh, before proceeding to University College Cork. He had a brilliant student career with continuous first class honours and qualified with a first class honours degree. He was awarded the Henry Hutchinson Stewart scholarship in physiology, a scholarship open to all medical schools in Ireland. He played rugby for University College Cork and was awarded an interprovincial cap for Munster (in the days before professional rugby). He qualified in 1947, a time of much hardship in Ireland and when most aspiring young doctors left Ireland for the UK. Unlike many of his generation, Paddy returned. During his training years he worked in London, Cardiff, Derby, Sheffield and Boston. He worked with three master surgeons of that time: Norman Tanner of St James's Hospital, Balham, internationally renowned for gastrectomy and hernia repair; Dick Cattell at the Lahey Clinic, Boston, who introduced him to what was to be his life-long interest, biliary reconstruction; and James Lytle of Sheffield, who taught him about hernia. He was awarded the Ainsworth scholarship from University College Cork, which facilitated him going to the Lahey Clinic in 1953. In 1959 returned to Ireland as a consultant surgeon at Jervis Street Hospital, where he rapidly set about establishing a respected department of surgery. He developed a tertiary referral unit for repair of bile duct injuries. Paddy was a dedicated teacher to both students and surgical trainees. His Sunday morning postgraduate teaching round was a major attraction for those sitting for surgical exams. With others he set up the Irish Postgraduate Surgical Training Scheme. Many young Irish surgical trainees benefited from this and his commitment to surgical training. His main contribution to surgical literature was in the area of the biliary tract. Paddy was elected to many important societies. He was president of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland and of the Pancreatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, a founder member and governor of the Irish chapter of the American College of Surgeons, a member of the Warner Cole Surgical Society in Chicago and of the council of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Paddy was a charismatic and lovable character. He was a big man in every sense. He had no family, but lived life to the full helping others. He enjoyed fly fishing every May. He died on 15 April 1999 at the age of 76. He was survived by his second wife, Catherine.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009083
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Gorman, John Montgomery (1929 - 2014)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Brian M Tweedle
Publication Date 2023-07-06
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010300-E010399
Occupation Oral and maxillofacial surgeon
Details We regret to announce that John Montgomery Gorman MDS FDS FFD died on 18 November 2014. John, born 12 October 1929, was a consultant in the Northern Ireland Plastic and Maxillo Facial Service. During his time as a Consultant Surgeon the 'Northern Ireland Troubles' were taking place and John was deeply involved in the restorative surgery for the unfortunate victims. In addition to his normal work, he undertook the role of lead clinician for Maxillo Facial Surgery, after the retirement of Roy Whitlock in 1983. John was interested in yachting and rowing and he became captain of the Queen’s University Rowing Club in the 1950-1951 season. In 1956 he married Jane and they had three children, Dermot, Lesley and Anne. Sadly, his wife Jane pre-deceased him in the year 2000. John Gorman was a gentleman respected by his colleagues and friends. His skills and his caring personality will be missed by us all.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010328
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Jeffs, John Victor (1928 - 2007)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Brian Morgan
Publication Date 2011-12-21 2015-05-29
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001800-E001899
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373987373987
Occupation Plastic surgeon Plastic and reconstructive surgeon
Details John Jeffs was a consultant plastic surgeon at Charing Cross Hospital, London. He was born in Tredegar, Gwent, where his father, Victor Henry Jeffs, was the local butcher. His mother was Ivy Elizabeth Jeffs née Lewis. He went to Lewis School in Pengam. His medical training was at Guy's Hospital, where he benefitted from the teaching of James Whillis (anatomy) and Samuel Wass (surgery). He qualified 1951 then did his National Service as a captain in the RAMC and spent much of his time in Korea and Japan. He passed his FRCS in 1959 and went on to train in plastic surgery. He was appointed as a consultant in plastic surgery to Charing Cross Hospital, Westminster Hospital, Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton, and St George's Hospital. He published articles on plastic and hand surgery and was on the council of the Medical Protection Society from 1952 to 1990. He commented that he had a very satisfying professional life as a 'service surgeon'. His hobbies were fencing and shooting. In 1955 he married Margaret Lewis and they had one daughter, Jennifer. John Victor Jeffs died on 23 September 2007. He was 79.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001804
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Kelly, Martin Bernard Hirigoyen (1965 - 2008)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Brian Morgan
Publication Date 2012-01-05 2016-02-12
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001800-E001899
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373994373994
Occupation Plastic surgeon Plastic and reconstructive surgeon
Details Martin Kelly was a craniofacial plastic surgeon at the Chelsea and Westminster, and Royal Marsden hospitals. An extraordinarily talented surgeon, he died of a heart attack at the young age of 43, stunning his colleagues. He was born Martin Hirigoyen in London on 7 May 1965, the son of Bernard Hirigoyen, a French industrialist with a Basque background, and Diane Kelly. He was brought up in Paris and, when his parents separated when he was 17, he accompanied his mother and four sisters to London and later adopted her maiden name. He was educated in Paris and at Winchester College, and went on to study medicine at St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School, qualifying in 1989. He trained in surgery in Oxford and in London, and gained his FRCS in 1993. His early training in plastic surgery continued in Oxford and London. He then obtained a two-year travelling fellowship in microsurgery and craniofacial reconstruction at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. His research there led to an MD thesis in 1997. His formal training as a specialist registrar in plastic surgery also began in the same year on the London hospitals rotation and he obtained his fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in plastic surgery. During his training Kelly also studied in Paris with Darina Krastinova at the Hôpital Foch, the unit founded by Paul Tessier, the father of craniofacial surgery. In 2001 Kelly was appointed as a consultant craniofacial plastic surgeon at the craniofacial unit at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, and at the Royal Marsden Hospital. His main interest was reconstructing faces with congenital deformities and repair of defects after ablative surgery for head and neck tumours. In 2003, with his fellow consultant Norman Waterhouse, he founded the charity Facing the World, which treats children around the world disfigured by facial deformities. Earlier he had worked for Médecins Sans Frontières, operating on children in Afghanistan. He was a member of the British Association of Plastic Surgeons and the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, and an associate member of the European Society of Craniofacial Surgery. Martin was renowned for his surgical skill, professionalism and energy. The craniofacial and microsurgery meant many hours with one case in the operating theatre. He was described as a modest and compassionate man. Outside medicine, he wrote his own music and played the drums and bass guitar. He enjoyed playing tennis, horse riding and skiing. He painted and his association with the artist Jonathan Yeo led to a series of paintings by Yeo focusing on plastic surgery. Martin Kelly died on 20 May 2008. He was survived by his wife, the actress Natascha McElhone, and three sons: Theodore, Otis and Rex (born after Kelly's death).
Resource Identifier RCS: E001811
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Kirk, John (1922 - 2011)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Brian Morgan
Publication Date 2012-01-10 2015-05-22
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001800-E001899
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/374015374015
Occupation Plastic surgeon Plastic and reconstructive surgeon
Details John Kirk was a consultant plastic surgeon at the Tayside Regional Plastic Surgery Unit. He was born in Edinburgh on 23 June 1922, but spent most of the first six years of his life in China, where his mother and father, also John Kirk, were medical missionaries. The family returned to the UK in 1928 and his father went on to become professor of anatomy at the Middlesex Hospital, London. John Kirk trained at the Middlesex Hospital Medical School and qualified in 1945. After posts at the Middlesex, he joined the Royal Navy as a surgeon and saw active service in the West Indies. He trained and qualified as a general surgeon, gaining his FRCS in 1954. He then moved on to plastic and reconstructive surgery, working with Rainsford Mowlem at Northwood. In 1955 he moved back to Scotland, to Bangour Hospital in West Lothian, where the regional plastic surgery unit serving Edinburgh and the east of Scotland was based. Here he worked with Alexander 'Alister' Burns Wallace. In 1956 the Tayside Plastic Surgery Service was started at the Dundee Royal Infirmary and Bridge of Earn Hospital, near Perth, as an off-shoot of the unit headed by Wallace. John Kirk joined this service, and in 1960 was made a full-time consultant in plastic surgery to the Eastern Regional Hospital Board. He took a leading role in the design of the new burns and plastic surgery ward at the Bridge of Earn Hospital and also 10 beds at the Dundee Royal Infirmary. John worked single-handed for 10 years until 1970. In 1973 he was made a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He retired in 1983. John was a highly-respected, tireless and meticulous surgeon. He was an inspiring teacher for his trainees, but a strict disciplinarian. He was impeccably mannered and modest. He played cricket, rugby and squash, and, in later life, took up hill walking, fishing and golf (he was a member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews). He was also a bird watcher and watercolour artist, but above all he was a family man. He died on 5 May 2011, aged 88, and was survived by his wife Elaine and three children - Rose, Susan and John.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001832
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Beare, Robin Lyell Blin (1922 - 2007)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Brian Morgan
Publication Date 2012-02-06 2015-05-01
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001900-E001999
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/374152374152
Occupation Plastic surgeon Plastic and reconstructive surgeon
Details Robin Lyell Blin Beare was a consultant plastic surgeon at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, and St Mary's Hospital, London. He was born on 31 July 1922 in Weybridge, where his father was a surgeon/GP. Robin went to Radley School, where he was a junior scholar. In 1940 he joined the RAF, trained as a pilot, and was shot down on a bombing raid over Berlin. He parachuted to safety, but was captured and from 1941 was a prisoner of war. After the war he worked as a test pilot researching ejector seats designed by Martin Baker, which left him with lasting back problems. When he left the Royal Air Force he continued to fly, then in 1947 decided to train in medicine at the Middlesex Hospital Medical School. He qualified in 1952 with a distinction in surgery, the Charles Bell prize in anatomy and the Leopold Hudson prize in surgical pathology. He was an assistant lecturer in the Bland Sutton Institute of Pathology, and then trained in general surgery at the Middlesex Hospital and in plastic surgery at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, under the tutelage of Sir Archibald McIndoe. In 1956 he was appointed as a consultant at Queen Victoria Hospital and also at Mary's Hospital, Paddington, and had a regular clinic at Brighton. He continued working closely with McIndoe, and when McIndoe died in 1960 Robin succeeded him in his NHS work and also in his private practice at 149 Harley Street. His clinical interests were in facial reconstruction, cleft lip and palate, and burns. He was author of papers on surgical subjects including irradiation injuries of the perineum, skin grafts and flaps. He worked with his colleague John Watson on the design of the building of the new and quite revolutionary burns unit at Queen Victoria Hospital, which was opened in 1963. He was interested in fostering research in plastic surgery and was an original trustee of the Blond McIndoe Research Foundation. His private, mostly cosmetic, practice was considerable and one newspaper rated him as one of the top eight in the world. His colleagues remember him as a 'man of action' and very generous. He had a meticulous surgical technique and demanded a similar performance from others. He was a member of the Court of Examiners of the Royal College of Surgeons. He was honoured with the grand officer, first class, of the Order of Al-Istiqlal, Jordan. He was a passionate fisherman and enjoyed shooting and engineering projects. He also designed and made ornaments in silver and gold. Robin Lyell Blin Beare died on 1 December 2007, aged 85. He was survived by his wife Iris, sons Julian and John (an ophthalmic surgeon), and daughters Virginia and Karen.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001969
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching McNeill, Donald Cragg (1935 - 2005)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Brian Morgan
Publication Date 2011-11-03 2013-10-04
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001500-E001599
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373685373685
Occupation Plastic surgeon Plastic and reconstructive surgeon
Details Donald Cragg McNeill was a consultant plastic surgeon in Salisbury. He was born in 1935 and was educated at the Southern Grammar School, Portsmouth. He won a scholarship to study medicine and trained at St Mary's, qualifying in 1958. Most of his surgical training took place in the Wessex region, where he gained wide experience in all aspects of general surgery, orthopaedics, gynaecology and plastic surgery. In 1960 he extended his National Service with a five-year commission in the RAF. His initial posting was to Halton as a trainee in general surgery, orthopaedics and gynaecology. He was then posted to the island of Gan in the Indian Ocean, where he was the only surgeon for 2,000 miles. He returned to the RAF hospital at Ely, and then had a further posting abroad to the Christmas Islands. In 1965 he left the RAF holding the rank of squadron leader. He continued his general surgical training in Winchester, then began his plastic surgery training at Odstock 1967 with John Barron. He passed his Edinburgh fellowship in 1968. He rose from senior house officer to senior registrar, and then moved to the Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith, working with James Calnan in the department of experimental surgery. In 1973 he was appointed as a consultant in plastic surgery to Odstock Hospital in Salisbury and as a senior lecturer to Southampton Medical School. He enjoyed integrating with other services, and was one of the first oncoplastic breast surgeons. He also developed an interest in the use of lasers in surgery, on which he became an international authority. In addition to this commitments in Wessex, he built up a practice in Jersey over 25 years. He enjoyed and was passionate about teaching, in the UK and also in India, where he helped train young surgeons in plastic surgery. In the late seventies and eighties he led a group of consultants who wished to establish a private hospital in Salisbury. They formed the Salisbury Independent Hospital Trust, with Donald as the chairman. Fundraising and sponsorship enabled a property to be purchased and, after renovations, this became New Hall Hospital, which has continued to thrive. Problems with silicone breast implants in the early nineties led the Department of Health to set up the National Breast Implant Registry at Odstock, with Donald as director. After his death the registry was discontinued: had it continued the failure of PIP implants, which eventually came to light in 2012, may have been recognised earlier. In 1995 Donald was elected president of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons. His commitment to teaching and his leadership in plastic surgery was recognised by his election as a fellow *ad eundem* of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1998. He was married and had three children, Andrew, Jane and John (who predeceased him). Donald died on 16 October 2005 at the age of 70 after a long fight with head and neck cancer, a disease which, ironically, he had spent many years treating. The Donald McNeill oncoplastic travelling scholarship was set up by the Association of Breast Surgery in his memory.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001502
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Fickling, Benjamin William (1909 - 2007)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Brian Morgan
Publication Date 2009-02-10
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E000000-E000999/E000500-E000599
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/372770372770
Occupation Oral and maxillofacial surgeon
Details Benjamin William Fickling was a distinguished oral surgeon and a past president of the British Association of Oral Surgeons. The son of Robert Marshall Fickling, a dentist, he was born in London on 14 July 1909, in a house in Sloane Street where there had been a dental practice since 1840. His mother was Florence Isobel née Newson. By agreement with the deans of St George’s and the Royal Dental Hospital, he studied both medicine and dentistry at St George’s Hospital, having won the William Brown senior exhibition by examination at St George’s and a senior entrance scholarship to the clinical teaching hospital. These paid all his fees until he qualified. He also received the Johnson prize in anatomy, the Pollock prize in physiology and passed the primary FRCS after three months leave of absence from dentistry – all before his 21st Birthday and under three years after entering medical school. In March 1932 he qualified LDS RCS and subsequently became house surgeon in the prosthetics department whilst starting dental practice using the second surgery in the family home. He said that he spent most time providing cheap dentures at £2 each. In 1934 he qualified MRCS LRCP and was appointed senior house surgeon at the Royal Dental Hospital, which had beds in Charing Cross Hospital. At the age of 36 he was appointed assistant dental surgeon at the Royal Dental Hospital and a year later assistant dental surgeon to St George’s Hospital. It was at this time that on the advice of Wilfred Fish he visited the established figures of the day in Vienna. He studied in the private surgery of Gottleib Bohler and the highly acclaimed Hans Pichler, who had treated Sigmund Freud’s oral cancer with a wide local excision that included the floor of the mouth and a large portion of the right mandible, all under local anaesthetic. He subsequently made an obturator, which Freud called his ‘monster’. In November 1938, Fickling returned to London and passed his final FRCS. The road to promotion and a successful career lay through research and so in 1938 he attended the Hampton Hill research laboratories to study salivary secretion, where he was the first to show that bacteriostatic drugs could be excreted in saliva and was rewarded with a publication in *The Lancet*. At that time discharging sinuses on the face persisted for years and osteomyelitis was not uncommon. In 1933 Wilfred Fish established the first periodontal department at the Royal Dental Hospital, but later (1937) he resigned to concentrate on his research at St Mary’s Hospital. Fickling was placed in charge of the department and continued this until well after the war. At the outbreak of war, he was drafted into the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) at St George’s Hospital and served there throughout the Blitz. An Army Council report in 1934 had recommended that in the event of war maxillo-facial injuries should be concentrated in specialist hospitals, and Fickling joined the plastic surgeon Rainsford Mowlem at Hill End Hospital in St Albans 1941. In 1939 there was no up to date English language text on facial injuries and so, with his senior colleague Warwick James, he wrote *Injuries of the jaws and face* (J Bale & Staples, London, 1940). After the war, Fickling returned to dental practice in London and remained part-time at Hill End hospital, which later moved to Mount Vernon, where he was joined by Paul Toller. Fickling was present at the introduction of the NHS and continued in part-time general dental practice. In 1957 he joined the board of the Faculty of Dental Surgery (FDS) of our College and was elected dean in 1968. He was a founder member of both the British Association of Oral Surgeons (president in 1967) and the International Association of Oral Surgeons in 1962. He was an examiner for the FDS (from 1959 to 1972) and in 1978 was appointed chairman of examiners for the Membership in General Dental Surgery (MGDS) and continued until 1981. In 1980 he retired from general dental practice after 58 years, handing over to his son Clive. His contributions to surgery were recognised by the award of the Charles Tomes lecture in 1956; the first Everett Magnus lecture in Melbourne in 1971 and the Webb Johnson lecture in 1978. He was awarded the Colyer gold medal of the Faculty of Dental Surgery in 1979 and his services to dentistry were recognised by the award of the CBE in 1973. He was a meticulous surgeon, devoted to detail. His Fickling forceps are still in standard use in most oral surgery sets today. He described a procedure for closing oroantral fistula and was instrumental in the development of the box frame and maxillary and mandibular rods and pins. He enjoyed travelling and skied until he was 75. In the third year of the war he offered a nurse from Bartholomew’s Hospital a lift home from a bus stop. They married soon after and Shirley (née Walker) was his companion for nearly seven decades and bore him three children (Julia Margaret, Paul Marshall and Clive Anthony). Benjamin Fickling died on 27 January 2007.
Resource Identifier RCS: E000587
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Wakefield, Alan Ross (1917 - 1985)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Brian Morgan
Publication Date 2011-11-30 2013-04-24
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001600-E001699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373859373859
Occupation Hand surgeon Plastic surgeon Plastic and reconstructive surgeon
Details Alan Ross Wakefield, known as 'The Vicar', was an Australian plastic and hand surgeon of international renown. He will be particularly remembered for writing, with Sir Benjamin Keith Rank, the classic text *Surgery of repair as applied to hand injuries, etc* (Edinburgh/London, E & S Livingstone), first published in 1953 with three further editions. The importance and value of this book extends beyond 'the hand': the classification the authors introduced of wounds into 'tidy' and 'untidy' continues to be cited in most papers and books on trauma. The son of George Thomas and Florence Ann Wakefield, he was educated at Melbourne Grammar School and then at the medical school at Melbourne, qualifying in 1941. On completion of his basic training, he joined the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps and served in New Guinea, Brisbane and Heidelberg Military Hospital, where he joined the No 2 maxillofacial and plastic unit. It was here he learnt his plastic surgery from Rank. Wakefield ended his military service in 1946 as a captain and with the Pacific Star medal. Following his demobilisation, he became an honorary assistant plastic surgeon at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and passed his MS and FRACS in 1947. He then travelled to the United Kingdom and spent a year training in plastic surgery. He passed his FRCS in 1948. He returned to Melbourne, as a plastic surgeon at the Royal Children's Hospital and at the Repatriation Hospital, Heidelberg. As head of the plastic surgery department at the Royal Children's Hospital he successfully developed the hospital's reputation, especially for cleft lip repair. As well as his epic work on hand injuries, he published work on cleft lip and palate, and on intersex problems. On trips to the United States he developed many long-lasting contacts. In 1964 he was invited to give the founder's lecture at the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. In later years, he retired from private practice, but retained his Royal Children's Hospital appointment. When his role there ended, he became medical director of the Victorian Plastic Surgery Unit. He was also a farmer, and bred sheep and cattle. He was president of the Murray Grey Beef Cattle Society, and did much to develop this new breed of beef cattle. He also grew roses and was a keen exhibitor and show judge. He married twice. By his first wife, Mary, he had four children and six grandchildren. His second wife was Valerie. Alan Ross Wakefield died following a long illness on 22 July 1985 at his home in San Remo, Victoria, Australia.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001676
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Tessier, Paul Louis (1917 - 2008)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Brian Morgan
Publication Date 2011-12-01 2015-05-22
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001600-E001699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373860373860
Occupation Craniofacial surgeon
Details Paul Tessier was a giant of surgical innovation who gave hope to many with severe facial deformities by developing the specialty of craniofacial surgery. He was born in August 1917 in Heric, near Nantes, France, the son of a family of wine merchants. He began his medical training in Nantes in 1936, but his studies were interrupted by the Second World War and he was interred as a prisoner of war in 1940. A year later he developed typhoid myocarditis and was released from detention. He continued his studies, but in 1943 Nantes was heavily bombed by the Allies and the hospital was destroyed. Tessier moved to Paris, where he found work in an administrative post and then as a steelworks medical officer. In 1946 he was appointed to the paediatric department at Hôpital Foch, in Paris, where he carried out his ground-breaking work. By the mid-1950s he had become head of his department. From the late 1940s he made regular trips to the UK to learn from the plastic surgeons Sir Harold Gillies and Sir Archibald McIndoe, who were developing ways of responding to severe military injuries. Decades later he established a connection with Great Ormond Street Hospital, carrying out the first craniofacial procedures in the UK in 1971. He was a visiting professor there into the 1990s. He became interested in the treatment of cleft lip and palate, and developed the classification of facial clefts which bears his name. In 1957 he was introduced to a patient with a severe facial deformity, a condition now known as Crouzon syndrome, characterised by poor development of the upper jaw and eye sockets. Tessier had the idea that it should be possible to free the facial skeleton from the cranium and reposition it. Anatomical research confirmed this and in the first case he was able to advance the facial skeleton 25mm and secure with bone grafts. Tessier also worked with the neurosurgeon Gérard Guiot to devise a technique for separating the eye sockets from the skull, to relocate the eyeball and protect vision. In 1967 Tessier presented a series of cases at the International Congress of Plastic Surgery in Rome, to an audience of distinguished surgeons. Paris went on to become recognised as the birthplace of craniofacial surgery and attracted surgeons and trainees wishing to learn the techniques Tessier had pioneered. The International Society of Craniofacial Surgery was founded in 1983 and Tessier was made honorary president. He received many other awards and accolades, including the Jacobsen innovation prize of the American College of Surgeons, the gold medal and Gillies lectureship of the British Association of Plastic Surgeons and, in 1984, an honorary fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons. In 2005 he was awarded the Chevalier de legion d'honneur. In his surgery nothing was left to chance. He is remembered for his tenderness and concern for his patients and his phenomenal capacity for work with long hours of operating. His interests away from surgery were big game hunting, sculpture, fine wines, food and cigars! Paul Tessier died on the 6 June 2008. He was 90. He was survived by his wife Mireille and their two children.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001677
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching North, John Frederick (1917 - 2008)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Brian Morgan
Publication Date 2011-11-14 2015-05-01
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001500-E001599
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373771373771
Occupation Plastic surgeon Plastic and reconstructive surgeon
Details John Frederick North (known as 'JFN') was a consultant plastic surgeon in the west Midlands. He was born in Southport, Lancashire, on 12 May 1917, the only child of John William Allen North, a solicitor, and Frances Jane North née Allen. He went to school at Cheltenham College, and studied medicine at Sidney College, Cambridge, then St Thomas's Hospital Medical School. He qualified in 1941 and spent the rest of the Second World War in the Royal Navy. After the war he studied and passed his FRCS (in 1947), then trained in plastic surgery at Stoke Mandeville Hospital under the tutelage of Thomas Pomfret Kilner. He was appointed consultant plastic surgeon to the West Midlands Regional Plastic Surgery Unit, Wordsley Hospital with Oliver Mansfield. His workload was very heavy, servicing a population of nearly five million. There were with clinics in Burton-upon-Trent, West Bromwich, Walsall, Solihull and Hereford. He was an accomplished surgeon and an astute clinician with perfect manners. He was a good teacher because of his encouragement and enthusiasm, and was always accessible. He oversaw the expansion of plastic surgery in the region with the introduction of specialists in major head and neck surgery, hand surgery and craniofacial surgery. He was a member of the council of the British Association of Plastic Surgeons for two three-year periods. He wrote papers on congenital deformities, and plastic surgery reconstructions, as well as a history of the west Midlands plastic surgery service. JFN was a recognised authority on the treatment of cleft lip and palate. In 1941 he married Audrey Fisher. They had two daughters and a son. John retired in the mid-1980s and continued a very active life, alongside his wife. He kept fit and well by hill walking, playing golf, piano, singing and photography. John died on 22 June 2008 at the age of 91.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001588
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Kinmonth, Maurice Henry (1917 - 2009)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Brian Morgan
Publication Date 2012-01-06 2015-05-29
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001800-E001899
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/374010374010
Occupation Plastic surgeon Plastic and reconstructive surgeon
Details Maurice Kinmonth was a plastic surgeon in Leicester, Nottingham and Lincoln. He was born in Lisdoonvarna, County Clare, Ireland. His father, George Henry Kinmonth, was a general practitioner and on account of the deteriorating political situation in Ireland the family moved to London, where he was in practice in Dulwich. His mother was Delia Agnes Kinmonth née Daly. Maurice went to school at Dulwich College and then studied medicine at St Thomas' Hospital Medical School, qualifying in 1939. His brother, John, also studied medicine at St Thomas', eventually becoming professor of surgery there. After qualifying, Maurice undertook house jobs at St Thomas's and Kingston hospitals. He joined the RAF in 1942 and was posted with 242 Squadron to the Far East. There he was captured by the Japanese and interned. He remained a prisoner of war (POW) in Java until 1945. He was mentioned in despatches in 1946. After the war he trained in surgery at Kingston Hospital with Dick Franklin. He passed his FRCS in 1947 and then trained in plastic and reconstructive surgery with Richard Battle at St Thomas' and with David Matthews at Great Ormond Street Hospital. In 1952 he was appointed as a consultant plastic surgeon to Leicester Royal Infirmary, covering Nottingham and Lincoln as well as Leicester. He worked single-handed until 1976. He undertook the full range of plastic surgery procedures treating burns, head and neck cancer, cleft lip and palate and hand surgery. His expertise in hand surgery brought him the presidency of the British Society for Surgery of the Hand and in 1981 he was president of the British Association of Plastic Surgeons. He is described by one of his trainees as a 'knife man', as opposed to a 'scissor snipper'. His surgery was efficient, but always accompanied by non-stop conversation. His teaching was his strength, alongside kindness and compassion for his patients. His notes were illustrated with his own diagrams. Retirement came in 1983 and he remained busy with many interests, including golf, shooting and fishing. He learnt wood engraving and made the comment 'wood doesn't bleed!' In 1947 Maurice married Stella Phillips and they had two sons (Fred and Patrick) and two daughters (Ann Louise and Katherine). Maurice Kinmonth died on 30 January 2009, aged 91. He said he would like to be remembered for developing plastic surgery in Leicester.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001827
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Burke, John Francis (1922 - 2011)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Brian Morgan
Publication Date 2011-12-08 2013-11-15
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001600-E001699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373877373877
Occupation Plastic surgeon Plastic and reconstructive surgeon
Details Jack Burke will be remembered for successfully developing the first commercially reproducible, synthetic human skin. He was born on 22 July 1922 in Chicago, where he grew up. He started studying engineering at the University of Illinois, but left after Pearl Harbor and joined the Army. At the end of the Second World War he initially decided to become a psychiatrist, but, having graduated from Harvard in 1951, he trained to become a surgeon. He eventually became professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and surgeon to Massachusetts General Hospital. He was elected an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1999. His election was in recognition of his contributions to surgery and his close connections with the UK. When he had completed his training in the USA (1960), he was awarded a fellowship to work with Sir Ashley Miles, director of the Lister Institute in London. He was already interested in surgical infection and during this year at the Lister Institute he performed a number of seminal experiments which demonstrated for the first time that if antibiotics were to be used to prevent infection after surgery then they needed to be given approximately one hour before surgery ('The effective period of preventive antibiotic action in experimental incisions and dermal lesion' *Surgery*. 1961 Jul;50:161-8). This paper took a little while to be recognised, but it completely altered the way in which prophylactic antibiotics were administered in surgery. Now throughout the world prophylactic antibiotics (or as Burke preferred to call them 'preventive antibiotics') are given before surgery or during the induction of the anaesthesia in all patients at risk of infectious contamination during surgery or those undergoing high risk surgeries. For example, in patients undergoing colectomy the incidence of wound infections was reduced by well over 50%. He was also interested in the study of metabolic changes after trauma and in particular after severe burn injuries. In 1965 the Shriners built a children's hospital for burn injuries at the Massachusetts General and Jack Burke was appointed as its first director and chief of surgery. He pioneered the introduction of silver nitrate dressing in the treatment of burns in children and studied the metabolic changes in burns. He pioneered the adoption of early excision of the deeper burn wounds and their coverage with skin grafts. However, in major burn injury there was insufficient skin that could be harvested from the burnt child to cover the excised areas and this led him to look for an artificial substitute. He worked with Ionnis V Yannas from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who was professor of fibers and polymers, and together they developed an artificial skin consisting of a silicone sheet, below which is a layer of collagen, used as a scaffold for the patient's own cells. It took some nine years to develop 'Integra', which is now used routinely throughout the world in the management of severe burn wound, and is one of the first examples of tissue engineering. Jack was a visiting fellow at Balliol College for a year in 1990 to 1991. He contributed significantly to the activities of the Nuffield department of surgery and led memorable grand rounds on the topic of burn management and treatment of mass casualties. He devoted his year primarily to writing and thinking; he was indeed a lateral thinker, an unusual trait for a surgeon. He died of pancreatic cancer on 3 November 2011 at the age of 89. He was survived by his wife Aggie, two sons, John and Peter, and a daughter Annie, all of whom are successful academics. Another son, Andrew, died of lymphoma at the age of 13.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001694
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Owen-Smith, Bertram (1922 - 2008)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Brian Morgan
Publication Date 2011-11-18 2016-02-12
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001600-E001699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373808373808
Occupation Plastic surgeon Plastic and reconstructive surgeon Politician
Details Bertram Owen-Smith, or 'Owen' as he was known, was a plastic surgeon in the UK and later in Salisbury, Rhodesia. A member of the 'Guinea Pig Club', the group of injured Second World War airmen treated by the pioneering plastic surgeon Sir Archibald McIndoe, he made the unusual transition from patient to doctor; he studied medicine at King's College and then Westminster Hospital and later trained with McIndoe. He was born Bertram Owen Smith in Liverpool on 12 April 1922, one of the four children of an officer in Customs and Excise. When he was still a child the family returned to their home city, Swansea, and he attended Swansea Grammar School. He was primarily interested in sports, particularly rugby, left school at 17 and found a job in an insurance company. The Second World War broke out soon afterwards, the centre of Swansea was heavily bombed and so Owen moved to the short-staffed ambulance service. At the age of 18, he joined the RAF. He was sent to Canada for pilot training and was commissioned in April 1941. On 16 October 1941 he was piloting a Whitley V plane on a training sortie when one of the two engines failed just after take-off. He managed to land in a field, but the aircraft burst into flames. Owen, his co-pilot and the navigator were badly burned. He spent nearly two years as a patient at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, Sussex, where he was operated on by McIndoe, who was developing new techniques in facial reconstruction and plastic surgery. Smith became fascinated by McIndoe's work, decided to become a doctor and studied from his hospital bed. Meanwhile, in March 1943, he returned to duty. He completed a refresher course, but due to his injuries he was unable to resume operational flying. In November 1944 he resigned from the RAF with the rank of flight lieutenant. He went on to study medicine at King's College, London, and Westminster Hospital Medical School. He subsequently worked in hospitals in Bristol and Newcastle, and at the Royal Marsden Hospital. While at the Royal Marsden he asked to return to East Grinstead to learn the basics of plastic surgery, with the aim of helping his patients who needed radical surgery for cancer. In the event he stayed for three years and trained under McIndoe. In 1957 he emigrated to Salisbury, Rhodesia. Here he changed his name by deed poll and officially became 'Owen-Smith'. He treated burns victims, patients with skin cancer, children with cleft palates and victims of the guerilla war. In 1964, unhappy with a project to develop a new teaching hospital in Salisbury, he stood for election to the Rhodesian Parliament and was elected as an MP. He was one of Prime Minister Ian Smith's backbenchers when UDI (the unilateral declaration of independence) was announced in November 1965. In 1982 he returned to Britain and settled in Pentregat, Dyfed. In 1943 he married Rickie Pritchard. They divorced in 1967 and later that year he married Bobbie Mitchell, the chief nurse in his practice. Bobbie died in 2005. Bertram Owen-Smith died on 6 June 2008, aged 86. He was survived by his four sons and daughter by his first marriage.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001625
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Heanley, Charles Laurence (1907 - 2008)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Brian Morgan
Publication Date 2012-02-01
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001900-E001999
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/374115374115
Occupation Plastic surgeon Plastic and reconstructive surgeon
Details Charles Heanley was head of the department of plastic surgery at the London Hospital. He was born in Hong Kong on 28 February 1907, the son of Charles Montgomery Heanley, a doctor, and Mary Morella Heanley née Tassell. He was educated at Epsom College and then at Downing College, Cambridge, where he was an exhibition scholar. He trained at the London Hospital Medical School. He spent a year as a reader in anatomy at William Wright's request and then worked as an assistant to the plastic surgeon Tommy Kilner at Shadwell Children's Hospital and at the Ministry of Pensions Hospital in Roehampton. He also visited Dollis Hill Hospital and Lord Mayor Treloar's Hospital, Alton. He remembered Kilner doing bone grafts to the jaw when he had formed a new buccal sulcus with skin graft inserted over a mould and also a similar technique for reconstructing eye sockets. Ivan Magill was the anaesthetist; he had made the first endotracheal tubes from soft rubber tubing which was wrapped around a cake tin and left on the balcony of his London flat. After a month of exposure to the sulphurous London atmosphere the rubber was vulcanised and gave it just the right consistency. It was cut in lengths one end oblique and the other transverse. The ends were then burnt and rubbed smooth. He was then appointed as a surgical chief assistant and a registrar at the London. Charles was in the Territorial Army, so at the outbreak of the Second World War he was posted to the 17th London General Hospital and sent to France, to a 1,200 bedded hospital at Dan Camiers. After three weeks the hospital moved to Hatfield House, but before long he was transferred to Sir Harold Gillies Hospital, Rooksdown House, Park Prewitt, to learn plastic surgery. He spent from 1941 to 1942 there. He was then posted to Raniket, 6,000 feet up in the Himalayas, as commanding officer of number three British Maxillofacial Surgery Unit with the rank of lieutenant colonel. 'We worked in the theatre from 9 until 6pm, three days a week, recovering on alternate days and hoping our patients would do the same.' He was then posted with his team to Ranchi and then to Camilla. He remembered his first use of penicillin in the case of facial injury and meningitis, and the benefit of hypochlorite solution in burns sepsis. He was at Chittagong when the Japanese capitulated and he was able to return to the UK in December 1945. After the war he returned to the London Hospital, where he was surgeon in charge of the department of plastic surgery. He also had appointments as a consultant surgeon at Worthing Hospital, Bethnal Green Hospital, and the plastic surgery unit at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead. He had an honorary consultant plastic surgeon appointment at the Royal National and Golden Square hospitals. In 1946 when the British Association of Plastic Surgeons was formed he was a founder member. In a letter to John Blandy he recounted how he was operating on a case for Victor Dix, reconstructing the perineum after the removal of a malignant ulcer and the symphysis pubis had gone. He was able to cover the defect and obtained healing with a local flap. Gerald Tressider, who he had met in India, was observing and commented 'what a magnificent approach for the prostate gland'. Charles noted that he had expected collapse of pelvis following the removal of the symphysis pubis and he had prepared for a bone graft later, but that this was not necessary. In correspondence to the *British Medical Journal* in 1970, he made the interesting observation that injection of vital blue dye into any part of the breast showed lymphatic drainage to both retro sternal glands and axilla. Also, that vital dye injected into the hand tracked randomly through the axilla and it was not possible to avoid lymphoedema of the arm by conserving particular lymphatics. He had an interest in lymphoedema and commented that in India one in five of the general population appeared to have gross swelling of one or both legs. He published articles in medical journals on a variety of topics, but a particular contribution was the use of the subcutaneous pedicle in flap reconstructions. He retired aged 58 to enjoy his recreations of swimming and archaeology. He married Mary Emily née Shellum in 1935. They had three sons, two of whom became doctors. He died on 9 February 2008.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001932
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Watson, John (1914 - 2009)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Brian Morgan
Publication Date 2012-01-18 2015-05-22
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001800-E001899
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/374050374050
Occupation Plastic surgeon Plastic and reconstructive surgeon
Details John Watson was a consultant plastic surgeon at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead. He was born in Blundellsands, Merseyside, on 10 September 1914. His father, John Watson, a lawyer, died when he was 18 months old. His mother, Annabel Windsor Watson née Thorp, the daughter of a Quaker physician in Liverpool, remarried and moved to Sussex, where she became the first woman mayor of Hastings. John was educated at Leighton Park School, Reading. He decided on medicine as a career and entered Jesus College, Cambridge, and then Guy's Hospital. He qualified with the conjoint diploma in 1938, and gained his MB BChir in 1939. After a resident post at Hospital of St Cross, Rugby, he joined the RAF in 1940 as a flight lieutenant and was promoted to squadron leader in 1942. He saw service in the United Kingdom, India, Burma and Malaysia, and was mentioned in despatches on two occasions for his work in tracing and rescuing crashed aircraft in the jungle. After the war, John wanted to train in surgery, but there were many other doctors returning from service in a similar situation. He took and passed his fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1947. Later, he was awarded fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons of England *ad eundum* for his work organising the East Grinstead Medical Research Trust. After gaining his FRCS, he started to work for Arthur Dickson Wright at the Prince of Wales Hospital, Tottenham, London. It so happened that the anaesthetist, John Hunter, also worked with the plastic surgeon Sir Archibald McIndoe. The connection enabled John to obtain a training post at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, and he was eventually appointed as a consultant plastic surgeon there. To this was added consultant posts at the Florence Nightingale Hospital, the London Hospital and King Edward VII's Hospital for Officers. John was secretary of the British Association of Plastic Surgeons and then president in 1969. He was also general secretary of the International Confederation of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. This was a heavy responsibility and involved much travelling to meetings abroad. At East Grinstead he oversaw and managed the East Grinstead Medical Research Trust. This metamorphosed into the Blond McIndoe Research Foundation, which continues to this day. He was also intimately involved in the planning, construction and commissioning of the revolutionary new burns unit. He encouraged research on transplantation and the development of micro surgery. The Watson skin graft knife was designed by him as a user friendly and reliable instrument for taking large areas of skin. He said he was inspired by peeling potatoes at the kitchen sink! In summary, he was a skilled surgeon, a gifted negotiator and subtle diplomat, and a polymath. John had built his own telescope, even grinding the lens. He then built an observatory to house the telescope and researched photoelectric photometry. In 1932, aged 18, in the very early days of television, he had built a receiver, which was reported in *The Times*. After he retired from the NHS and his private practice, he kept busy tending his bees, raising orchids and astronomy. In 1941 he married June Stiles and they had three daughters, Pauline, Carolyn and Charlotte, and a son, John, who predeceased him. John Watson died on 15 January 2009. He was 94.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001867
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Lendrum, John (1936 - 2015)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Brian Morgan
Publication Date 2015-02-16 2016-04-15
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E006000-E006999/E006700-E006799
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/378974378974
Occupation Plastic surgeon Plastic and reconstructive surgeon
Details John Lendrum was a consultant plastic surgeon in Manchester and Rochdale. He was born in Burton Joyce, Nottinghamshire, on 24 October 1936 into a long-established medical family. His father, George McCormack Lendrum, was a general practitioner; his mother, Enid Lendrum née Fletcher, was a housewife. He was educated at Epsom School then Clare College, Cambridge, on a scholarship to read medicine. His clinical training was at the Middlesex Hospital. He qualified in 1962. House jobs were at Salisbury and then he elected to train in plastic surgery. He spent time in Copenhagen with Siems Siemsen, studying head and neck surgery, then in Bogota with Miguel Orticochea, funded partly by scholarships from the British Association of Plastic Surgeons (BAPS). He was a senior registrar at Frenchay Hosptal, Bristol, where Ron Pigott's enthusiasm for the management of cleft lip and palate fired John's interest in treating and studying this condition. He was appointed as a consultant plastic surgeon to the North West Region, at three widely separated hospitals - Booth Hall Children's Hospital, Withington Hospital and Rochdale. It was a good thing that he enjoyed driving, usually fast, in coloured sports cars, with the top down. The stories of his car parking activities in the various hospitals were legendary. J L was a skilled surgeon. He taught all the time and enjoyed watching young surgeons develop under his guidance and inspiration. He hated management interference with his ability to provide the best possible service for his patients. He was not a committee man and never sought high office in any association, but was elected to the council of BAPS in 1984 and did much useful work chairing the manpower planning and development committee, shaping the future of plastic surgery. John was elected an honorary member of BAPS in 1995. He was an honorary associate of the University of Manchester. John enjoyed painting and retirement enabled him to paint more. He described himself as an artist with a 35-year interruption for a surgical career! He was a member of the Medical Artists' Association. Alison (née Dalgleish), his wife, died in 2002. He moved to Tenbury Wells in 2007 to be near his friend Carola. John was a colourful individual; he was loyal and generous, took great care of his patients and staff, but could be rebellious and outrageously incorrect! He died on 17 January 2015, at the age of 78, and was survived by his two children, Katherine and David.
Resource Identifier RCS: E006791
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Herbert, David Charles (1938 - 2014)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Brian Morgan
Publication Date 2014-03-21 2014-06-06
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E005000-E005999/E005100-E005199
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/377347377347
Occupation Plastic surgeon Plastic and reconstructive surgeon
Details David Herbert was a plastic surgeon in Preston, Nottingham and Huntingdon. He studied medicine at St Bartholomew's Hospital and qualified MB BS in 1961. He gained his FRCS in 1966. He was awarded the Arris and Gale lecture in 1978; his topic was 'The anatomical basis of facial reconstruction'. He trained in plastic surgery in the Wordsley Hospital, Birmingham, as a registrar, and was then a senior registrar in Whiston Hospital and Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool. He then went into private cosmetic surgery. In 1980 he was a founder member of the British Association of Cosmetic Surgeons. He requested the removal of his name from the medical register a few days before he was due to appear before the General Medical Council. David Charles Herbert died on 24 January 2014, aged 75.
Resource Identifier RCS: E005164
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Goldie, John Ernest Dunlop (1922 - 2012)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Brian Morgan
Publication Date 2015-09-14 2015-09-16
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E008000-E008999/E008000-E008099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/380242380242
Occupation General surgeon
Details John was the son of Dr Robert Goldie, a Scottish migrant who settled in Corrimal near Wollongong, in NSW. By 1919, Robert had served four years in the British army in France. In 1920 he married Margaret Sellers, daughter of a mine manager. John was born in 1922 and grew up in Wollongong. He attended the local public school which he loved and spent his spare time swimming in the local baths and beaches. He was a strong student at high school, but became bored. In 41 year of high school, John was sent to The Scots College in Bellevue Hill, Sydney. As was the custom at the time, the showers were cold and food was poor. He qualified for Medicine at the University of Sydney and enjoyed life at St Andrews College. He performed well in the course and graduated sixth in final year. In 1940, John joined the Sydney University Regiment. After the bombing of Darwin, all medical students were discharged to complete an accelerated medical course. In June 1945, he was appointed resident at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. He soon decided on surgery as his future career. The next five years were extremely busy but rewarding. He met and wooed Freda Pain, nursing sister in charge of operating theatres. She was attractive, efficient and well liked by medical and nursing staff. My wife and others remember John's regular presence in the tearoom at the time. 1n 1949, John was appointed Clinical Superintendent. In 1950, he went to England to study and to obtain the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. On arrival in London in 1950, John and Freda were married. Neville Davis FRACS of Brisbane was his best man. They returned to Sydney at the end of 1951. Initially, John took up the position of Clinical Superintendent at RPAH. He was appointed to the honorary surgical staff in 1953 and was assistant to Professor Sir Harold Dew In 1954, he sat and passed the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons examination. John's association with the College lasted from that time until his death. He was elected to the Council in 1970 and became a member of the Executive, Censor -in-Chief and was senior Vice-President for two years. On retiring from the Council, John was appointed to the Court of Honour and attended many meetings of the Court until close to his death. John was a loyal servant of Royal Prince Alfred Hospital as an Honorary (unpaid) surgeon for thirty five years. He was appointed a member of the Board of Directors and served reliably and steadfastly for seven years. John was an enthusiastic traveller. He visited the United Kingdom, North America, Europe and Asia regularly. He attended a surgical meeting and an overseas clinic almost every year. He was a member of the International Society of Surgery and a Fellow of the American and Edinburgh Colleges. He was Consultant Surgeon to the Australian army and to the Liverpool and Bankstown hospitals. John was an avid yachtsman and a member of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron for nearly sixty years. He originally raced a Bluebird and afterwards a Warwick Hood-designed twenty five footer. He sailed regularly until recently and loved being on Sydney Harbour and the thrill of a race. John was a devoted family man. He and Freda had five children. I remember their house at Castlecrag, with its glorious gardens and swimming pool. They were always gracious hosts to a huge variety of friends. The family holidays to the snow were legendary, though John preferred not to ski. Freda died in 2004 and John's family rallied around him. After her death, he continued to enjoy travelling and was often accompanied by his friend Bi Valys. He was addicted to Bridge and played until the day before he died. John spent many happy hours at the Australian Club, where he seemed to know everyone and everyone certainly knew him. John Goldie was an excellent surgeon who helped an army of students and surgical trainees. He will be missed by his family and many friends.
Resource Identifier RCS: E008059
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Griffith, Gwilym Huw (1933 - 2004)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Brian Rees
Publication Date 2011-12-09 2013-02-14
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001700-E001799
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373890373890
Occupation General surgeon
Details Gwilym Huw Griffith was a consultant general surgeon at the Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport. He was born on 2 May 1933 in Denbigh, Wales, the younger of two children. His father was a Welsh Presbyterian minister and his mother was a teacher at Howell's, an independent girls' school. Gwilym was educated at Denbigh Grammar School and, in October 1950, at the age of 17, went on to St Mary's Hospital in London to study medicine, qualifying in 1956. Between 1956 and 1958 Gwilym completed various house jobs in and around London. From September 1958 to October 1960, he served as a captain in the RAMC for his National Service, acting as a junior specialist in surgery at the Military Hospital in Dhekelia, Cyprus, and at Benghazi, North Africa. Having gained his FRCS in 1962, he worked as a surgical registrar and was latterly appointed as a surgical registrar at St George's Hospital, Hyde Park Corner, London, where he worked under the watchful eyes of Charles Drew and Harold Siddons. In 1963 he was appointed as a registrar at Llandough Hospital and the Cardiff Royal Infirmary. He worked closely with David Crosby, and assisted him with the first renal transplant to be performed in Wales. He became a senior registrar at the surgical unit of the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, under Patrick Forrest. In August 1967 he became a senior registrar in surgery at Singleton Hospital, Swansea. Gwilym had a very thorough and comprehensive training in general surgery, with a specialist interest in endocrine surgery, an interest he developed under the influence of Hilary Wade in Cardiff. In May 1972 he was appointed as a consultant in general surgery at the then Newport and East Monmouthshire hospitals. He started his career as a consultant on 1 September at St Woolos Hospital, later transferring to the Royal Gwent Hospital. Gwilym quickly developed a very large practice in general and endocrine surgery. His commitment and care of his patients were exemplary. The training of junior surgeons was also important to him. He helped establish the Welsh Surgical Travellers Club and became president of the Welsh Surgical Society. In August 1987 he was elected chairman of the medical executive committee, and in 1993 was appointed medical director of the then Glan Hafren NHS Trust. In 1995 Gwilym was diagnosed with malignant myeloma. He responded well to treatment and was able to return to work a year later. In 1998 he was awarded an OBE for services to medicine. Gwilym was proud of his Welsh roots. He had a fine singing voice and enjoyed listening to music. He was a member of the executive committee of the National Eisteddfod in Newport in 1988 and was also chairman of the literature committee. A keen mountaineer from the 1950s, he helped St Mary's Climbing Club buy a hut in North Wales, which is still in use. He delighted in spending time in the French Alps near Chamonix, where he had an apartment. He was an enthusiastic skier and when snow shut the roads in Newport in 1982 he skied to the hospital to see his patients. He married Elan in 1964 and they had three daughters. Gwilym Huw Griffith died on 12 January 2004 in Newport, Wales, aged 70.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001707
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Ware, Colin Clement (1932 - 2017)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Brian Sterry Ashby
Publication Date 2018-02-26 2018-05-24
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009400-E009499
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381832381832
Occupation General surgeon Urological surgeon Urologist Vascular surgeon
Details Colin Clement Ware was a consultant general and vascular surgeon to the Southend-on-Sea Hospital Group, Essex, from 1971 to 1992. He was born in Barking, East London, on 16 July 1932. His father, Albert Ware, was an electrical engineer, and his mother, Annie Jelley, had been employed in the Post Office. He was educated initially at South East Essex Technical College, and went on to King's College, London. He took a BSc in chemistry in 1954. He then did his medical training at the Westminster Hospital Medical School and qualified with his MB BS in 1962, when he was awarded the University of London gold medal in obstetrics. Colin Ware particularly enjoyed the surgical aspects of his studies and early training. After qualifying, his junior hospital posts included a period at St James' Hospital, Balham, which was at that time a widely acknowledged surgical training unit. He completed his FRCS in 1965. He subsequently became a lecturer in surgery at St Thomas' Hospital, and was then appointed as a senior registrar in surgery back at Westminster Hospital. In 1971, he was appointed as a consultant general surgeon to the Southend-on-Sea Hospital Group, where he had also previously served in a junior surgical post. Though appointed to Southend as a general surgeon, he soon developed a major special interest in vascular surgery, and became an acknowledged expert in the field, especially in the surgical management of aortic aneurysms. His other special interest was urological surgery, with which he was still able to continue after the appointment of a specialist urological surgeon to Southend. He was a very intelligent man, but also kind and gentle, and popular in his contacts with patients, colleagues and staff. Colin married Jean Marian Martin, who was also a medical practitioner, qualifying MB BS in 1957, one of the earliest female medical graduates from St Bartholomew's Hospital. She entered community medicine was a particular interest in family planning. Colin and Jean had four daughters, all of whom survived their parents: Helen and Elizabeth are both teachers, Marian trained in investment banking, and Judith trained as a physiotherapist. There are 14 grandchildren. Despite his busy life as a surgeon, Colin Ware was clearly a family man. He was a devoted father and grandfather. He was also a keen sailor, an interest he maintained since university days. He kept a yacht when he was at Southend, and taught his children to sail. As a member of the Thorpe Bay Yacht Club for many years, he was a regular race winner on the Thames Estuary. He eventually graduated to a 30ft sail cruiser, on which he took the family on trips across the Channel to France and the Low Countries, and one year competed in the Round the Island Race. He was also an enthusiastic hockey player at club level and for many years played for Southend and Benfleet Hockey Club. Colin was a committed Christian and drew great strength and inspiration from the local church community at Shoeburyness and Thorpe Bay Baptist Church near his home in Southend, serving as a deacon there for many years. Even with his heavy work schedule, he always made himself available for help and advice when needed. Jean and Colin were bound by a profound love and commitment to each other and she strongly supported him during the years of study and long working hours as a surgeon. In 1992, he took early retirement, and they moved from Southend to the village of Mickleton, near Chipping Camden in the Cotswolds. Being able to make friends easily and always alert to the needs of others, he soon established himself, serving various functions with the local Methodist Church. He became a volunteer community bus driver, and a volunteer with the National Trust at nearby Hidcote Gardens. Sadly, Jean's health began to decline and their roles reversed, and he cared for her for a number of years. In early 2016, Colin has a severe stroke. He recovered partially after a period of several weeks in rehabilitation but not sufficiently to return home alone, and he made his own decision to leave Mickleton and enter a care home in Oxford, near the home of one of his daughters. Jean had developed advanced Alzheimer's disease and had already been in a nursing home for over 10 years. With the assistance of friends and family, Colin made regular visits to Jean during the last six months of her life. Though she was virtually unresponsive, these visits seemed to benefit them both. Jean predeceased Colin by seven months in the spring of 2017. Colin died on 1 November 2017, aged 85.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009428
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Davies, Raymond Arthur Charles (1933 - 2018)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Bruce Morris
Publication Date 2018-11-20 2019-03-06
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009500-E009599
Occupation Trauma surgeon Orthopaedic surgeon
Details Ray Davies was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon in Gloucester. He was born in Romford, Essex on 9 September 1933 to Arthur Davies, a London dock official, and his wife, Elsie, a chiropodist. An only child, he grew up in Hornchurch. His secondary education was at Brentwood School, where he was an academic high achiever, receiving many school prizes, and leaving with six A levels. He was also an outstanding sportsman and a fine footballer, particularly excelling at athletics, where his principal event was throwing the javelin. In 1953, he commenced his medical studies at the London Hospital Medical School. After the second MB, he completed a BSc in anatomy in 1956 and qualified MB BS with a distinction in surgery in 1959. Throughout his student years he had continued to play football and competed for the university athletics club in the javelin event. His prowess at Amateur Athletic Association meets led to his selection for England and participation in the British Empire and Commonwealth Games at Cardiff in 1958. His early junior hospital doctor posts were at the London and other associated hospitals. In 1963 he moved to Sheffield, where he was first a registrar in general surgery and then held a post in plastic and hand surgery. He gained his FRCS in 1965 and in the same year started his registrar orthopaedic training at Exeter and Torquay hospitals, where he came under the influence of Robin Ling among others. He moved on to a senior registrar post on the Bristol circuit at Bristol Royal Infirmary in 1967. In 1970, he was appointed as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. Ray Davies was an orthopaedic surgeon before the advent of significant subspecialisation, a gifted surgeon who could perform expertly most procedures in both the trauma and elective fields. A modest, quiet, kind and knowledgeable man, his was a sound opinion and his good sense was invaluable to the department. His calm, reassuring demeanour was appreciated by both patients and staff. His wry sense of humour also had its place, especially in departmental meetings. He was not one however to push himself forward, but preferred to just get on with the job without complaint. He was a dedicated family man. In 1960, he married Wendy née Hadwen, a physiotherapist. He delighted in his home life with Wendy and their three children and it was there where he was happiest. He imbued his children with his values of selflessness, integrity, fair play, kindness and hard work. Ray had many interests. He was well read with a formidable general knowledge and he was a fine photographer. His principal hobby was gardening and he spent many hours in his greenhouse and tending his roses, especially after retirement. All his life he had a keen interest in sport. He was a supporter of West Ham United since his Essex boyhood and he attended live events such as cricket test matches at Lord’s and later Edgbaston, as well as tennis at Wimbledon whenever he could. He retired in 1998. He remained in Gloucester until his unexpected death from an unanticipated abdominal condition following a total knee replacement on 12 July 2018. He was 84. He was survived by Wendy and their three children – Stephen, Graham and Carol.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009533
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Shaw, Donald Grant (1953 - 2015)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Bruce Tulloh
Publication Date 2016-01-21 2016-09-08
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009000-E009099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381219381219
Occupation General practitioner
Details Donald Shaw was a GP surgeon in Cinderford, Gloucestershire, and the Dilke Hospital in the Forest of Dean. He was born on 3 October 1953 in Liverpool as the first child of John and Dorothy Mary Shaw (née Mudie). His two younger siblings, Charlie and Fiona, were born in 1955 and 1957 respectively. Donald completed his secondary education at King's School, Macclesfield, in 1972 and progressed to Bristol University to study chemistry. During those years he also worked as a lab assistant studying, amongst other things, various aspects of Hodgkin's disease. He transferred to medicine at Southampton in 1975, at least in part because he had become attracted to the clinical side of a career in science. It was during his first year at Southampton that he suffered the first of several medical setbacks that were ultimately to claim his life. With fateful irony, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1976 and endured 12 months of extensive chemo-radiotherapy. Just as he emerged from the gruelling treatment, his brother Charlie was killed in a road accident, but despite these two tragic events, Donald managed to continue with his medical degree and graduated in 1981. After house jobs in Poole, Southampton and Croydon, he was attracted to surgery and obtained the FRCS in 1985. A stint in obstetrics and gynaecology in Bedford followed from 1985 to 1986 and led him to successfully obtaining the DRCOG in 1987. He worked as a general surgical registrar in Northampton from 1986 to 1989. There he met his future wife Elaine, a nurse on the surgical ward, and around the same time developed the long-term view of working in the community as a GP surgeon. Thus was set in train a series of major changes in the direction of both of their lives and careers. By the end of 1989, he and Elaine were married and living in Cinderford, Gloucestershire, where Donald had joined the Forest Health Care practice as a GP trainee. A year later, he was a partner in the practice. He revelled in the breadth of skill and knowledge that general practice demanded, as well as the interpersonal connections that rural practice brings. He relished the opportunity to offer his surgical skills both in the surgery and at the local Dilke Hospital, saving many a patient the tedious journey to the Gloucestershire Royal Infirmary for day-case operations. An early adopter of computer technology, he led the process towards a paperless practice in the Forest and the introduction of computerised records. He then moved on to managing the dispensing and purchasing aspects of the practice at a time when, for the first time, individual practices were taking charge of their own budgets and establishing financial links with regional hospital trusts. This led on to several years of committee work and a leading role in the planning of health services for the Forest of Dean as a whole - all the time continuing with a full clinical workload. With no children of their own, Donald and Elaine devoted their attention to family, friends and other interests. Donald was a loving uncle to several nieces and nephews from both his and Elaine's sides of the family. One great ambition of Donald's came to fruition as he oversaw the design and building of their dream house in the rural village of Hope Mansell, Herefordshire, which was completed in 1996. Built into the floor was a spiral staircase cellar for his extensive wine collection. Over the next ten years their lovely home was the focus for numerous dinners, barbeques and social gatherings for friends, family, work colleagues and neighbours - always accompanied by a generous selection of superb wines from around the world. With a particular love for good food, along with New World wines and, in particular, champagne, Donald and Elaine travelled to Australia, New Zealand and the northern France on numerous occasions, usually returning with several cases of something special. To escape the English winters, they also often holidayed in equatorial locations, the Canaries and Maldives being particular favourites, with fine dining being an integral part of each trip. Donald developed a love for rugby during his school days, which continued throughout his life. He was a season ticket holder at the Gloucester Rugby Club and attended games there whenever he could. In later years, with the advent of recordable television, he had rugby games to watch at any time of day. One New Zealand trip in 2005 took in several games of the Lions' rugby tour, in addition to many vineyard visits. Donald became troubled with intermittent dysphagia about this time. A combination of post-radiotherapy stricturing and dysplastic changes on biopsy led eventually to an oesophagectomy in 2006. The operation was technically successful, but left him with impaired eating and recurrent chest infections secondary to radiation pneumonitis. This forced his retirement from practice, and although these problems significantly affected his ability to socialise, travel and enjoy good food, he tried hard not to let them do so. As the years went by his health took further knocks, with progressive radiation-induced cardiac disease and then oral cancer, for which he underwent major surgery in 2014. Despite poor exercise tolerance, and with impaired taste and swallowing, which deprived him of the ability to enjoy his beloved food and wine, Donald remained in good spirits and continued to face his tribulations with good humour. He kept up to date with news and current affairs, reading several newspapers avidly each day and welcoming visitors and the chance to discuss politics, current affairs and rugby. By then essentially confined to his home and with full-time care provided by his loving wife Elaine, Donald's condition declined further as heart failure supervened and he finally lost the battle with his succession of illnesses on 24 November 2015. He was 62. Donald was an affable, thoughtful and sociable man with an enviable intellect. Well read and always up for a friendly debate, he was prone to carrying the air of someone who knew he was always right - which, to the frustration of some of his antagonists, he usually was! Throughout his life and career, he showed great determination and fortitude, not only in achieving his medical and personal goals, but also in the way he handled his long illness, bearing his ailments with remarkable courage and dignity. He will be missed by his many friends, colleagues and grateful patients.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009036
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Taor, Richard Ernest (1940 - 2014)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Bryson Webb
Publication Date 2014-12-24 2015-05-22
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E006000-E006999/E006600-E006699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/378795378795
Occupation General practitioner General surgeon
Details Richard Taor was a medical leader in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and contributed significantly to the setting of standards for measuring and ensuring the quality of medical care in western Newfoundland. He was an assistant professor with the medical school at Memorial University in St John's, Newfoundland. He was born on 13 August 1940 to Ernest and Muriel (née Lowe) Taor. His father was a civil engineer and worked with the Ministry of Defense. He attended Sutton County Grammar School and helped the family by working at various jobs at weekends. One of his jobs was selling confectionary items on Saturday afternoons at the local football ground. Since he was allowed to eat as much as he wanted and still get paid, this was his favourite job. After completing his secondary school education, Richard received a scholarship to attend university. He enrolled at London University and spent two years focused on physics. On a visit to his brother, William, studying medicine at Charing Cross Hospital Medical School, he became aware that there was a vacant place in the medical school for the following year. His application was accepted and in 1962 he started studies in anatomy, winning the Murray prize in 1963 under the guidance of William James Hamilton. After completing his BSc in anatomy, he received a postgraduate scholarship and worked with Murray L Barr in London, Ontario, Canada, where he participated in cytogenic studies resulting in two published papers. He completed his MB BS in 1967. His older brother (who also gained his FRCS) and younger sisters, Lesley Muriel and Helen Jennifer, all graduated from Charing Cross Hospital Medical School. In 1970 Richard became a surgical registrar at St Helier Hospital in Surrey, where he worked for several years. He successfully completed his FRCS in 1973. In 1977 Richard decided to explore new opportunities and moved to Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, to work as a surgeon, general practitioner and provide obstetrical services to an immediate population of about 13,000. Richard quickly decided that rural Newfoundland provided him with the opportunity to expand his medical skills in an environment that was medically and socially very much in tune with his soul. He struggled through many difficult times when it was almost impossible to hire and retain doctors and other professional staff in rural Newfoundland. He became the rock on which the community depended for continuing medical care. To Richard, the care of his patients was paramount. He believed in and completed many continuing medical education programs. He was appointed chief of medical staff at the Dr Charles L LeGrow Heath Centre and in that role was the leader in establishing processes to look at standards of care within the hospital and achieving the highest quality based on best practices. To improve his administrative skills he successfully completed the management program for clinical leaders from Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, as well as a program from the physician leadership institute of the Canadian Medical Association. As services became more regionalised, Richard became deputy chair of the Western Newfoundland Medical Advisory Committee and served on many committees and through this contributed his experience and skills to governing the provision of health care within all the hospitals, clinics and long term care facilities in the region. In 1981 approval was given by the provincial government to design and build a new 50-bed hospital in Port aux Basques. Richard was totally involved in the planning and design for the new building and spent many hours briefing architects and medical design consultants on the needs and requirements of all of the medical and other clinical services which the hospital should provide. As construction proceeded he kept a watchful eye to ensure the final product would best meet the needs of staff, patients and the community. The new hospital opened in 1984. Richard realised that to successfully recruit and retain medical staff it was necessary to maintain a high quality of care standards and become involved with Newfoundland's medical school at Memorial University in providing practical training and research opportunities to medical students and general practice residents. He worked with the university in designing and implementing these practical training programs at the Dr Charles L LeGrow Health Centre. He was appointed a student preceptor in 1980 and was appointed as a clinical assistant professor (family practice) in 2000. As a consequence of the relationship Richard built with the university, and his leadership, internships were developed in a number of related health disciplines and saw the health centre becoming a centre of excellence in primary health care and in implementing a nurse practitioner program throughout Newfoundland. Richard retired in 2011 and his contribution to his community and province was recognised in the provincial House of Assembly and nationally in Canada's House of Commons. He was not designed for retirement. After working all his life with long hours and total commitment to his patients, he found it very difficult to adjust. In 1969 Richard married Magda Kovats of Budapest, Hungary, who was a staff nurse at Charing Cross Hospital. They had two children, Fiona and Christopher. Other than family, Richard's passions included sailing, formula one racing and curling. In January 2014 he became sick and was admitted into the hospital to which he had dedicated so much of his life. He bore his illness with his usual great dignity and fortitude, and succumbed to his illness on 1 March 2014. He was 73.
Resource Identifier RCS: E006612
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Mannick, John Anthony (1928 - 2019)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by C Keith Ozaki
Publication Date 2021-10-08 2021-12-10
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010000-E010099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/385091385091
Occupation Vascular surgeon
Details John A Mannick was chief of surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston and Moseley professor of surgery at Harvard University. He was born in Deadwood, South Dakota, the son of Alfred Mannick, an engineer, and Catherine Mannick née Schuster, an English teacher. As a youngster, his family moved to Yakima, Washington, where he graduated from high school. He then enrolled at Harvard. At Harvard, he majored in history and literature. Besides a robust liberal arts education, he took the required pre-medical science courses. He matriculated to Harvard Medical School, gaining his MD degree in 1953. Upon graduation, Mannick joined the US Air Force and served in Sacramento and San Antonio. Upon completion of his Air Force obligation, where he rose to the rank of captain, he carried out a surgical residency at Massachusetts General Hospital. Although he was counselled by his mentors to take a fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), he chose a fellowship in the laboratory of E Donnall Thomas (a future Nobel laureate), studying transplantation biology at the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, New York. He became a pioneer in the new field of transplantation, focusing on lymphocyte biology. Mannick’s first faculty position was working with another transplantation pioneer, David Hume, at the Medical College of Virginia. He became a fast friend of Richard Egdahl (another junior faculty member), both practising general surgery. As the story goes, Hume summoned Mannick and Egdahl to his office, advising them that they should subspecialise. Both vigorously protested, so Hume flipped a coin, assigning Mannick to vascular surgery and Egdahl to endocrine surgery. Shortly thereafter, Egdahl left Virginia to become the chair of surgery at Boston University. Egdahl recruited Mannick back to Boston to become the residency programme director at Boston University, where he eventually succeeded Egdahl as chair of surgery. Mannick was then recruited to succeed Francis Moore as the chief of surgery and Moseley professor of surgery at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in 1976. This was a time of transition at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital as it merged with the Robert Breck Brigham Hospital (orthopaedics) and the Boston Hospital for Women (gynaecology). This merger resulted in Affiliated Hospitals Center, which subsequently became Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH). Mannick presided over unprecedented growth of surgical services at BWH. He facilitated the integration of Harvard Community Health Plan surgeons into the staff at BWH. Several of these surgeons became outstanding teachers for the BWH surgical residents. All the while, the academic faculty continued to build strong programmes in cancer, cardiac, thoracic and vascular surgery, especially. He served as surgeon-in-chief at the Brigham and Moseley professor of surgery at Harvard until 1994. In the subsequent decades he remained actively involved in education and research efforts at both institutions. Mannick built exceptional research programmes led by surgeons. These surgeon-scientists made major contributions in the fields of transplantation biology, vascular biology, tumour immunology, nutrition, pulmonary physiology and injury/sepsis, and received generous NIH funding. He was not only a tremendous role model, but he also created opportunities for each of these investigators to flourish in the BWH environment and beyond. One measure of success was the number of presentations at the surgical forum of the American College of Surgeons. Mannick was particularly proud of the times when the Brigham faculty had the most abstracts presented at the forum. His own laboratory continued to make significant contributions even after his retirement as chair of surgery, when his NIH-funded research focused on abnormal lymphocyte responses that occur after injury. His track record for continuous NIH funding is unequalled. The BWH department of surgery continues to host an annual John A Mannick research awards ceremony in his honour. These awards recognise surgery residents and research fellows for their work in basic science, clinical or outcomes research. As a vascular surgeon, he was always well prepared, thorough and meticulous. He contributed many successful techniques to the practice of vascular surgery. These include vein grafts to reconstruct the tibial and peroneal arteries, the reduction of mortality from abdominal aortic aneurysm repair from more than five percent to less than two percent through the use of volume loading and minimal dissection of the aorta and iliac arteries. In addition, the use of axillofemoral and femorofemoral grafts to correct aortoiliac occlusive disease in certain high-risk patients, and the demonstration that autogenous tissue reconstruction techniques can be applied with very high rates of long-term success in over 90 percent of patients with limb-threatening femoropopliteal and infrapopliteal occlusive disease. Beyond the vascular fellows, he welcomed general surgery residents into his operating room, and many learned their first vascular anastomoses under his watchful eye. What he taught his general surgery residents in terms of technical innovation was of incalculable value throughout their careers. As a medical administrator Mannick was inspirational. Always punctual, his meetings were incredibly efficient. He was always ready with his incisive wit to defuse confrontation or provide support. He was also remarkable in that he always carried a very thin briefcase, and his desk was always clean by the end of the day. He governed his department with a small council of elders and decision-making was efficient, fact-based, and emphasised what was best for patient care. His example and mentorship helped develop a number of leaders. His mentees became chairs of departments of surgery at Washington University in St Louis, the National Children’s Medical Center, University of Wisconsin, the New England Deaconess Hospital, the University of Florida and Seattle Children’s Hospital, to name a few. He also produced several deans, CEOs and innumerable division chiefs throughout the country. He received many honours, leading the Society of Vascular Surgery, being president of the American Surgical Association and receiving the lifetime achievement award of the Society of Vascular Surgery. He was particularly proud of his honorary fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Mannick was not only a role model professionally but also personally. He was an avid tennis player and in later years became an enthusiastic golfer. He met the love of his life, Virginia Gossard, while she was at Radcliffe College, in an organic chemistry class before medical school. He was particularly impressed when he discovered that she outperformed the rest of the class on their exams. A blind date subsequently led to their eventual marriage. ‘Ginny’ and this surgeon were great partners throughout his career and were an inseparable duo at meetings. As Mannick was frequently quoted saying, ‘Behind every successful surgeon stands a spouse, astonished!’ As Ginny’s health declined, he was a remarkably devoted and tender care giver. Predeceased by his wife, Mannick died on 13 October 2019 at the age of 91 and was survived by their daughters, Catherine, Elizabeth and Joan, and seven grandchildren. He will be remembered as the consummate surgeon-scientist, masterful administrator, and a devoted educator and mentor to many.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010014
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Priestland, Harold Andreas (1921 - 2017)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by C Priestland
Publication Date 2023-07-05
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010300-E010399
Occupation Oral surgeon
Details Harold Andreas ‘Pip’ Priestland died peacefully in Nobles Hospital, Douglas, Isle of Man on 22 February 2017 aged 95 years. He is survived by his wife, Margaret, son and daughter-in-law, Colin and Linda, and grandchildren, Abigail and Elizabeth. ‘Pip’ was born on 3 June 1921 in Liverpool. After secondary education at Prescott Grammar, he studied at Liverpool University from 1939, graduating with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery in 1945. Following house jobs he joined the Royal Army Dental Corps as a Captain serving in the UK and in Germany at the British Military Hospital Hamburg. Following military service he returned to Liverpool, training as an oral surgeon at Broadgreen Hospital. He was appointed Consultant in Oral Surgery in 1956 and served as a full-time NHS Consultant until 1980 in a number of hospitals in the Liverpool region. He moved to the Isle of Man and was appointed as Consultant at Nobles Hospital, Douglas from 1981 until 1986, when he retired. A funeral was held at the crematorium, Douglas, Isle of Man on Thursday 2 March 2017 with family present.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010303
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Drinkwater, John Brian (1931- 2018)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Carole Drinkwater
Publication Date 2018-03-27 2018-11-21
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009400-E009499
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381835381835
Occupation Naval surgeon Medical officer
Details Surgeon Rear Admiral John Brian Drinkwater was a naval medical officer of considerable distinction, serving clinically as a highly-respected surgeon before moving into leadership roles. John was born in Beeston, Nottinghamshire on 5 June 1931 to Ellis Drinkwater and Hilda May Drinkwater (née Spicer). He gained a place at Henry Mellish Grammar School in Nottingham and at the age of 17 entered Sheffield University Medical School. He qualified in June 1954 and undertook house officer posts in Doncaster and Sheffield before joining the Royal Naval Medical Service in August 1955. He was appointed as squadron medical officer to the 6th Frigate Squadron in October that year and spent 20 months at sea in the eastern Mediterranean, including during the Suez crisis. In April 1957, he embarked on surgical training at Royal Naval Hospital Haslar, Royal Hospital Portsmouth and Hammersmith Hospital, obtaining his FRCS in 1961. He then served as a surgical specialist in HMS *Ganges* and Royal Naval Hospitals Haslar, Plymouth, Malta and Gibraltar before being granted consultant surgeon status in 1968. As a consultant surgeon he again served in Haslar, Plymouth and Malta, becoming head of the surgical department at Haslar in the mid 1970s and adviser in surgery to the medical director general (Navy) in 1981. He was appointed as medical officer-in-charge of RNH Haslar in 1983 and became deputy medical director general (Navy) in 1984 before his final appointment as surgeon rear admiral (operational medical services) from 1985 to 1987. He was an Officer of the Order of St John, and appointed Queen’s Honorary Surgeon in 1983. ‘JBD’, as he was affectionately known by his juniors, was an excellent clinical opinion, a fine surgeon, a skilled administrator and a natural leader, qualities that were recognised in his rapid rise to senior ranks when he gave up clinical surgery. He was also an accomplished pianist and was renowned for his production and performance in mess cabarets at the Royal Naval Hospital at Stonehouse in Plymouth in the 1970's. The ‘JBD Follies’ were staged cabaret style in the officers’ mess and became eagerly anticipated annual events which were guaranteed to entertain and amuse, especially when the pride of senior colleagues was mischievously but gently tickled. He retired from the Royal Navy in 1987 and joined Muscular Dystrophy UK as director of support services, where he revelled in being able to help those affected by muscle wasting conditions and their families. A few years later, he moved with his family to Argyll, taking up a part-time post as clinical medical officer with the Argyll and Clyde Health Board and enjoyed the quieter rural environs of Kintyre. John’s flair for administration and efficiency was recognised when he was asked to stay on beyond normal retirement age, which he did, before finally hanging up his stethoscope and putting aside his briefcase in 1998. In his younger days, John was a keen participant in rugby, tennis and squash and at university was well known for his considerable poker skills. Later in life, these pastimes were replaced by bridge, snooker and woodwork – including making toys for his children. His interest and enjoyment in linguistic and logic puzzles was satisfied by broadsheet crosswords and super fiendish sudoku, both of which were tackled assiduously. As well as continuing to play the piano daily, he was a member of a local barbershop chorus and played the organ in the local church most Sundays and at weddings for many years. John, with his family, relocated several times around Scotland, exploring and enjoying some of the more rural and remote coastal spots, before moving six years ago to Cumbria. It was there he passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, in his favourite chair, on 11 February 2018 at the age of 86. John was survived by his wife Carole, their daughters Alexandra and Olivia, and two daughters from his first marriage, Sylvia and Julia.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009431
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Luck, Richard John (1931 - 2019)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Carole Luck
Publication Date 2020-11-02
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009800-E009899
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/383978383978
Occupation Renal surgeon Vascular surgeon Urological surgeon
Details John Luck was a urological surgeon in Windsor and Maidenhead. He was born on 26 February 1931, the son of Thomas Richard Luck, a manager, and Beatrice Christina Luck née McKenzie. He was educated at Southgate County Grammar School and then won an entrance scholarship to St Mary’s Hospital Medical School. He qualified in 1954 with two prizes in surgery and one in medicine. His first clinical post was as a house surgeon to Arthur Dickson Wright. He obtained his FRCS in 1959 and became a senior registrar at St Mary’s and gained a Fulbright scholarship as a surgical fellow to Harvard and the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston. There he became a renal transplant officer working on unrelated and cadaver renal transplantation. He also wrote three chapters on renal and bladder function for his professor, William Tait ‘Bill’ Irvine, as a contribution to *The scientific basis of surgery* (London, J&A Churchill, 1965) and several papers on renal transplantation. He then returned to St Mary’s, where he worked for Felix Eastcott. He was appointed as a consultant surgeon in Windsor with one session a week as a lecturer and honorary consultant at St Mary’s. He was initially a vascular and renal surgeon, but eventually specialised mainly in urology. He also continued his academic work, publishing further peer-reviewed papers and was co-author of General surgery in gynaecological practice (Oxford, Blackwell Scientific, 1971) with Stanley Simmons. He established a renowned urology practice in Windsor and Maidenhead. His talents included his clinical ability, his ability to diagnose and judge how to care for his patients and his considerable technical skills. He also retained the ability to teach and perform research. His many registrars obtained senior posts throughout the UK and internationally. His dissections were beautiful and achieved with apparent ease and sparseness of effort. He was patient, modest and never arrogant. He enjoyed cricket, tennis, golf, skiing, painting and drawing. Most of all, he had a very happy and fulfilling family life. Sadly, his first wife Heather (née Kerr) died of cancer in her fifties and he then married Carole (née Ranscombe), a consultant radiologist in Windsor. He had three children from his first marriage, a son from his second and two stepchildren. He died on 17 December 2019 at the age of 88. He was loved and respected by all and will be sadly missed.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009865
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Craig, James Oscar Max Clark (1927 - 2020)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Caroline Rubin
Publication Date 2020-08-12
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009700-E009799
Occupation Radiologist
Details Oscar Craig was a consultant radiologist and honorary senior clinical lecturer at St Mary’s Hospital, London and a former president of the Royal College of Radiologists. He was born on 7 May 1927, the son of James Oscar Max Clark Craig and Olivia Craig. He qualified in Dublin in 1950 and immediately moved to London. After a short period in general practice, Oscar spent two years in the RAF from 1954 to 1956 and was then a senior house officer in surgery at Hammersmith Hospital and subsequently a register and senior registrar in the department of radiology at St Mary’s Hospital, London. In 1963, he was appointed as a consultant radiologist at St Mary’s Hospital and a lecturer in radiology (a senior lecturer from 1987). He served as honorary president of the British Medical Students’ Association. He was a visiting professor to the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, the University of Queensland, Australia, and at Concord Hospital, Sydney, Australia. A flamboyant and popular doctor, he was renowned as an excellent radiological opinion and teacher. He made a major contribution to the medical school, serving as director of clinical studies and postgraduate studies and delivering his immensely popular ‘freshers’ lecture’ from 1970, continuing well into his retirement. In recognition of this he was awarded a lifetime achievement award by Imperial College in 2012. A past dean, Peter Richards, once said: ‘Few people have contributed as much to the spirit, humanity and identity of St Mary’s as has Dr Craig.’ He chaired the cases committee of the Medical Protection Society, dealing with medical litigation, and was a member of council of the Society and the president’s advisory board. He was president of the Royal College of Radiologists from 1989 to 1992, which he loved, delivering numerous invited lectures and after dinner speeches, at which he excelled. Retirement in 1993 brought a new career – writing. He wrote five books – four memoirs and one poetry book. In retirement, he was elected president of the Harveian Society of London. In addition to his love for St Mary’s and radiology, Oscar was very much a family man and committed Christian. Married to Nancy (Louise Burleigh) since their early days at medical school in Dublin, they had four daughters and a happy and fulfilled life together until Nancy’s untimely death in 2008. Oscar was heartbroken but happily met his second wife Gill (Mary Gillian Sprange) and life restarted. Oscar was a friend, mentor and inspiration to generations of medical students at St Mary’s, at King’s College in the Strand, where he delivered a regular lunchtime lecture, and radiologists throughout the world, and will be sorely missed. He died peacefully at home on 5 February 2020 at the age of 92, following a long illness, and was survived by his wife Gill, four daughters, one stepdaughter and fourteen grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009767
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Swann, Jack Lindsay (1921 - 2013)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Carolyn Barraclough
Publication Date 2013-11-08 2014-06-06
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E004000-E004999/E004600-E004699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/376808376808
Occupation General surgeon
Details Jack Lindsay Swann was a general surgeon in Melbourne, Australia. He was born in Caulfield, Melbourne, on 17 November 1921, the only child of Roy Barker and Irene May Swann née Matchett. His early education was at Caulfield Grammar School and his final four years of school were at Scotch College in Melbourne. He was a good sportsman and was a particularly successful high jumper. He was captain of athletics for Gardiner house and a prefect in his final year, 1939. Jack studied medicine at Melbourne University from 1940 to 1945. (The medical course had been condensed from six years to five due to the war.) Upon graduation, he went to Ballarat, a regional city in Victoria, as a resident medical officer, then a registrar. He then worked at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, and the Devon Hospital, Latrobe, Tasmania. During 1951 and 1952 Jack worked as a surgical registrar at Lambeth Hospital and then St Stephen's Hospital, London. He received his FRCS in December 1951. He was fortunate to meet Sir Gordon Gordon-Taylor and, like many other surgeons around the world, he thereafter received Christmas cards from this eminent British surgeon. Jack returned to Australia at short notice following the sudden death of his father. On his return to Melbourne, he worked as an assistant surgeon briefly at Prince Henry's Hospital and then at the Royal Melbourne Hospital for five years. From 1959 to 1964 Jack worked as an assistant surgeon at both St Vincent's Hospital and the Footscray and District Hospital in Melbourne. He received his FRACS in 1961. In 1964 he was appointed as a senior surgeon, in those days an honorary position, at the Footscray and District Hospital. He remained a senior general surgeon there until his retirement in 1986. By this time the hospital had been renamed Western General Hospital. In recognition of his long and outstanding service, the hospital appointed him as a consultant emeritus in surgery. In December 1958 Jack married Janice Margaret Turner at the Scotch College Chapel. They had two children, a daughter, Carolyn, and a son, David. His main recreational activity was golf and he was a member of the Victoria Golf Club for many years. As a university student Jack had enjoyed holidays at Lorne, a coastal town along the Great Ocean Road of Victoria's west coast. The purchase of a beach house at Lorne ensured the continuation of this enjoyment with his family. Jack died on 22 August 2013, aged 91. He was survived by Jan, Carolyn and David, and three grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E004625
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Williams, John Hunter (1925 - 2020)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Cary Mellow
Publication Date 2021-05-05
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009900-E009999
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/384569384569
Occupation Plastic surgeon
Details John Hunter Williams was born at Wharewhitu Private Hospital in Dannevirke. His father Charles Skinner Williams was an Orthopaedic and General Surgeon (who was also involved in veterinary Orthopaedics) in the Manawatu area. He was given the name John Hunter in memory of the 18th century Scottish anatomist-surgeon from St Bartholomew’s, who along with his brother, William Hunter, was a famous anatomic and surgical pioneer (and possible grave robber) – thus John’s fate was sealed – he just had to become a surgeon!! Charles “retired” from surgical practice in Palmerston North and became a Surgeon / GP in the Far North, based at Kaeo Hospital. Thus started a love of the Far North for John. John attended Hadlow Preparatory School in Masterton (he was one of 18 pupils). As a teenager he contracted polio and was left with left sided weakness; he was able to recover sufficiently to study at Whanganui Collegiate. He took up study at Dunedin staying at Selwyn College (his father Charles had been at Knox). John’s son Charles, a GP in Howick, Auckland, would also stay in Selwyn in future years – in John’s old room no less (but he never found “JHW” carved in the wood paneling!) He was interested in radio and electronics and studied for his BSc – after graduation entering second year at the Medical School. In his memoirs, he states (with typical humility) that he was not good enough in mathematics to have a career in radio engineering or physics! He spent his fifth year selective at Kaitaia Hospital, and his final year as a medical student in Auckland, to be closer to the family in Northland, graduating MB ChB in 1951. While in Auckland, he would frequently do extra work after hours in the Casualty Department for experience. It was here that he had met a Canadian nurse, Sister Joan Hammond, who was on a working holiday travelling the world. She came to like NZ, and John, and she and John subsequently married in Kaeo, keeping her here In NZ! John was a house surgeon in the Auckland District Health Board. For his first house surgeon job, he was assigned to Plastic Surgery at Middlemore Hospital under Mr W M Manchester. The Plastic Surgery Unit was in its infancy and John was only its third Plastic Surgery house surgeon. A previous house surgeon Jack Sinclair (later Professor of Physiology at the new Auckland Medical School) warned John to pay great attention to Mr Manchester’s teaching, so he could repeat the litanies exactly word-for-word on the ward rounds – as would many subsequent medical students, house surgeons and registrars have to also! In his memoirs, John recalls Mr Manchester’s willingness to teach, taking every opportunity to do so – ward rounds, clinics, and theatre lists. Subsequently John worked as a house surgeon in General Surgery at Auckland and at Greenlane Hospitals. In his second year, having enjoyed the supportive atmosphere and spirit of Middlemore, he asked to return there, being assigned to the Clarke/Innes General Surgery team, Harman Smith for Orthopaedics, Ross Dreadon for General Medicine, and another stint in Plastic Surgery with Mr Manchester. In 1954 John became the Plastic Surgery registrar (but was also the General Surgery registrar at the same time!) He and the new full-time Orthopaedic surgeon O.R. Nicholson both had an interest in hands and frequently combined to treat hand injuries, something that would eventually be formalized some years later. John had decided that he wanted to be a surgeon from the time of his graduation; he briefly flirted with the thought of anaesthetics, but apparently, Mr Manchester insisted that he should not be anything other than a Plastic Surgeon. After two years as a registrar, John was given a grant in 1956 to travel to Britain, to obtain a Fellowship in Surgery. Joan and their two boys, Charles and Matthew, travelled to Canada, to be with the Hammond family, while John travelled to England as a ship’s medical officer on the Shaw Savill MV “Taranaki”. He stayed at the Nuffield Accommodation of the College of Surgeons, London, and attended various courses prior to sitting for the Fellowship. He also worked as a prosector at The Royal College of Surgeons, with small jobs at The Royal Marsden Hospital, and Smallfields in Surrey. He obtained both his Edinburgh and English Fellowships. Joan and the children came over to England and for a short time they were reunited as a family living in Nutley, Sussex, until the cold weather drove them home (and Mr Manchester summoned John back to Middlemore!). From June 1958 John was a Full Time Plastic Surgeon at Middlemore Hospital. He now had a dedicated Plastic Surgery registrar and a house surgeon. During John’s absence overseas, Mr Manchester had obtained the FRACS, and John too was encouraged to do so, passing this in 1963, the same day as Joan Chapple, the first woman Plastic Surgeon in Australasia. John saw a progression in anaesthesia practice from the referring GPs and hospital house surgeons giving anaesthetics, to anaesthetics being given by specialist anesthetists; so too from procaine infiltration with heroin sedation, to open chloroform and ether. Mr Manchester insisted the best anaesthesia was ether, but younger anaesthetists were more keen on more modern techniques, and from a surgical point of view it enabled use of bipolar diathermy instead of multiple 5/0 silk ties, and without the risk of explosions! So too John saw the change from nurse-threaded sutures to pre-bonded atraumatic sutures. This all had especially important consequences for the two areas of Plastic Surgery that John would develop a worldwide reputation in – cleft lip and palate and hypospadias. An innovation John developed was to bore a hole in the hard palate in a cleft palate patient to enable attachment of the lateral palatal Veau flaps, enabling less bleeding, less scarring and a better long-term result. Mr Manchester became involved with more and more overseas trips in his role in the ranks of the IPRS, becoming Secretary General, and being in demand as a visiting professor. This meant that John could do cleft lip and palate surgery whenever Mr Manchester was absent. In addition, as the volume of cleft lip and palate patients became too large for Mr Manchester to do himself, John came to do more and more of this delicate surgery. He also took over the treatment of hypospadias patients from Mr Manchester. John entered private practice at the insistence of Mr Manchester in 1965, having rooms initially at 101 Remuera Road with a group of Orthopaedic Surgeons and radiologists, and later at 81a Remuera Road, with his own purpose designed rooms (designed especially for him by a long-term patient). He operated at the Mater Hospital, and subsequently also the Auckland Adventist Hospital. Meanwhile he continued with his work on hypospadias at Middlemore Hospital employing one-stage repairs for distal hypospadias and two stage for the more severe proximal. He presented “an account of his efforts” at the IPRS World Congress in Melbourne. At the same meeting, Charles Devine and Charles Horton presented their work on one-stage repairs and performed a televised operation. Later he would travel to Norfolk, Virginia, to a meeting on Reconstructive Genital Surgery organized by Charles Horton. Their results were excellent, so John adopted the Horton-Devine techniques, including the one-stage flip-flap and the free preputial lining graft techniques, and taught and demonstrated them to younger surgeons in NZ and Australia. He modified it further using a Durham-Smith waterproofing waistcoat flap. John shared exactly the same birthday with Charles Horton and they were thenceforth friends and correspondents. On one occasion John presented a video of his proximal hypospadias free graft technique at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the RACS, accompanied by Handel’s Water music, to spontaneous applause because his technique was so fluid! Other developments were the adoption of the Gibbons catheter (rather than a perineal urethrostomy) and caudal anaesthesia. John became involved in College organisation, becoming a Plastic Surgery Division Board member and later Chairman, as well as being a College examiner for a number of years. John visited Western Samoa with Interplast Australia, but was not happy to do cleft lip and palate or hypospadias surgery, as he was concerned that the patients would be left without adequate follow-up. So too he spent time in South Vietnam at Qui Nhon Hospital with the civilian surgical team at the time of the Tet Offensive – a dangerous time! William Manchester retired from his post at Middlemore Hospital in 1979 and John became Head of Department. The unit had grown from one Plastic Surgeon and house surgeon in 1952 to six surgeons with six registrars and four house surgeons. He continued to work on cleft lip and palate and hypospadias up until his hospital board enforced retirement at age 65 in 1990. He developed a worldwide reputation, not just in one area of expertise, but two – both cleft lip and palate and hypospadias. After retirement from his Part Time Visiting Surgeon position, he was reemployed by his successor, and continued to do outpatient clinics and surgery at Middlemore and also for a time, at Waitakere Hospital. John continued in private practice for some years also. Away from Plastic Surgery, John had a number of interests. He loved tinkering with devices such as machines, taking them apart and repairing them. So too he was intensely interested in computers, becoming an acknowledged expert in the Linux operating system. He became proficient in social media having his own Instagram account and communicating with grandchildren and great-grandchildren in this manner well into his 96th year. His garden in Pakuranga was a source of great pride. John’s father had built a matchbox-sized one-room bach at Tauranga Bay, adjacent to Whangaroa Harbour, in the Far North. It was here that the Williams family would travel for many holidays over the years. Fishing was excellent and John built a Sunburst sailing dinghy from plans in the 1960s – it is still being sailed in Tauranga Bay by the family today. John would often sail around the Whangaroa area well into the 2000s. A review of family holiday photos shows lots of sun, sunhats, and especially smiles. John was a very supportive family man – his beloved Joan and his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren were very dear to him. John was a superb surgeon with world-renowned expertise in two major areas - both cleft lip and palate and hypospadias – a rare achievement. He had extremely high standards and was unceasingly humble as a surgeon, often remarking after a great operation that it was a barely adequate result – “perfection is only just good enough”. He was always very considered in his advice to others, and like his predecessor WMM, he was a patient and excellent teacher. He passed away after a short illness at the place that he had spent over 45 years of his life – Middlemore Hospital – on November 20, 2020. His beloved wife Joan predeceased John by four years. His children and their partners, Charles and Phyllis, Matthew and Janice, Andrew and Anne, James, Joanna and David; grandchildren Jonathan, Sarah, Amanda, Molly; and great grandchildren Brynn, Paityn, George, survive him. “The kauri is fallen, The karakia chanted, The long haul charted, The giant lies still.” Nancy Bruce, 1960.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009956
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching McVey, Ian Lumsden (1927 - 2008)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Cass McInnes
Publication Date 2011-11-03 2015-03-27
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001400-E001499
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373681373681
Occupation General surgeon
Details Born in Brisbane, Ian Lumsden McVey's early schooling days were spent in Queensland. The family subsequently moved to Melbourne and he finished his schooling at Wesley College. He began medicine at Melbourne University, being a student at the Alfred Hospital and graduated MB BS in 1949 was subsequently Resident and Registrar at the Alfred in 1950 and 1951 and Associate Surgeon in 1952-1954. At the same time he was demonstrator of anatomy at the University, and won the Sir Gordon Taylor Prize for Excellence in The Primary Fellowship Examination in 1953. He travelled to England to further his studies, he worked at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London (with Sir James Patterson Ross who was then President of the Royal College of Surgeons of London), obtained FRCS in 1955 and finished his United Kingdom training as Registrar at the West Middlesex Hospital. He returned to Melbourne and was appointed Honorary Surgeon to Outpatients at the Alfred Hospital in 1957 obtaining FRACS in 1958. He was subsequently appointed Honorary Surgeon to Inpatients and Head of the Unit at the Alfred in 1965, a position he held until 1983. During this period he proved himself a skilful, often conservative and thoughtful surgeon. His main area of clinical interest was in diseases of the breast and to whom credit must go for the initiation of a multidisciplinary breast clinic. The profession however, was not yet ready for that, so it struggled for a few years and never obtained the status that he had envisaged. His lectures to his students and nurses, were always clear, and given his command of the language and caring approach were always popular - particular his lectures to the nursing staff. He was Examiner in Surgery at Melbourne University and latterly at Monash University. In 1983 the Motor Accident Board (now the TAC) and the Staff nominated Ian to be Director of the Road Trauma Service - a position he held until 1996. His ability to organise and obtain the desired result was apparent. With the assistance of initially Bill Dott and later Alex Rollo and support of his life long secretary Pauline Smith, the revolutionary Helipad structure of the Trauma Centre and its organisation and reception of casualties became a reality and the Alfred Hospital became the prime centre for management of road trauma in Victoria. Appointed to the Consultative Council on emergency and critical care, he was pivotal in the development of trauma services in Victoria and the Road Trauma Centre at the Alfred Hospital remains a monument to him. During this time he was appointed Associate Professor to the Department of Forensic Medicine at Melbourne University and co-ordinator of the Professional Practice Program. During a career studded with Committee work, he was a member of the Alfred Board of Management and Vice President from 1987 to 1994. He was a member of the Council of AMA (Victorian Branch) from 1963 to 1978 and President in 1973. He was a member of the Medical Practitioners Board, member of the Council of the Medical Defence Association of Victoria and its President in 1973-1990. A member of the Medical Benefits Schedule Advisory Committee meant that he was involved with the development of the Medicare Schedule and in addition he was a member of the Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria. He was Chairman of Victoria Medical Insurance Agency and Director of Professional Indemnity Insurance Company of Australia and subsequently was instrumental in establishing the Medical Indemnity Protection Society when the United Kingdom based Medical Protection Society withdrew from Australia. He was appointed Senior Consultant Surgeon to the Royal Australian Navy in 1962. He was a master of organisation and committees. He had the ability to think on his feet, and could influence a meeting. He had a strong and clear vision for the profession - a facility which on occasions upset his colleagues. He married Norma Hayden a Senior Staff Sister at the Alfred, and together they developed a property on the Mornington Peninsula raising Murray Grey cattle - he became president of the Murray Grey Society and was influential in consolidating its position and development. He was a man of great vision with strong beliefs in the rights and also the responsibilities of the profession ¬ particularly the surgical profession. A was a most generous host and strong believer in the beauty and benefits of rural Australia. He and Norma sold the farm at the turn of the century and built a residence in Mornington where Norma resides. He is survived by Norma, his brother Dan, daughter Ann and two grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001498
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Wise, Kenneth Stanley Hadyn (1940 - 2024)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Catherine McGauchie
Publication Date 2023-12-19
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010500-E010599
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/387735387735
Occupation Hand surgeon Trauma surgeon Orthopaedic surgeon Foot and ankle surgeon
Details Kenneth Wise was a consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon at South Buckinghamshire NHS Trust. He was born on 7 May 1940 in London to Lily Wise née Tate and Mark Henry Wise, a shopkeeper. He was educated at Sir George Monoux Grammar School, Walthamstow, London and, although offered a place at Oxford University, did his medical training at St Bartholomew’s from 1958 to 1963. After a thorough grounding in general surgery at Barts, in Norwich and in Luton and Dunstable, Ken did two years (from 1971 to 1973) neurosurgery at Oxford and Guy’s and Maudsley hospitals. He then settled on orthopaedics. He was an orthopaedic registrar at Southampton from 1973 to 1974 and a senior registrar on the Wessex orthopaedic training rotation at Southampton, Portsmouth and Treloar hospitals. He also spent some time in Louisville, Kentucky, on a clinical attachment in hand surgery with Harold Kleinert and Graham Lister, and two spells working in Uganda for World Orthopaedic Concern. He was appointed as a consultant surgeon in 1979, where he became department lead. He was president of the Chiltern Medical Society in 2002 and a committee member for the Oxford region. Ken wrote some key publications, including ‘Von Hippel-Lindau’s disease and phaeochromocytoma’ (*Br Med J.* 1971 Feb 20;1[5746]:441), ‘The anatomy of the metacarpo-phalangeal joints, with observations of the aetiology of ulnar drift’ (*J Bone Joint Surg Br*. 1975 Nov;57[4]:485-90), several papers on antibiotic prophylaxis in joint replacement and ‘Cine radiography in cervical spondylosis as a means of determining the level for anterior fusion’ (*J Bone Joint Surg Br.* 1982;64[4]:399-404). After retiring from the NHS, he taught anatomy to Oxford medical students and for the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He gained a distinction in an MSc in forensic anthropology, becoming a research fellow at Bournemouth University. Finally, he gave lectures to medical and non-medical audiences on Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci. He also wrote a book on the life of Vesalius *All else is mortal* (CreateSpace Independent Publishing, 2014) and a history of anatomy, which will be published posthumously. He met his wife, Julia Frances Oxenham, a nurse at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, and they married in 1968. Ken had three lovely daughters, Catherine, Charlotte and Victoria, and six grandchildren. He was an avid sailor, tennis player and skier and enjoyed shooting on the Hampden Estate in Buckinghamshire. He died on 16 November 2024. His intelligence, kindness and sense of humour will be missed by all who knew him.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010584
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Dunsmore, Romola Diana (1923 - 2016)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Catriona Smith
Publication Date 2016-07-29 2017-11-09
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009200-E009299
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381403381403
Occupation ENT surgeon
Details Romola Diane Dunsmore was a consultant ear, nose and throat (ENT) surgeon in Doncaster and a former president of the Medical Women's Federation. She was born on 20 May 1923, the daughter of Thomas and Annabella Dunsmore (née Wildgoose). She went to four different schools, as her tax inspector father moved around the country for work, including Leeds Girls' High School and then, from 1939 to 1941, Merchant Taylors' Girls' School in Great Crosby, near Liverpool. She studied medicine at the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London, from 1941 to 1946, including time in Exeter, to which the school had been evacuated during the war. In Exeter, she volunteered as a fire warden, and found herself abseiling from the roof of Exeter Cathedral as part of her fire safety training. Her first recollection of doctors and illness was at the age of six, when she was living in Skipton, North Yorkshire. She woke in the middle of the night feeling hot and aching all over. She had scarlet fever, and remembered being wrapped in a very scrubby red blanket and taken by horse-drawn ambulance to the local fever hospital. There, she was put into a large bath, which had been repainted after the original enamel had chipped off. She could still remember the discomfort of the sticky uneven paint on the bath and the room in which her hair was carefully searched with a fine-tooth comb. She was put to bed, and attempts were made to paint her throat with glycerine and rose-water. She made up her mind that this was an indignity she would not tolerate and kicked and screamed until the nurses gave up. Romola stayed in the hospital for three weeks and for the remainder of that winter had to wear Chilprufe combinations and a body belt to keep her kidneys warm. Whilst she did not know whether this experience influenced her choice of career, she did think that it might have helped her to be a more understanding doctor. Many years later in the 1960's, when she was an ENT consultant in Doncaster (also in Yorkshire), she learned of children who had become very upset following a tonsillectomy, as they had had to stay in hospital for a week and had been allowed only one hour-long visit in that time. (The children were her nieces, then aged seven and four: decades later, they still remember the trauma they experienced.) In but one example of her drive to improve medical conditions, she changed the rule against visitors for child patients under her own care, no doubt to the great benefit of children and parents alike. After qualifying, Romola stayed at the Royal Free Hospital, first in surgery and then in obstetrics and gynaecology, before switching to ENT in 1948. She found ENT rewarding and exciting, particularly as the patients were of all ages and both sexes, which increased the variety of presentations. It is unlikely that her switch was due to prejudice against women working in obstetrics and gynaecology at the time. However, prejudice prevailed. Amongst her letters is one written three decades later in which the writer, writing from Harley Street, told her that he was sure women would be wiser to accept that there were useful jobs to be done in anaesthetics, radiology and pathology, jobs well suited to running a home and looking after a family. His wish was that more women would accept this, rather than '…banging their heads against the very difficult wall of general medicine, general surgery and obstetrics and gynaecology'. Romola achieved her FRCS in 1962, after posts in various hospitals around the British Isles, from London to Aberdeen. Although she found the primary exam very challenging, she sailed through the more clinically based part two with no trouble at all. During her earlier years, she was most closely associated with Sir Douglas McLaggan, Charles Keogh and E G Collins. She had in that time extensive experience of endo and microscopic work, having assisted Josephine Collier in the surgery of the facial nerve, and assisted at many major laryngeal and cervical operations. During her time in Aberdeen, Romola was visiting consultant (by boat) to the Orkney and Shetland Islands, and maintained a long-term friendship with one of the women there, who would knit her Fair Isle jumpers, which were worn on hill walks for many, many years. As a consultant in Doncaster, she shared a one in two on-call with Philip Beales, the otologist. Romola focused on head and neck surgery, including collaboration on major cases with the dental surgeons. She was one of the first surgeons to use laser for laryngeal surgery. She took pride in her well-managed list, which ensured that patients were able to see her much more quickly than the established norm. Children were always a favourite, and to her death she kept the toys she had used to entertain them and to test their hearing. She recalled her marvellous secretaries and, with less pleasure, her office, thick with smoke. Romola joined the Medical Women's Federation (MWF), in which she played a very active role for many years. She became its president in 1979, although the untimely death of her predecessor, Mary Duguid, meant that she had in effect acted as president whilst president-elect. Her election coincided with a need to find a substitute venue for the 1980 conference of the Medical Women's International Association (MWIA), which had been due to take place in Tehran, Iran. Due to the difficulties in Iran at the time and problems communicating with the MWIA's Iranian president-elect, Liossa Pirnia (who it was later discovered had left the country), the 1980 conference had to be moved to the UK at short notice. Romola took on the challenge, and a very successful meeting was held instead at the Metropole Hotel, Birmingham. During her time as president, and for a good number of years afterwards, in her role on the executive committee and council of the MWF and as chairman of its careers committee, Romola led the MWF response to the Government's consultations on the medical staffing structure of hospitals. She had long thought that there needed to be better training of doctors, both during their training period and afterwards. She felt there was a need both to encourage those suited to a long-term role in medicine (particularly women) and to discourage those for whom medicine proved not to be a suitable career, enabling them to change track without an accompanying sense of failure. She also wanted recognition that being a doctor required more than just technical expertise, believing that empathy and teamwork were of equal importance. She wanted more consultant roles to be made available, and the numbers of registrars to be reduced in consequence, so that doctors could progress to the top of the profession (and settle in a fixed location) and more patients could be treated by someone at the top of the medical tree. She advocated for more part-time roles at all levels, and refused to accept that women should be pigeon-holed into sub-consultant roles because they might need, for a short stage in their career, to give priority to their families. The MWF faced strong resistance, despite Romola's written and oral submissions to the Government (the Short committee) on its behalf, which were praised for their balanced concern for the welfare of patients, staff and the public alike. In 1983, in her role as president of the Yorkshire Association of the MWF, Romola led the MWF's spring council meeting and annual general meeting in York, and was proud to meet the Duchess of Gloucester, its patron. At that time the MWF was the biggest professional organisation of women doctors in the country with over 3,000 members. She retired to Settle and later Kendal, where she enjoyed the hills, established gardens reflecting her very considerable plantswoman's skills, attended concerts and entertained her many friends and relatives with her cooking and wide-ranging interests. On her retirement, and again in the few weeks prior to her death, Romola received very many messages praising her professionalism and kindness. She was an inspiration to many, including her nephews and nieces and their families, who admired and loved her in equal measure. She died on 30 May 2016, just after her 93rd birthday.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009220
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Coxon, John George (1920 - 2019)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Charles Coxon
Publication Date 2019-09-16 2020-03-10
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009600-E009699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/382611382611
Occupation General surgeon Urologist
Details John Coxon was a consultant urologist in Halifax, West Yorkshire. He was born in Cambridge. His father, Thomas Coxon, was an industrial chemist with ICI; his mother was Florence Madelaine Proctor Coxon née Lucas. He was educated at Sedbergh School in Cumbria and then studied medicine at St Thomas’s Hospital Medical School in London during the Second World War. In October 1939, he was evacuated to Wadham College, Oxford, for a year and then to Hydestile, near Godalming in Surrey, where St Thomas’ Hospital was then based. He qualified with the conjoint examination in 1943; his graduation ceremony was postponed until 1992. After house jobs and a registrar post at St Thomas’, he entered National Service in the RAF, rising to the rank of squadron leader. He was posted to the Gold Coast in West Africa and then Changi in Singapore. On demobilisation, he was appointed as a supernumerary surgical registrar at St Thomas’ Hospital. He completed his training in Sheffield. In 1954, he was appointed as a consultant general surgeon at Staincliffe Hospital, Dewsbury, the General Hospital, also in Dewsbury, Batley General Hospital, the Royal Halifax Infirmary and the General Hospital, Halifax. In 1965, he moved to work entirely in Halifax, and from 1968 specialised in urology. He became the senior surgeon in Halifax and served on the hospital management board for a time. He was active in the British Association of Urological Surgeons as well as the local branch of the British Medical Association. He was also involved with the local branch of the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund. He was active in the British Association of Urological Surgeons as well as the local branch of the British Medical Association. He was also involved with the local branch of the Royal Medical Benevolent Fund. Predeceased by Ann in 2010, John died peacefully from pneumonia and acute kidney disease on 2 July 2019. He was 99. He was survived by his son, Charles, a retired GP in Peterborough, two daughters, Sarah Ann and Jennifer Mary, and four grandsons.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009639
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Schurr, Peter Howell (1920 - 2019)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Charles E Polkey
Publication Date 2019-12-18 2020-07-02
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009600-E009699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/382933382933
Occupation Neurosurgeon
Details 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 Hospital. He was a great-grandson of William Archer Kent, a physician to Queen Victoria. After education at Prestonville House Preparatory School and Maiden Erlegh School in Reading, he gained a place at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge to read medicine. He completed his clinical training at University College Hospital and qualified in 1943. After appropriate pre-registration jobs, he joined the RAMC and served in Egypt and Greece as a general surgeon, with the rank of captain, between 1944 and 1947. He returned to civilian life and gained the FRCS in 1948. He then trained as a neurosurgeon at the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford. In 1951, he had an Eli Lilly travelling fellowship, which funded a year at Harvard, where he studied cerebrospinal fluid physiology and hydrocephalus at Boston Children’s Hospital. In 1953, soon after his return to the UK, he obtained a post as a supernumerary senior registrar at the Guy’s and Maudsley neurosurgical unit, which up to that point had been run single-handed by Murray Falconer. In 1955, he was appointed as an independent consultant in the same unit. He retired from that post in 1985 and during those 30 years he saw many changes in clinical and operative practice, including the introduction of the operating microscope, direct brain imaging in the form of CT scanning of the head and spine and the beginnings of subspecialisation. Another consultant (J J Maccabe) was appointed in 1963, but in such a small unit he was obliged to do a great deal of general neurosurgery, however his special interests included paediatric neurosurgery, he preserved his interest in stereotactic methods and performed, in cooperation with his psychiatric colleagues, some careful psychosurgery. Upon the retirement of Murray Falconer in 1975 he became the director of the unit. He was academically active throughout his long and busy career writing some 45 peer-reviewed papers, numerous review articles and, after retiring, three books. The first was a biography of his great grandfather Benjamin Arthur Kent (*Benjamin's son* Royal Society of Medicine Services, c.1991), then a multi-authored book on hydrocephalus (*Hydrocephalus* Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1993) and finally a biography of the neurosurgeon, Sir Geoffrey Jefferson (*So that was life: a biography of Sir Geoffrey Jefferson Kt CBE FRS MS FRCS (1886-1961): master of the neuroscience and man of letters* London, Royal Society of Medicine, c1997). His Army service had always been a significant part of his life and in 1975 he was delighted to be appointed as a civilian consultant to the new Queen Elizabeth Military Hospital at Woolwich. In addition to his clinical responsibilities and the Falklands conflict, he expanded teaching activities there; he preferred his resident medical officer to be a physician and he gave Army surgical trainees relevant experience by allowing them to work in the main neurosurgical unit. In 1986, just after he retired, he was awarded the CBE from the Army List. He had numerous professional appointments and honours. He was a visiting academic to John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, to the American University in Beirut, and to the universities of Cincinnati, Wake Forest in the USA and Alexandria in Egypt. Immediately after retirement he became the sub-dean for postgraduate studies at Guy’s. He served as president of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons from 1982 to 1984, was president of the Harveian Society of London and held various offices in the Royal Society of Medicine. He met his wife Susan (née Todd) at a dance in 1947 and they were married in 1949. The marriage was a long and happy one with two daughters and a son in the family. Although his life was first and foremost neurosurgery, throughout it he always had alternative interests in the humanities, shared by his wife Susan. He was a keen musician having played the piano since his youth and he built a number of string instruments, culminating in the construction of a harpsichord from a kit. He found pleasure in painting, mostly in oils, and was a keen reader, had learnt German and Farsi and he appreciated and wrote poetry. They retired to Ufford in Suffolk in 1991 and lived happily there. Unfortunately, Susan died in 2011, thereafter he was supported by his family, passing his later years in a care home, until he suffered a severe stroke, from the effects of which he died on 29 October 2019. He was 98.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009698
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Phillips, Robert Sneddon (1932 - 2017)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Charles Galasko
Publication Date 2017-03-16 2018-06-06
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009300-E009399
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381507381507
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon Trauma surgeon
Details Robbie Phillips was an orthopaedic surgeon in Manchester, a proud Scotsman, an excellent surgeon and a first-rate sportsman who gave to his specialty and community. He was born on 15 September 1932 in Edinburgh to William James Phillips, a master plumber, and Mary Phillips née Sneddon. He attended Balgreen Primary School and then obtained a scholarship to George Heriot's School. He entered Edinburgh University in 1950 to study medicine and qualified in 1956. From 1957 to 1959, he served as a surgeon lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. His pre-registration jobs were at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Western General Hospital. In 1959, he was a senior house officer at Western General Hospital and then a surgical registrar at the same hospital. There he met Jimmy Scott, the first consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Western General, who called all the surgical registrars together and asked if anyone would like to volunteer to become the first trainee orthopaedic surgeon. Never one to resist a challenge, recognising that orthopaedics was in its infancy, that the specialty offered much to patients and that he would take on a lot of responsibility as the first trainee, Robbie embraced the opportunity. After all, he had come into medicine to help others and this would allow him to do just that. From 1962 to 1963, he spent 14 months as a research fellow at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital, where he researched the changes in venous blood pressure around arthritic joints at a time when osteotomy was in general use for patients with painful arthritic joints, with some preferring the Judet hemiarthroplasty or Smith-Petersen cup arthroplasty for arthritis of the hip. He was accompanied by his wife and daughter. Although the Americans wanted him to stay, he decided to return to the UK and completed his training as an orthopaedic registrar at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital in Oswestry and as a senior registrar at the United Manchester Hospitals and North Manchester Hospitals Group. In 1967, he was appointed as a consultant to the North Manchester Group of Hospitals, amongst the first in Manchester to be recognised for orthopaedic senior registrar training. He immediately became involved in teaching and administration, in addition to a heavy clinical commitment. At the time, there were four hospitals in the group - Ancoats Hospital, where much of orthopaedic practice was carried out, the Jewish Hospital, North Manchester General Hospital and Booth Hall Children's' Hospital. With the closure of Ancoats and the Jewish Hospital, much reorganisation of orthopaedic practice was required and Robbie played his part. At the time orthopaedics was developing rapidly, especially with Charnley's development of hip replacement surgery at nearby Wrightington Hospital. Robbie recognised the potential of such surgery to relieve pain and restore mobility, and as a new consultant introduced hip replacement to patients in north Manchester. He subsequently did the same with knee arthroplasty, as well as helping run the paediatric orthopaedic service at Booth Hall. He was made an honorary lecturer by the Victoria University of Manchester because of his teaching qualities and served as chairman of the trauma and orthopaedic subcommittee of the Regional Health Authority from 1985 to 1992, at a time when clinicians were able to influence regional policy. He was an orthopaedic adviser to the Royal College of Surgeons from 1989 to 1992, and was made an FRCS *ad eundem* in 1991. He was an excellent chairman and had the ability to involve all without being intimidating; he made sure there was always a lot of laughter. He retired from the NHS in 1992, but continued in his medico-legal practice for a few years. He was always regarded by his colleagues as 'honest and fair' and his opinion as a medical expert was always respected. He loved sport and excelled at cricket, which he played until he was 50. His hands showed the consequences of decades of wicket keeping. He played in the Central Lancashire Cricket League, just below minor counties level. He was a keen golfer, but did not reach the same level. He was captain of his golf club and president of the Cheshire Union of Golf Clubs. He was a proud Scotsman and it was always a pleasure to hear him address the haggis and spend a Burns Night in his company. He devoted time to his charitable work, helping raise money to establish the Oakwood Leonard Cheshire Home and chaired its management committee for a decade. He was a Rotarian. He was survived by his wife, Ella, who met him whilst she was still at school and he was a first-year medical student, his daughter, Gillian, an ophthalmic surgeon, his son, Graeme, an antique furniture restorer, and two grandchildren. He will be remembered as a man of charity, giving of his time and energy to worthy causes, as well as an excellent orthopaedic surgeon whose abiding passions were his family, cricket and golf.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009324
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Le Brun, Henry Ieuan (1918 - 2013)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Charles Gallannaugh
Publication Date 2013-12-16 2014-01-24
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E004000-E004999/E004700-E004799
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/376970376970
Occupation General surgeon
Details Henry Le Brun was a general surgeon at Lewisham Hospital. He was born on 28 January 1918 in Pontypridd, Glamorgan, in the heart of the mining country, where his father was a mining engineer. His second name 'Ieuan' (Welsh for 'John') and the fact that his mother's maiden name was Thomas reveals his Welsh ancestry. His maternal grandfather was a GP in Hirwaun, a village near Aberdare in the Rhondda valley. His paternal grandfather was vicar of Alderney, the name Le Brun being not uncommon in the Channel Islands. In due course the family moved to Yorkshire, where no doubt his father's experience in mining had led them. Henry went to school at Barnard Castle, but his schooling was interrupted by a severe ear infection, which led to a number of operations to drain the infection in the mastoid bone at a time before antibiotics were discovered. He was left with a profound facial nerve paralysis on one side of his face, together with hearing loss, a burden he bore with great fortitude throughout his life. Despite this severe disability, he clearly rose above it and in due course went up to Sheffield University to study medicine, qualifying MB ChB in 1942. He remained a benefactor of his former university until the end of his life. Clearly he would have been unfit for military service; he continued his studies during the Second World War and after, becoming a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1948. Following registrar appointments at Lincoln and Ashford in Middlesex, and after obtaining his fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1952, he went as a senior registrar to St Mary's Hospital. Here he worked with two leading surgeons of that era - Arthur Dickson Wright and Sir Arthur Porritt. He published in the *British Journal of Surgery*, although he did not write widely, preferring to teach by example. In 1959 he was appointed as a consultant surgeon to Lewisham and Greenwich hospitals, and in later years his work moved entirely to Lewisham. At Lewisham Hospital Henry quickly established a rewarding relationship with J S Staffurth, who was in charge of endocrinology there. These two clinicians had a common interest in the management of thyroid disease and more often than not on a Saturday morning Henry would carry out a partial thyroidectomy. He and Staffurth were part of a small group of clinicians who helped transform the hospital from a former London County Council institution towards the modern era. Over the years Henry, as chairman of the hospital management committee, became a leading figure in developing the link with Guy's Hospital, which led to the introduction of undergraduate teaching at Lewisham. He was assisted in this by a close personal connection with Guy Blackburn at Guy's, and in 1974 was appointed RCS surgical tutor at Lewisham. To assist Henry at a thyroid operation, or indeed any other procedure, was an experience that filled his registrars with admiration. It would not be inappropriate to compare his work to that of a great artist of the past addressing a canvas. Few surgeons reveal the delicacy of touch, the sense of spatial awareness and the knowledge of surgical anatomy which he displayed as he went about his work. He was truly a master craftsman. Henry loved music and opera, and his Bechstein grand piano was a source of great joy to him. He studied Italian to further his enjoyment of opera and later developed an interest in French literature. When he retired and he and his wife moved to Seaford in Sussex he took up cooking with the help of the Cordon Bleu Cookery School, becoming an accomplished chef. Many memorable dinner parties followed at their home. Henry, in the words of his former colleague J S Staffurth in a letter to his widow, was 'a modest and shy man'. Those of us who had the privilege of working with him at a stage of our careers when our early skills were being refined owe him an immense debt of gratitude. Henry did not suffer fools gladly and, like many, could be exasperating at times, but those of us who developed long and lasting friendships with him over the years will remember him as a kind and generous man, who overcame adversity against great odds to become a master surgeon of a type too rarely seen today. Henry Le Brun died peacefully on 6 October 2013 in Eastbourne District Hospital, where he had been admitted from his home after a fall. He was 95. He was survived by his wife, Jennifer.
Resource Identifier RCS: E004787
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Barrett, Graham Stuart (1939 - 2017)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Charles Hudd
Publication Date 2019-01-15
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009500-E009599
Occupation General surgeon
Details Graham Barrett was a general surgeon in Windsor. He was born on 23 November 1939 in Deptford, London. He gained his MB BS in 1962 and his FRCS in 1969. He was a registrar in surgery at Mount Vernon Hospital, Northwood and then a Bernard Sunley research fellow at the Royal College of Surgeons. His senior surgical training was at Charing Cross Hospital, London. He could easily have taken on a London teaching hospital post, but preferred to look after his family and his patients in east Berkshire. He was appointed to the Windsor Group of Hospitals, where he spent his academic and surgical life. This included Windsor, Heatherwood in Ascot, Maidenhead and Wexham Park hospitals. For many years, he also provided single-handed care to patients in Broadmoor Hospital. His private practice included the extended Windsor area, where he was much in demand and provided exceptional care. He was also an honorary clinical tutor to Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, London. Graham was never one to suffer fools gladly, but he mostly kept his own counsel. He knew his own mind and was not one with whom to be messed. He largely hid his outstanding intellect. To me, he was an exceptional colleague, a mentor in very many ways when I was a fledgling consultant. I always welcomed his appearance in my theatre. He would watch my progress and, as he left, give an occasional, helpful comment that spoke volumes, in so doing assisting the development of my career. Graham died on 22 April 2017 at the age of 78. An exceptional man of many talents, he will be sadly missed by his family and his colleagues.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009557
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Price, Evan Reginald (1921 - 2020)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Charles Price
Publication Date 2021-01-06
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009900-E009999
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/384140384140
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon
Details Evan Price was an orthopaedic surgeon in Barnsley, where he worked for nearly 40 years from his appointment as a consultant in 1959. He was born on 22 March 1921 in the village of Llanon in Cardiganshire. His father, Evan James Price, was a farmer who had been a medical student for two years before training as a mechanical engineer; his mother was Anne Florence Lewis. He had two sisters, one of whom, Madeleine, had a paralysed leg following polio at the age of two. Financial difficulties in the late 1920s led the family to move to Cardiff, where his father worked as an engineer in Cardiff docks. Evan went to Cardiff High School for Boys. He was good at schoolwork but was also very practical; he wired the family house as a teenager when electricity came to their street. He decided to apply to do medicine partly because he wanted to contribute to tackling disabilities such as those of his sister. At 17 he entered the University of Wales Medical School in Cardiff, qualifying in 1944. He served in the Royal Army Medical Corps from 1945 to 1948 in Trieste, North Africa and Palestine (Haifa), receiving the Palestine Service medal in 1948. While in the Army he learnt Latin, was taught to drive by a London cabby who also drove the ambulance, and read and memorised huge quantities of poetry, much of which he could still recall 50 years later. On his return to civilian life, he became a senior house officer in Liverpool. He took the external medical degree from the University of London in 1948, and gained the MRCP in 1949. He decided to specialise in orthopaedics ‘because it was clear that orthopaedics could make a quick and lasting difference to many people’s lives’. His MRCP came in very useful when he was a surgical registrar in Bath. A young female doctor, Althea Matthews, asked him if he could help her prepare for the MRCP viva. After she passed, she took him out for dinner. It turned out that Althea also knew the family of the renowned orthopaedic surgeon Norman Capener, who they visited together. They got married two years later. Evan took up the post of senior registrar in orthopaedics in Sheffield, where he worked with the presidents of the British Orthopaedic Association Frank Holdsworth and W J W Sharrard, among others. When the post of consultant orthopaedic surgeon in Barnsley became vacant in 1959, Evan was encouraged to apply. The workload in the 1960s in Barnsley was prodigious. He inherited a four-year waiting list for routine surgery and was responsible for up to 40 inpatients at a time at Barnsley’s Beckett Hospital, plus the accident and emergency department, beds in a convalescent hospital in Penistone, and also beds and one operating session a week at the King Edward VII Orthopaedic Hospital in Sheffield. In addition to him there was another part time consultant and one senior house officer or registrar. He was on call two weeks in three. Working at night and weekends was the norm. He did however take his allocated holidays, exploring far flung corners of the British Isles, including Sark, the Gap of Dunloe in County Kerry, and Argyll. At Christmas he would arrive at the hospital with his wife and children, and with his Siamese cat Vicky on his shoulder. After a ward round involving the whole family, he would proceed to carve the turkey on a trolley in the middle of the ward, occasionally passing a morsel to the cat, to the apparent delight of patients and staff. He enjoyed teaching nurses and paramedical staff and supporting junior colleagues. His registrars, many from Greece, others from India and South East Asia, were frequent visitors to his house and they in turn invited him to visit them. He did several study tours to Greece. Closer to home, he visited John Charnley as well as Ken McKee in Norwich before starting to do total hip replacements in the early sixties. He was very excited about hip replacement surgery and kept a selection of hip prostheses on the mantelpiece to show family and friends. In the late sixties he studied hip trauma in Buffalo, USA. His research interests included techniques for assessing the viability of the femoral head after injury (‘A dye technique for the assessment of viability of the femoral head’ *Proc R Soc Med*. 1961 Dec;54[12]:1101). Planning for the new Barnsley District General Hospital began in the late 1960s and he was actively involved in its design and, with colleagues, also lobbied for an additional orthopaedic consultant or two. He took the opportunity of a temporary closure of theatres to push for the latest in orthopaedic tent and air flow technology to be used in the interim. Inevitably the new hospital, which opened in 1974, turned out not to meet all expectations, but it did coincide with an expansion of staffing. At the same time changes in ethical codes and NHS management put a stop to the turkey carving! After his official retirement in 1986, he continued to work for the NHS part time well into his seventies as a locum and on waiting list initiatives. He also worked for the charity Remap, making custom-made equipment for disabled people, and continued to provide opinions on medico-legal matters. He saw his last patient just before his 80th birthday. He remained active in his later years as a student and lecturer in the University of the Third Age and died of ‘old age’ at the age of 99. Predeceased by his wife Althea, who died in 2005, he was survived by his three children – Charles, Penelope and Elizabeth.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009908
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Barrie, William Wright (1945 - 2023)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Raitt
Publication Date 2024-06-06
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010600-E010699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/388129388129
Occupation General surgeon Vascular surgeon Laparoscopic surgeon
Details Bill Barrie was a consultant general surgeon who was a driving force in developing surgery, and laparoscopic surgery in particular, at Leicester General Hospital. He was born on 22 May 1945 in Glasgow, the son of Robert Barrie, an engineer at the engineering firm G and J Weir, and Annie Barrie née Wright. He attended Coatbridge High School and, with the encouragement of his local GP, attained the necessary qualifications to study medicine at the University of Glasgow. In addition to achieving this goal, Bill became president of Glasgow University Union and, as speaker of the house, chaired debates which involved luminaries such as the future politicians John Smith and Menzies Campbell. He also met his future wife, Lucille Groundwater, a fellow medical student, became a passionate cyclist and purchased a red Austin Healey 3000, which he owned until his death. He graduated MB ChB in 1968 and undertook house jobs in Dumfries and Glasgow. He continued his training in general and vascular surgery, including spending 18 months as a research fellow at the State University of New York. He returned to the UK in 1977 to a post of lecturer in surgery at Leicester General Hospital under Peter Bell. In 1980 he was awarded the degree of MD from the University of Glasgow for a thesis on ‘Influence of haematocrit and fibrinogen concentration on vascular resistance’. In collaboration with Bell, he co-authored a book *Operative arterial surgery* (Bristol, Wright), published in 1981. His enthusiasm for hard work led to his appointment to the post of consultant general surgeon in 1978 at Leicester, with an interest in vascular surgery. He was a good general surgeon and he approached everything he did with great gusto and dedicated application. Whilst he was a true general surgeon, during his years as a consultant various aspects of surgery became specialties in their own right: breast surgery, upper GI and latterly vascular surgery itself, were separated off from general surgery. Bill saw the writing on the wall and, with his customary enthusiasm, decided to develop his skills in laparoscopic surgery. Hitherto the domain of gynaecologists, new engineering led to the availability of equipment for undertaking complex intra-abdominal surgery and Bill recognised the benefits that could accrue for his patients, particularly in the post-operative period. He took some sabbatical leave and returned to America, where the general surgeons were well ahead in developing the techniques. On his return, he constructed a contraption consisting of a cardboard box and a large mirror so that he could become skilled in camera manipulation, dissection and knot tying. This became a vital aid on the many training courses he went on to run in Leicester. He became one of the first surgeons in the UK to undertake laparoscopic cholecystectomy and then moved on to add herniorrhaphy and bowel resection to his practice. After a visit to his alma mater, he started to perform thoracic sympathectomy by laparoscopy and was the first to publish a short series on these patients who were managed as day cases. He was a keen exponent of day case surgery and, by the turn of the century, he regularly performed laparoscopic cholecystectomy and herniorrhaphy for patients and had a very low admission rate postoperatively. He was a founder member of the Association of Endoscopic Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland. The rapid expansion of this technique led to some well publicised disasters, thus leading to the need for improved training. Bill established one of the first training units using audio-visual links from the operating theatre to lecture theatres in hospitals around the country. He had a justified reputation as a good teacher, and he was held in high regard by medical students and trainees alike. Many of the over 50 publications which bear his name featured the senior registrars who passed through his firm, reflecting his commitment to advancing the science and to encouraging personal development. He served as clinical sub dean at the University of Leicester and, when the NHS transformed itself into a business, Bill foresaw that the appropriate place to ensure the best for his patients was from inside the management structure. When Leicester General Hospital became an NHS trust, he was the foundation clinical director of surgery – a large directorate, which included urology, anaesthesia and critical care and theatres. He was a great success as a manager, probably to the surprise of many, for he had been very critical of ‘management’ in the pre-trust days which, in Leicester, saw resources being allocated by a distant board in Sheffield. There were three hospital trusts in Leicester and there was a risk that the General Hospital, without the medical school (at Leicester Royal Infirmary) and cardiothoracic (at Glenfield) might become the poor relation. Bill relished the challenge of protecting the General from that risk and it was due to his presence, fearlessness before establishment lions, and his clear thinking that the hospital not only maintained an important place in the east Midlands, but that it flourished and became a leading centre for hepatobiliary surgery, renal medicine and surgery and sports medicine. Eventually the three trusts in Leicester amalgamated into one gigantic organisation and Bill did not seek the post of surgical supremo. His wife Lucille had become seriously ill and died in 2002. His appetite for work was undimmed, however, and he continued to champion day case surgery, passing on his laparoscopic skills to trainees, and kept up his thriving private practice. Although he was gregarious and enthusiastic with his hospitality, he was very private regarding his achievements, and he did not cultivate favours within his professional life. His interests out with medicine included cycling, skiing and motor cars. His single-mindedness could be illustrated by his reaction to breaking an ankle while skiing in Austria. Instead of accepting the advice of the local orthopaedic surgeons, who were dealing with countless similar injuries every day, he hobbled onto a plane and took himself off to a home colleague for treatment. The next day he was to be found in the operating theatre operating on his patients with his leg supported on a theatre trolley. He eventually moved out into the countryside and rediscovered his love of cycling, becoming a very active and supportive member of the Welland Valley Cycling Club. He was particularly interested in encouraging the younger members of the club to become involved in competitive cycling events. Bill, himself, participated in L’Étape du Tour de France. He met and married Sheelagh Shaen-Carter, an architect who had redesigned his new house in Medbourne. Sadly, he was diagnosed with prostatic cancer in 2008. In typical fashion, he refused to accept that the only answer was radical surgery or feminising hormones, both of which would mean the end of his cycling activities. He took advice from Nottingham, Leeds, Bristol and Leicester, in each of which he received excellent care. That he survived for another 15 years was a reflection of his determination and courage. He died on 22 October 2023. He was 78. His enthusiasm and commitment to life was reflected in his work and dedication to his patients, as well as his support for the base hospital in which he worked and extended into his family life.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010628
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Hobbs, Kenneth Edward Frederick (1936 - 2022)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Charles Wolfe
Publication Date 2022-08-01
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010100-E010199
Occupation Hepatobiliary surgeon General surgeon
Details Ken Hobbs was a professor of surgery at the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine and a pioneer in the field of liver surgery. He was born in London on 28 December 1936, the son of Thomas Edward Ernest Hobbs and Gladys May Hobbs née Neave. He moved as a child to south Norfolk and attended school in Bury St Edmunds. He went on to Guy’s Hospital Medical School, qualifying in 1960. His aim was always to be a clinical academic and, after a series of prestigious junior hospital appointments in London and Bristol, and gaining his FRCS in 1964, Ken became a lecturer in surgery at Bristol in 1966. During this time he went to Harvard as a senior research fellow and went back to Bristol to a senior lecturer appointment in 1970. In 1973 he was appointed to the inaugural chair in surgery at the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine with a focus on liver disease and transplantation, working closely with Sheila Sherlock in the medical unit. He built up the academic department on the Hampstead campus with particularly memorable Friday morning grand rounds that were open to students and staff. Early on he displayed his passion for the education of both undergraduates and postgraduates with various roles at the Royal Free and University of London, culminating in his appointment as dean of the faculty of medicine, University of London (from 1994 to 1998). In his last few years of practice, and well into retirement, he served on committees of the General Medical Council, becoming the deputy chair of the professional conduct committee and then co-chair of the professional standards committee. He was a key medical panellist on the inquiry into the deaths of children at Bristol Royal Infirmary following heart surgery. In addition to this full schedule of activities, Ken authored over 100 papers and numerous textbook chapters. One of Ken’s great passions was travel, and international clinical practice and academic links were central to this facet of his life. He trained a cohort of surgeons who went on to be senior clinicians and academics in their own countries and he was awarded many international degrees and accolades for his work. In addition, he was a UK member and subsequent chair of a Swiss organisation, the Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation, which provides funds for aid, medicine and the arts. He returned to Norfolk in 1988, entertaining friends and colleagues with his superb culinary creations and, after retirement, travelled to India and other continents extensively. He was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2021 and died peacefully at home in July 2022. He was 85.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010149
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Pickering, Trevor George (1934 - 2021)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Cheryl Pickering
Publication Date 2022-04-04 2022-04-19
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010100-E010199
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/385609385609
Occupation Vascular surgeon General surgeon
Details Trevor Pickering was a consultant surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, a member of Australia’s first successful transplant team and president of the Australian Medical Association (AMA). He was born in Adelaide, South Australia, the only child of Hilda Hale Bleckly and George Joseph Sydney Pickering, on 30 April 1934. From the age of five, he never wavered in his conviction that he would become a doctor. Trevor attended Rose Park Primary School, where in his grade two class photograph he can be seen standing side by side with his future wife, Marilyn (‘Lindy’) Chartres. His senior schooling was at St Peter’s College, where he was awarded house colours and won the headmaster’s prize. Trevor studied medicine at Adelaide University, marrying Lindy in his final year. After graduating, Trevor spent an intern year at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, and then accepted a position at the Ashburton Public Hospital on the South Island of New Zealand. The plan was to spend 12 months in New Zealand before returning to a rural general practice in South Australia. However, at the urging of the Ashburton Hospital surgeon and with Lindy’s unequivocal support, Trevor instead headed to London as a ship’s surgeon with the FRCS in his sights, Lindy accompanying him and pregnant with their first child. Trevor sat the written primary exams but was then bedridden with a severe case of flu and was unable to go into London to take the oral exams. Devastated, and down to their last £30, Trevor and Lindy scoured the ‘situations vacant’ section of the *British Medical Journal*. Warwick Hospital offered Trevor the post of house surgeon, and they moved into the tiny flat above the pathology lab. (Years later, Lindy still remembered the smell!) From Warwick they moved to Aylesbury – where ice constantly covered the insides of the flat windows, and Trevor studied in the kitchen huddled in blankets – and then to Cuckfield and Bury St Edmunds. After three years of combining work, study and new fatherhood, Trevor was finally able to send a telegram to his parents: ‘Just call me mister!’ The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in Adelaide immediately offered Trevor a position as a senior surgical registrar, and thus Trevor began an association with the QEH that was to last 35 years. It was here that, in 1965, Trevor assisted Bill Proudman on the donor side of the first successful live kidney donor transplant in Australia. Trevor also worked as an emergency surgeon at the Adelaide Children’s Hospital, was a visiting surgeon at regional hospitals in Murray Bridge and Snowtown, consulted at the St Agnes Medical Centre and was a consultant vascular surgeon at Modbury Hospital. For a time, he was also the vascular consultant on the QEH Jepson unit, returning to general surgery in about 1980. As a surgeon he was measured, calm, reassuring, compassionate and highly respected. Trevor gave some 20 years of his life to medical politics, holding many positions, including president of the council of the Physiotherapy Association in South Australia, vice president and president of the AMA (South Australia), and treasurer, vice president and president of the federal AMA. He is the only South Australian to have achieved the double presidencies. Trevor was a stabilising force in a combative period of medical politics following the introduction of Medicare in 1975, advocating for measures to maintain high standards of care. Trevor served as chairman of the Peer Review Resource Centre, which established peer review and quality assurance in Australia, and was on the executive of the Australian Council on Hospital Standards. He served on the Medical Benefits Schedule Revision Committee and made significant contributions to aged care. In 1990, he chaired the AMA (South Australia) working party on euthanasia, which took the first steps towards accepting euthanasia for patients with terminal illness. Trevor’s most enduring legacy to the AMA was the establishing of a new constitution. Trevor engaged Sir Robert Cotton, a recently retired Australian ambassador to the United Nations, to undertake a constitutional review. This culminated in the Cotton Report, wide-ranging debate, and a personally and professionally punishing three years, in particular in fighting the anti-centrist sentiment of the Victorian and New South Wales branches. The eventual reform of the structure of the AMA was the greatest achievement of Trevor’s leadership. Trevor’s reflections on power, written after his AMA experiences, hold strong resonance for the contemporary world: ‘Generally, if the possession of power does matter to an individual then maybe that person should not have power vested in them. Some people have to accept power and authority, but they must be chosen carefully. An organisation will function properly if power is distributed wisely and tempered with wisdom, justice and compassion.’ Trevor lived his life by two simple principles which he took on at an early age and never wavered from: ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’ and ‘Love thy neighbour as thyself’. ‘Once these principles are accepted’, said Trevor, ‘respect for others, truth, empathy, compassion, tolerance and humility naturally follow. These principles in no way interfere with one’s search for goals along one’s journey in life, but simply determine the manner in which they are achieved. A fierce determination to succeed should never ignore these qualities.’ Trevor continued to serve the profession in retirement, notably as a member of the disciplinary tribunal of the then Medical Board of South Australia. He also spent a day a week mentoring Guy Maddern, professor and head of surgery at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital who said of Trevor: ‘he knew it all – the personalities, the tactics, the realities and the history.’ Trevor was a man of quiet and modest self-assurance who lived with integrity and compassion. As a surgeon he was generous with his insights, experience and care of not only patients but also colleagues, students and trainees over a lifetime of surgical service. His huge contribution to medical politics was achieved with careful and respectful negotiation, making all stakeholders feel heard and seen. He earned many accolades over his career, including an OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia), yet it was the Gold Medal of the AMA that he valued most highly as true recognition by his peers for what he had achieved for the profession. In their many happy years of retirement together, Trevor and Lindy travelled Australia in their caravan, embarked on cruises with friends, and re-acquainted themselves with London and the UK on visits to their England-based daughter. An avid photographer, Trevor was rarely seen without his camera over his shoulder, and he leaves a magnificent photographic legacy of their travels. Trevor and Lindy were together for seven decades, celebrating their 63rd wedding anniversary just a few days before Lindy died. Trevor died on 29 July 2021 at the age of 87 and was survived by his children, Cheryl and Craig, and by his grandchildren Alex, Thomas, Martha and Saskia.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010100
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Dinsdale, Reginald Christopher Walter (1926 - 2016)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Chris Dinsdale
Publication Date 2023-07-06
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010300-E010399
Occupation Oral surgeon
Details Reg Dinsdale was born in Leeds on 17 October 1926, son of dentist Reginald BT Dinsdale and of Beatrice May. He decided to follow in his father’s footsteps, gaining his BChD at Leeds University in 1949, where he met Fay, his future wife. After qualification with a distinction in operative dental surgery, he worked as a house officer at Leeds Infirmary before joining the Royal Navy. He later transferred to the Royal Naval Reserve where he gained the rank of Surgeon Lieutenant Commander, gaining the Volunteer Reserve Decoration towards the end of his service. In 1959, he was appointed Consultant and Honorary Lecturer in Sheffield, specialising in oral surgery, after holding training posts at Guys and Newcastle and where he remained until retirement in 1990. He was involved in teaching students from the outset and was known for his kindness and approachability. Many of his past students and colleagues remember his meticulous clinical skills and gentle chair-side manner. Reg was involved in postgraduate education and served as postgraduate dental dean for the Trent region from 1976-81. He played a major part in developing the national vocational training scheme. He also enjoyed research and innovation, publishing over 50 articles and papers, and writing two books. His book, published in 1985 by the *British Dental Journal* aimed at general practitioners, *Viral hepatitis, aids and dental treatment* was a popular reference book and to be found in most dental practices of the time. He felt very privileged to be awarded an honorary MD by the University of Sheffield in 1989 in recognition of his service to the dental profession. He was a lifelong member of the BDA, serving as South Yorkshire Branch President in 1983, and was elected fellow of the BDA in 1989. Reg retired in 1990, and he and Fay had more time to pursue a life-long interest in sailing, together with worldwide travel; however, he was devastated by Fay’s death in 1993. He later married Jill and they were able to enjoy a very happy retirement together until his final illness. Reg died on 9 February 2016 at the age of 89 and leaves Jill, his sons, Christopher, a retired dental surgeon, and Richard, a consultant anaesthetist, together with four grandchildren, three great grandchildren and an extended step family. His passing will be felt not only by his family but many former colleagues and friends who knew or worked with him, both in Sheffield and elsewhere.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010312
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Thomson, Robert George Nighy (1935 - 2019)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Chris Faux
Publication Date 2019-10-22 2020-01-06
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009600-E009699
Occupation Urologist
Details Robert George Nighy Thomson, always known as Bob, was a urologist for Preston and Chorley hospitals. He was born in Northern Ireland on 23 May 1935. His father, Douglas Charles Thomson, was an electrical engineer; his mother, Margaret Elsie Thomson née Nighy, was a nurse. He grew up in Weybridge, where he attended St George’s College, attaining prizes for French and the school debating prize. He attended St Bartholomew’s Medical School and qualified with the conjoint examination in 1959 and the MB BS in 1960. After training in Reading, London and Liverpool, where he was a fellow of the Merseyside Association for Kidney Research from 1967 to 1968, in 1970 he was appointed as a consultant urologist to Preston and Chorley. We had adjacent wards and operating theatres and were colleagues for over 40 years. At this time, Preston was very busy and desperately understaffed – there were only two urologists for the whole of the area including Blackpool and up to Lancaster, as well as Chorley and South Ribble. His working week was always seven days, regardless of whether he was on call or not. All patients were seen daily and many twice a day. Bob’s enthusiasm, teaching and operative techniques were in high demand both by patients and also by juniors in training. Advice and joint projects and papers were regular features with juniors. At the hospital, he was renowned for enormous lists, no cancellations and excellent communication skills, particularly with those unfortunate enough to have cancer. He was clinical director of surgery from 1991 to 1994 and president of the Preston Medico-Ethical Society. He was on the committee for St Joseph’s Hospital, a private hospital in the centre of Preston, and then on the planning committee for Fulwood Hall Hospital when demand outgrew St Joseph’s. Patients were paramount, as were his large and extended family. His latest great grandchild was born just weeks before he died. He married Helen in 1961 and she kept the home fires burning superbly over the years, as well as working as a medical secretary. Sunday lunches and Christmas meals were her forte for all the family. When one of the four children got her PhD as a psychologist, Bob was delighted and said she was the only ‘real doctor’ in the family! He had many interests outside medicine, including bridge, gardening and golf. He was not only the ex-captain of Preston Golf Club, but for years was one of the medical volunteers at the open golf tournaments, both locally and in Scotland. For over 14 years he was also a doctor for the Diocese of Lancaster, taking patients on trips to Lourdes. He seemed to have used up several of his nine lives over the years: he was cured of cancer in the 1970s, had a subarachnoid bleed in the 1980s and, more recently, had a bypass and stents for arterial blockage in the groin! Nothing seemed to get him down or stopped him from leaping back to work at the first available opportunity. Meetings, get-togethers and parties for all staff were a regular occurrence in the Thomson calendar. He showed us all how it should be done and in the local community he became the doctors’ urological doctor. Bob died on 1 September 2019 at the age of 84 and was survived by his wife Helen, children Catherine, Andrew, Joanne and Gillian, 11 grandchildren and five great grandchildren. His wise counsel and enthusiasm will be sadly missed.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009664
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Lallemand, Roger Christopher (1935 - 2015)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Chris Lallemand
Publication Date 2014-12-08 2015-02-06
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E006000-E006999/E006500-E006599
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/378693378693
Occupation General surgeon
Details Roger Lallemand was a consultant surgeon at Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey. He was born on 21 September 1935 in Kitwe, Northern Rhodesia, the son of Joseph François Lallemand (from Ciney, Belgium) and Gladys Ann Lallemand née Else (from Bexley, Kent). Roger started school in Nkana aged four, but when he was six he was sent to Whitestone School in Bulawayo, two days journey from Kitwe by train. Although he did not know it at the time, his mother was sick with an ill defined condition that eventually took her to Cape Town to be cared for by John Fleming Brock at Groote Schuur Hospital. Roger had no health problems, apart from an occasional attack of malaria, treated by quinine and a good sweat. Unfortunately, his mother's condition did not improve and she died in 1945 in Cape Town while Roger was at boarding school. His father took him to England to stay with his aunt's family in Staines and he went to School at Epsom College. Having met fellow pupils from medical backgrounds, he decided to pursue studies in medicine and gained a place at St John's College, Cambridge. He was a talented sportsman: he represented his college at hockey, later becoming club captain, and played in the university team (the Wanderers). He also won an oar in the St John's medical boat at the May bumping races on the river Cam. He eventually graduated and went to London to Guy's Hospital. While at Cambridge he was introduced to Nicole, a charming young lady from the Belgian Congo, who was taking her English proficiency examination while staying at Lady Margaret House. They eventually became engaged, but had to wait until 1959 to be wed. Roger qualified MRCS LRCP in 1961 and MB Chir in 1962, and was appointed as a houseman at Guy's, the first time any of his chiefs had had a married house surgeon. He gained some experience as a general practitioner while studying for the preliminary examinations of the Royal College of Surgeons. While on the teaching staff of the physiology department at Guy's with J N Hunt, he completed a paper on the sedative properties of simple analgesics, published in the *British Journal of Pharmacology* (*Br J Pharmacol.* 1969 Oct;37[2]:450-8). He was also developing an interest in vascular studies and published two papers relating to the causes of abdominal aortic aneurysm in the *British Medical Journal* ('Vessel dimensions in premature altheromatous disease of aortic bifurcation.' *Br Med J.* 1972 Apr 29;2[5808]:255-7) and in *Surgery, Gynecology & Obstetrics* ('Role of the bifurcation in atheromatosis of the abdominal aorta.' *Surg Gynecol Obstet.* 1973 Dec;137[6]:987-90). There was also a presentation to the Surgical Research Society while he was researching the effects of sympathectomy on digital blood flow. He eventually moved to Guildford as a registrar and, after a spell as a senior registrar at Guy's Hospital, he was appointed as a consultant surgeon at Frimley Park Hospital in 1972. He was developing an interest in surgical oncology and was among the founder members of the Melanoma Study Group. Having developed skills of endoscopy with colleagues at Frimley Park Hospital, he was among the first to take to laparoscopic surgery and colonoscopy. Teaching operative surgery was a major interest and Frimley Park was a popular training post on the circuit from St George's Hospital in London. Thanks to a colleague who developed a close liaison with Switzerland, Frimley Park was also a popular training appointment for visiting surgeons from the University of Basel. He also published papers in the *Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England*, *Clinical Oncology* and the *British Medical Journal*. Roger was also the chairman of the 1988 appeal to raise funds for an ultrasound scanner. The funds were raised, and Farnham and Frimley hospitals became the first in the southwest Thames area to benefit from this diagnostic equipment. This appeal attracted the personal support of local MP at the time, Virginia Bottomley, and her then cabinet minister husband Peter. In the words of one former colleague, Dick Rainsbury, surgeon at Winchester Hospital, Roger 'has always been a staunch advocate of high standards of clinical practice, and an exemplar of what can be achieved through attention to detail. His total commitment, first and foremost to his patients, and his dedication to the training of generations of surgical registrars is legendary. His resistance to falling standards of care has been a force for good - something which has influenced many of his colleagues and juniors throughout their careers.' Back in the early 1990s, after a national review had identified waiting lists at Frimley Park Hospital as being amongst the longest in the country, Roger put forward a case for a major expansion in staffing to cope with the workload, alongside the hospital's chief executive Sir Andrew Morris. This led to the appointment of three more consultants and several other medical staff. Roger was a very early adopter of screening - supporting the implementation of methods for looking for breast and bowel cancer long before these diseases had a chance of becoming life-threatening. As a former colleague attested, many of the early recommendations which he adopted and supported have become embedded into clinical practice today. He was always a strong advocate of patient-driven recovery - encouraging patients to draw on their own reserves, to eat a healthy diet, to exercise and to engage family and friends to help and support their recovery. He was always a great organiser and networker, engaging with his local and national colleagues to influence and bring about significant changes in clinical practice by promoting new opportunities for education and training. He was president of the British Association of Surgical Oncologists and co-edited *Diagnosis and management of melanoma in clinical practice* (London, Springer-Verlag, 1992), essential reading for anybody involved in the study or management of melanoma. As a Farnham resident, Roger was well known in many social circles, particularly at Hankley Common Golf Club, and latterly through the Farnham Society, Probus and the Military History Society at the University of the Third Age, where he was noted for his talks on the French Resistance in the Vercors region during the Second World War. He was a keen and knowledgeable gardener. Many gardening conversations were punctuated with his compendious knowledge of Latin genus names, a language in which he excelled while at school. He became passionate about forestry, having developed an interest in this area after one of his sons chose forestry as a career. He purchased woodland in Hindhead and particularly enjoyed toiling away at the practical maintenance of the grounds. Many of his wide circle of friends and colleagues will also remember him for the parties held at this woodland, often accompanied by live music and rustic barbecues, and, on several occasions in the winter, by the children delightedly returning home with freshly cut Christmas trees. He was also a keen member of the congregation at St Thomas-on-the-Bourne parish church, where he supported youth work initiatives, some connected to promoting his enjoyment of cycling, a hobby he developed when his two sons presented him with a bicycle upon retirement. Tuesdays were cycling days, when he and a friend could be found winding their way round the numerous cycleways of southwest Surrey. He was a member of the Tilford Road Residents Association, which led to active campaigning for the safe traffic management of this busy local road with its nearby school. Roger's final years were blighted by Parkinson's and, in the final stages, by prostate cancer. His wife of 55 years was unfailingly devoted to him at this difficult end to his rich life. He still derived much pleasure from the late advent of grandchildren in his life and will be fondly remembered and deeply missed by them. Roger Lallemand died on 16 January 2015, aged 79, and was survived by his wife Nicole and his two sons, Christopher and Mark.
Resource Identifier RCS: E006510
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Mitchell, Robert Mervyn (1925 - 2019)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Chris Mitchell
Publication Date 2021-07-05
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009900-E009999
Occupation General surgeon Thyroid surgeon Breast surgeon
Details Robert Mitchell qualified in Medicine at the University of Otago gaining the Gold Medal in Anatomy and the Senior Scholarship in Medicine. He undertook the BMedSci and his degree thesis, postnatal development in the rat adrenal, was published in 1948 and attracted interest. This demonstrated his early enthusiasm and aptitude for research. He was awarded a New Zealand Universities Travelling Scholarship to the United Kingdom and worked his passage over as a ship’s doctor in early 1952. He was employed as a Registrar at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. Whilst in England, he obtained the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons. On returning to New Zealand in 1953 he worked as a Senior Surgical Registrar, later Senior Lecturer in the Department of Surgery, University of Otago. During this time he developed an interest in renal research demonstrated through publications with Michael Woodruff. In 1959 he became Reader in Surgery at the University of Queensland and surgeon in the Royal Brisbane Hospital. His enthusiasm for medical research led him in 1964 to be awarded a Carnegie Travel Grant to study surgical techniques and the teaching of surgery in medical schools in the United States and Canada. This he combined with a sabbatical year as Research Fellow in Surgery at Harvard Medical School and Harvey Cushing Fellow in the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. In the Peter Bent Brigham, with Joseph Murray’s team, he was amongst the international vanguard of the rapidly developing research into preventing rejection in renal transplantation. This work included early study of whether antilymphocyte serum was effective as an immunosuppressive agent for homografts. The work he did in Boston resulted in papers published with Joseph Murray (subsequently 1990 Nobel 1 prizewinner for the development of kidney and bone-marrow transplants) and focused much of his subsequent surgical career. Following his return to Brisbane in 1965 he worked in the Princess Alexandra Hospital and was Acting Professor of Surgery University of Queensland. In 1967 he was appointed to the Foundation Chair of Surgery at the University of Tasmania, a position he held until 1977. During this time he undertook responsibility for setting up the new Department of Surgery in Hobart. He performed the first renal transplantations in Tasmania. In 1977 he moved to a Chair of Surgery at the University of New South Wales where, at St George Hospital, he specialised in thyroid and breast surgery. His other roles included Director of the Australian Kidney Foundation, Chairman of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee of the Australian Kidney Foundation, Member of the Examinations Committee of the Australian Medical Council, Chairman of the Cancer Care Committee at St George Hospital, Member of the National Health & Medical Research Council Scientific Committee and President of the Surgical Research Society. Following his retirement from surgery in 1987, he was Visiting Surgeon and Chairman of the Quality Committee of the Division of Surgery at St George Hospital. In 2001 he became Emeritus Professor, University of New South Wales. He undertook medico-legal consultant work in Sydney from 1988 until he moved to his retirement home in Ballina in 2002. He retained his life-long interest and devotion to medical research but was then also able to more fully enjoy his oil painting, boating and international travel. Robert Mitchell was born in Thames, New Zealand on 6th December 1925, to parents Jack and Florence (née Hockenhull). He was the eldest of three children. Through hard work and a love of learning he became Dux of Thames High School and won a scholarship to study in Auckland from where he was successful in getting into the University of Otago. His father Jack was a school woodwork teacher and Robert became the first member of his family to study at university. A love of woodworking and appreciation of practical skills was his inheritance from his father and remained with him throughout his life. Robert Mitchell was widely regarded as a concerned and caring practitioner and by his students as a fine teacher. His wife Ruth (née Adams) was his contemporary at medical school and an accomplished mountaineer who had been one of the four who had climbed the South Ridge of Mt Cook for the first time in 1948. She later excelled in the field of Pathology and electron microscopy. She pre-deceased him in 1990. They had three children. Robert Mitchell passed away peacefully on 20th September 2019 in Ballina.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009986
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Berry, David Curtis (1921 - 2017)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Chris Stephens
Publication Date 2023-07-05
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010200-E010299
Occupation Dental prosthetist, Dental surgeon
Details David Berry was professor and head of the department of dental prosthetics and orthodontics at the University of Bristol. He was born on 9 August 1921 in Bridgwater, Somerset, the son of Francis Grant Berry, a wholesale grocer, and Ethel Berry née Curtis. He had a younger sister, Hilary. After completing a year of medical school at Bristol, he joined the RAF in 1941 and went to Rhodesia to be trained as a pilot on tiger moths, coming out top of his class. He was then posted to north Africa, where he flew spitfires supporting the 7th Armoured Division (the Desert Rats). He subsequently returned to England, as a flying instructor at RAF Burnaston in Derbyshire. He was demobilised in October 1945, by which time he had already decided he did not want to return to studying medicine. By chance he met one of his Bristol professors on Reading station, who suggested he transfer to the dental school. This he did, qualifying in 1949 with the dental gold medal for his year. He went on to a resident house officer post at Bristol Royal Infirmary, during which time, as was the custom, his initials were carved into the wooden Victorian dental chair in the house officers’ room. Following the publication of the Teviot report on dentistry in 1946 and the establishment of the National Health Service, there was a rapid expansion in dental undergraduate numbers, which in Bristol increased fourfold over the next 20 years. David Berry, already identified by Arthur Darling, the newly appointed director of dental studies, as an outstanding student, was now appointed as a lecturer in dental prosthetics working under Arthur Oliver Chick David completed his MDS in 1952 but, realising that he required a doctorate to progress further in an academic career, he resigned in 1953 to undertake research in the department of anatomy. He soon joined the newly established British Society for the Study of Prosthetic Dentistry, of which he would become president ten years later. When Chick left Bristol to join the staff of the Royal Dental Hospital in London, David Barry was appointed as a consultant and senior lecturer in dental prosthetics, initially working under the nominal direction of Eric Bradford. It was only later that he became professor and head of the new department of dental prosthetics and orthodontics. This rather old-fashioned alliance between prosthetics and orthodontics was not abandoned in Bristol until the mid 1980s: it was founded on the need which both specialties had for technical laboratory support. The new professor of dental prosthetics became responsible for 30 production technicians and six dental instructors, and inherited the problem of filling technician vacancies. With the help of the regional dental officer, Tom Dowell, this serious problem was solved by the setting up of a Bristol-based south west regional technical training scheme, which soon re-established a skilled and contented body of technicians at the school. Following on from David’s earlier work in the department of anatomy, research in the department now focused on the interplay between dental occlusion and temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Around the same time, the early 1980s, visiting Americans were promoting ‘gnathology’, or the study of the masticatory system, its physiology, functional disturbances and treatment. Many patients were persuaded by their well-meaning general dental practitioners to undergo extensive full mouth dental reconstruction to cure or prevent temporomandibular joint pain. David and his postgraduate students showed the wide diurnal variation in dental occlusion – meaning there was no fixed intercuspal relationship upon which such treatment could be based. As a consequence, full mouth rehabilitation soon fell out of favour in the UK. David was a highly successful dental clinical dean, where his quietly spoken, sympathetic advice helped many a troubled student, and was subsequently pressed to accept the poisoned chalice of dean of the faculty of medicine, with overall governance of the schools of medicine, dentistry, veterinary and preclinical sciences and a budget of £30 million. He accepted the daunting task with his usual quiet efficiency. His period in office saw increasing emphasis on continuing professional education, which led to the establishment of regional postgraduate medical and dental deans throughout the UK. So, it was not surprising that, once he retired in March 1984, he took on the role of the first postgraduate dental dean for the south west region. In the same year, he had the satisfaction of seeing two of his former lecturers gaining chairs – Bob Yemm in Dundee and Chris Stephens, who headed the new department of child dental health at Bristol, which David had worked so hard to establish. David’s three-year period as a notionally part-time postgraduate dean saw the introduction of vocational training courses for newly qualified dentists, a great increase in the number of courses for dental practitioners, as well as an expansion of higher specialty training in the south west region. To his colleagues, Dave was a kind but very private person. On the eve of his retirement, he requested there be no presentation and no formal dinner, but the timely intervention of his wife Liz (née Morgan) ensured that an informal dinner was held with a few close friends and colleagues, which he greatly enjoyed. After he fully retired, he moved to Exebridge, where he became a full-time water bailiff. A fly fisherman of some repute, this suited him perfectly, with a house conveniently placed beside the river Exe and opposite the local pub. Shortly afterwards, he met up with an old RAF friend and they flew tiger moths from an aerodrome in Devon and Dave found, unlike his colleague, that he had lost none of his former skill. David Berry died peacefully on 31 October 2017 at the age of 96. He will be remembered by many generations of Bristol dental graduates as a quietly spoken, kindly and immensely knowledgeable clinician.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010298
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Stephenson, John Christopher (1929 - 2020)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Chris Stephens
Publication Date 2023-07-03
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010200-E010299
Occupation Dental surgeon
Details It was very fortunate that at the end of the Second World War a local dentist who played golf with Chris’ father suggested that Chris – who enjoyed making model aircraft and seemed to be quite bright – might make a success of dentistry as a career. As a result, he became a pioneering consultant in orthodontics at Bristol, and the south west region and the Dental School went on to gain an outstanding reputation for the treatment of patients with cleft lip and palate. J C Stephenson was born in Blackburn in 1928 and qualified from Guy’s in 1954. After time in general practice in Woolwich, during which he attended the primary fellowship course at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, he joined the first full time orthodontic postgraduate course at the Eastman Dental Hospital in London, run by Clifford Ballard. He gained his diploma in orthodontics in 1956 and his fellowship of the Faculty of Dental Surgery a year later, after which he applied successfully for the senior registrar post at the Bristol Dental School, where Bill Nicol was the sole orthodontic consultant. In addition, Bill was responsible for giving orthodontic advice to the School Dental Service and the treatment of babies born with cleft lip and palate who went to the Bristol Children’s Hospital from all over the south west region. Following a General Dental Council visitation to the Bristol Dental School in 1962, a recommendation was made for an additional orthodontic consultant and Chris was well placed to apply successfully for the new post the following year. The appointment included two days at Bath and two sessions a week teaching Bristol dental undergraduates. In a rearrangement of local services, Chris took over the early dental treatment of cleft patients from Bill Nicol and, as these children went on to cleft repair at the regional plastic surgery unit at Frenchay Hospital, this meant Chris became the unofficial orthodontic consultant there, working closely initially with Denis Bodenham and, after 1969, with his successor Ron Pigott. Chris’ initial limited accommodation at Bath had been part of the former American Army Hospital and comprised a small surgery with one dental chair, no laboratory and limited X-ray facilities. In the subsequent 30 years, Chris’ efforts resulted in a fully equipped department at the Royal United Hospital (RUH) at Bath, with a linked senior registrar post and a second consultant appointed in 1987. As important, behind the scenes Chris achieved a new orthodontic consultant post at Frenchay, which allowed further development of the cleft lip and palate services there. Three years after Chris retired UK cleft lip and palate services were reviewed nationally to rationalise treatment, then being carried out at over 250 hospitals. As a result, Bristol became one of eight new national centres, producing occlusal and facial results which match the best in Europe, as well as being a centre for ground-breaking research. I first met Chris in 1971 when I came to Bristol to take up a junior lectureship in the orthodontic department of the Dental School. At that time some senior consultants still used to arrive with ponderous gravitas at about 10am. Chris used to bound into the department every Tuesday at 8.50, ready to supervise his group of undergraduates with all the cheerful enthusiasm of a new house surgeon. Two years later, when my senior academic colleague took up a regional consultant post and our senior registrar left to take up a consultant appointment, the Bristol department staff was reduced from five to three, presenting considerable problems in maintaining our service and teaching commitments. At the time there was a national shortage of both senior academic and junior hospital staff and, having advertised unsuccessfully for a new senior registrar for a year, Chris, with typical helpfulness, persuaded Bath to readvertise his unfilled senior registrar post as a registrar. Duly appointed, that individual, now a head of a UK postgraduate orthodontic department, recently wrote: ‘I was registrar at the RUH, a post Chris had set up. It was a great idea, and I learned a huge amount in my two years, which I was able to apply in my later career.’ Chris retired in 1992 to devote himself to his family, garden and vineyard and to gain his amateur radio licence. He died on 11 August 2020 at the age of 91.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010257
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Gould, Maurice Stephen Elliot (1923 - 2014)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Chris Stephens
Publication Date 2023-07-06
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010300-E010399
Occupation Orthodontist
Details Stephen Gould was a consultant orthodontist at the Eastman Dental Hospital, London. He was born in Southampton, the son of Arthur Gould, a printer and alderman, and Alice Gould née Elliott. The family later moved to Wolverhampton and Stephen attended the local grammar school. After school, in 1941, he volunteered for the Army and served in India and Burma, joining the headquarters of the Allied Land Forces South East Asia in 1944. Four years later he was discharged with tuberculosis, which led to the loss of his left kidney. He moved to London and, after a period of convalescence, started studying dentistry at Guy’s Hospital Dental School in 1949. Despite having to take a year out to undergo a partial removal of his remaining kidney, he qualified in 1955. He then spent a short period in general dental practice, while also holding a part time post as a demonstrator in periodontology at Guy’s. He then joined one of the first postgraduate orthodontic courses at the Royal Dental Hospital, London and gained his diploma in orthodontics in 1956. Deciding on a hospital career, he gained his FDS in 1960 and joined the Eastman Dental Hospital as a senior registrar, being promoted to an orthodontic consultant there in 1963. He also developed an interest in temporomandibular joint dysfunction and established a specialist treatment clinic. He was a member of the board of governors of the Eastman and, in the 1970s, played a crucial role, with the dean, Ivor Kramer, in securing the future of the hospital. Stephen served on the Eastman’s rebuilding committee from 1980 to 1985. He served as honorary secretary of the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics (BSSO) for six years until 1974, during which time he helped organise the Third International Orthodontic Congress, held in August 1973 in London’s Festival Hall. He was chairman of the consultant orthodontists group from 1979 to 1981 and chairman of BSSO from 1984 to 1987. In 1975 he submitted his paper to the BSSO council advocating unification of the then five British orthodontic societies, which marked the beginning of the unification movement. Initial steps included the setting up of the first working party on orthodontic standards and the robust response made jointly by the five orthodontic societies to the Schanshieff enquiry into unnecessary dental treatment, which in 1986 had unexpectedly concentrated on orthodontic treatment. The first meeting of the unified British Orthodontic Society (BOS) took place in 1994, and Stephen became its president the following year. In his retirement Stephen continued to keep abreast of the society’s affairs. He was a regular attender of the BOS past presidents’ dinners and made a major contribution to *A history of the British orthodontic societies 1907-1994* (London, British Orthodontic Society, 2002).
Resource Identifier RCS: E010326
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Robinson, Ann (1938 - 2012)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Chris Stephens
Publication Date 2023-11-30
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010500-E010599
Occupation Dental surgeon
Details Ann Robinson was a dental surgeon in the Community Dental Service. She was born Ann Peters on 4 April 1938, the daughter of Ronald Peters, a general practitioner in Ilford, Essex and Clarice Emmeline Peters née Mead. Strangely, her father had not wanted her to go to university, preferring that she attend a Swiss finishing school. This she declined and, having completed her A levels, was accepted by the London Hospital Dental School at a time when female entry to London dental schools was limited to 10% of the intake. There she came under the influence of Gordon Seward, senior lecturer in oral surgery and later dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery, who was a great supporter of women in dentistry. After qualifying, Ann joined the junior staff at the London and soon took the Royal College of Surgeons of England’s primary FDS course, where she met her future husband S I M (Iain) Robinson. They married soon after Iain gained his diploma in orthodontics from the Eastman Dental Institute; they subsequently both took the final FDS in 1966, but only Ann passed at the first attempt! By 1969 the couple were employed at Guy’s: Iain as a senior registrar in orthodontics and Ann as a registrar and lecturer in oral surgery. A year later it was suggested by Sir Robert Bradlaw that the couple should take a 15-month leave of absence to assist in the setting up of the Rangoon Dental School’s bachelor of dental surgery (BDS) course, which was being supported by the UK government under the post-war Colombo Plan for economic development in Asia. Bradlaw was directing the project to advise the Rangoon School and, as dean of the Eastman and president of the General Dental Council, his career advice was difficult to refuse! In Rangoon, while Iain set up the orthodontic department Ann faced the task of teaching oral surgery to the School’s first BDS final-year students. These were within seven weeks of taking their finals yet had little idea of sterilisation or basic surgical techniques! Despite this, a satisfactory BDS pass rate was achieved with Ann’s usual calm efficiency. On their return to England, Iain was appointed to a consultant post in Cambridge and they set about energetically restoring a semi-derelict house. Few who knew Ann realised her wide interests and abilities, which were concealed by a genuine modesty. She was a keen dressmaker, gardener and pianist, as well as an excellent cook. The couple’s memorable dinner parties were enjoyed by all those colleagues lucky enough to be invited. This apart, except when taking maternity leave, Ann worked in the Community Dental Service until it was regrettably wound up in 1980. Ann worked tirelessly for Leukaemia Research for many years and, shortly before her untimely death on 28 April 2012 at the age of 74, gained an A in her A level Italian, without her family’s knowledge as she had thought she would probably fail. Predeceased by a son James, who died in his childhood, she was survived by her husband and four daughters, Grace, Emily, Charlotte and Helen, one of whom is a consultant respiratory physician and another a consultant radiologist.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010541
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Campbell, Alan Compton (1921 - 2008)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Chris Stephens
Publication Date 2023-08-09
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010300-E010399
Occupation Orthodontist
Details Alan Campbell was a consultant orthodontist in the department of children’s dentistry at Guy’s Hospital, London. He was born in Peterborough on 9 August 1921. His father, John Donaldson Campbell, was originally from Glasgow. His mother was Eleanor Campbell née Snow. He entered Guy’s Hospital Dental School and qualified in 1944. After serving as a houseman in the conservation department, he was called-up as a surgeon lieutenant in the Navy, serving on HMS Royal Arthur, a shore station based at Corsham, Wiltshire, where one of his fellow officers was the future Duke of Edinburgh. On demobilisation, Alan returned to Guy’s to complete a medical degree, since he had already decided on a hospital career in orthodontics for which, at that time, a medical degree was considered an essential additional qualification. He gained his MRCS LRCP in 1951. Alan then joined the Guy’s department of children’s dentistry and, in 1954, took the newly introduced orthodontic diploma of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. At that time, in the era before preformed bands, one component of the practical examination involved the fabrication of molar bands from stainless steel tape. Not relying on the Eastman Dental Hospital’s newly installed electronic welders, he was the only candidate to bring along his own trusted Watkin welder. Shortly after obtaining his FDSRCS, he was appointed as a part-time orthodontic consultant to St Mary’s and West Middlesex hospitals and established his Harley Street practice. In 1966 he returned to Guy’s to take up a consultant appointment in the department of children’s dentistry, where he was to remain for the rest of his professional life. The appointment at Guy’s involved outpatient general anaesthetic sessions, an inpatient list for minor oral surgery and the management of cleft lip and palate babies. He also had one session a week supervising treatment being undertaken by students. As a junior member of staff at the time I was both delighted and astonished to find here was a consultant who, unlike his senior colleagues, was prepared to offer and demonstrate expert clinical practice at the chairside. Popular with students, Alan was soon also involved in undergraduate activities as president of the Guy’s Hospital Swimming and Water Polo clubs. In 1964 Alan had agreed to become the honorary secretary of the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics (BSSO), doubtless persuaded to do so by his good friend and now head of department Jack Tulley, who had become BSSO president. This was a serious undertaking; Alan’s role involved the near single-handed management of a learned society of 600 national and international members. He was to serve in this capacity for the next five years. In 1970 he agreed to become chairman of the social committee of the Third International Orthodontic Congress, which was due to take place in 1973 at the Festival Hall in London under the chairmanship of Jack Tulley and would be attended by 1,700 delegates from 50 countries. Alan’s efforts delighted international delegates, with a government reception at Lancaster House, another at the Royal College of Surgeons of England and a final banquet, followed by the ceremony of beating the retreat provided by the Irish Guards and a magnificent firework display on the Thames, watched by well satisfied diners from the balcony of the Festival Hall! This was by no means his only collaboration with Jack Tulley, as both had always been committed to advancing the teaching of children’s dentistry and orthodontics and, in 1960, had jointly published a *Manual of practical orthodontics, etc* (Bristol, John Wright & Sons), which ran to three editions and was revised by their successors to continue as the standard UK undergraduate textbook for another 20 years. In 1975 Alan, always elegant and courteous and now a respected and commanding figure, became BSSO president. In that year, his predecessor Jeffrey Rose had published a discussion paper on the future of the society. As a result, both were invited to attend the annual conference of the British Association of Orthodontists (BAO), which at that time was a powerful voice addressing the needs of orthodontic specialists working within the General Dental Services of the NHS. During late night informal discussions which followed the conference dinner, they were able to convince the officers of BAO of the long-term benefit of the two societies combining, but it would take until 1994 for the united British Orthodontic Society to come into being. By this time, Alan had become a trustee of the Friends of Guy’s Hospital and the speech therapy unit attached to the City University. Sadly, his latter days were dogged by ill health, which required cardiac surgery. During this time, he lost his wife Margaret (née Hepburn), to whom he had been married for 52 years, as well as his elder daughter, Gillian. All this he bore with courageous fortitude, supported by his partner, Joan Richie, another retired orthodontist. Alan died on 28 July 2008 at the age of 86. He was survived by Joan, daughter Jane, son Neil and five grandchildren. He is remembered at the British Orthodontic Society by the award of the President’s Cup, which he donated on demitting office and is presented at the annual dinner to recognise that individual who, in president’s opinion, has contributed most to the society during his or her year of office.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010395
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Seel, Derek (1932 - 2021)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Chris Stephens
Publication Date 2022-02-04 2022-03-03
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010000-E010099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/385415385415
Occupation Orthodontist
Details Derek Seel was a consultant orthodontist in Cardiff and Swansea and postgraduate dean for south west of England based at Bristol University. He was born on 2 April 1932 in Stockport, the son of William Alfred Seel and Olive Seel née Greenwell. He was educated at Stockport School and graduated from the University of Manchester dental school in 1956. After completing a house surgeon appointment in Manchester, he spent six years in general practice, part of which was in Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia. In 1960 he married Gillian Henderson. In 1962 he returned to the United Kingdom to begin specialist training in orthodontics, firstly as a postgraduate in the Institute of Dental Surgery at the Eastman Dental Hospital and then as a senior registrar in Bristol On completing his training he was appointed as a lecturer in orthodontics at the University of Bristol’s dental school and in 1969 became the first NHS consultant orthodontist in Wales at the newly established Cardiff dental school. There he met Russell Hopkins, a like-minded and energetic oral surgeon, and they soon set up one of the earliest combined clinics. Keen to improve his own clinical skills, Derek was one of the first to realise the merit of the Australian Begg technique, which offered the first cost effective multibanded fixed appliance system. He soon established a local Begg study group, where members presented their own treated cases for discussion and criticism. Always an active member of the British Dental Association (BDA), Derek became a member of its central committee for hospital dental services and later president of the BDA hospitals group. This led to being elected to represent his colleagues as chairman of the consultant orthodontist group in 1976. At that time there seemed to be no centrally held information about consultant appointments and the Ministry would frequently phone him up to find who had been appointed where. It was Derek’s idea that the group should draw up a consultant directory and indeed he did most of the work involved. This was then sold to colleagues and health authorities to give the group its first income stream. In 1981 he was persuaded to stand for election to the board of the Dental Faculty at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, which he would serve for 14 years, the latter half as a member of the council of the College. During this time he was instrumental in setting up the Faculty’s audit working groups jointly with dental specialist associations and became chairman of the joint committee for higher training in dentistry and of its specialist advisory committee on orthodontics and paediatric dentistry. In 1987, by now vice dean of the Faculty, Derek had become concerned that the College’s diploma in orthodontics was outdated. Also it was not the only ‘additional dental qualification’ in orthodontics recognised by the General Dental Council (GDC) as universities were by now offering MSc courses, some of which did not match contemporary standards. His solution was to negotiate the intercollegiate membership in orthodontics introduced in 1988 and to encourage senior orthodontic colleagues who held the old DOrth diploma to submit themselves voluntarily to the new examination. By this strategy the MOrth, requiring as it did proof of both clinical and academic excellence, rapidly became the national standard and is now highly regarded internationally. Memberships in community clinical dentistry (1989) and restorative dentistry (1993) soon followed. The existence of these meant that, following the publication of the Mouatt Report on dental specialist training, Derek’s successor Ken Ray was able to negotiate the ‘accord’ between the College, the universities and the GDC, which permitted the successful introduction of dental specialist lists in the UK. In his early years on the board of Faculty Derek had come to believe that the College should represent the interests and standards of postgraduate dentistry as a whole and not just those of hospital dentistry. With the establishment of vocational training for dental practice in the UK and the introduction of the membership in general dental surgery examination (MGDS) in 1979, it was felt by many, though by no means all, that general dental practice was no longer adequately represented by the Faculty of Dental Surgery. Derek, now as dean, led the protracted negotiations which brought into being the Faculty of General Dental Practice (UK) in the final year of his office. As if this was not enough in 1987, whilst continuing as a maximum part time NHS consultant in Cardiff and Swansea, Derek had agreed to become postgraduate dean for south west England based at Bristol University. This challenge he took on with his usual enthusiasm and energy. He had soon set up the Bristol University open learning in dentistry (BUOLD) based on the modular structure adopted by the Open University. This could lead to the award of the diploma in postgraduate dental studies, which he negotiated with its board of dental studies. The programme is still running successfully 30 years later. In 1990 Derek became president of the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics. In the same year the National Health Service and Community Care Act brought about the introduction of the internal market within the NHS and the purchaser/provider split. Derek, by now well known as an effective campaigner for high quality NHS dental services, was asked by the Secretary of State to join the clinical standards advisory group to assist in carrying out this transformation of UK healthcare provision. When Derek retired his colleagues were greatly concerned that his outstanding contributions as dean had not been recognised with the customary civil honour. However, for Derek this notable omission was outweighed by his FRCS by election for, as eloquently expressed by a leader in another field: ‘…no greater honor can come to any man than the respect of his colleagues’ (Cary Grant Oscar acceptance speech 1970). Highly regarded by all who knew and worked with him, the dental profession owes Derek Seel a debt of gratitude for his vision, energy and determination to deliver high standards of dental care through postgraduate and continuing education.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010079
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Lindsay, Lilian (1871 - 1960)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Stanley Gelbier
Publication Date 2024-06-23
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010600-E010699
Occupation Dental surgeon Dental historian
Details Lilian Lindsay née Murray was the first woman with a British qualification in dentistry, the first female president of the British Dental Association and a noted historian of dentistry. She was born on 24 July 1871 in Holloway, north London to Margaret Amelia Murray née Bennett and James Robertson Murray, the third child of four boys and seven girls. Their father, an organist, died when Lilian was 14, leaving the family in debt. She attended Camden School for Girls and then won a two-year scholarship to North London Collegiate School. She did well, but the headmistress, Frances Mary Buss, an ardent recruiter for the teaching profession, was determined she should become a teacher of the deaf and dumb. Lillian refused and told her she wanted to be a dentist. This enraged Buss: she ensured Lilian didn’t get a further scholarship and had to leave the school. At the time there were no UK-qualified female dentists, but Lilian wanted to be the first. She undertook a three-year apprenticeship to a dental surgeon, studied some academic subjects, took a preliminary examination and registered as a dental student. The General Medical Council’s registrar advised her the next step was to enter a dental school and suggested she try the National Dental Hospital in London, which she did. The dean didn’t even allow her to enter the building, insisting on speaking to her on the pavement. He, like most dental school administrators at the time, was against accepting female students. However, knowing entry to the profession was more advanced in Scotland, he suggested she apply to the Edinburgh Dental Hospital and School. To her delight, Lilian was accepted by its dean. With little money, she borrowed to pay for her classes. Lilian was refused admittance to medical classes for men, however, one of Edinburgh’s two medical schools for women allowed her to attend their anatomy and physiology classes. She joined the dental students for classes in chemistry, where Lilian said she was treated well. On her first morning at the Dental Hospital Lilian was met by Robert Lindsay, who had been instructed by the dean to show her where to go and what to do. He later played an important part in her life as they eventually married. Lilian much enjoyed her courses, including surgery at the Infirmary. Here cranial surgery was just beginning, using a saw in a dental engine to enter the skull. Having been trained in a dental workshop, Lilian was used to a lathe and the foot engine, which gave her an advantage over the male house surgeons, so she was much in demand for these operations. Unsurprisingly, Lilian was a talented student, awarded the Wilson medal for dental surgery and pathology and the medal for materia medica and therapeutics, and, in May 1895, she became the first British qualified woman dentist, gaining the LDS with honours from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. At that time no one envisaged a female member of the British Dental Association (BDA), however, in November of that year the association heard that Lilian had become a member, enrolled by its Scottish branch: the board could find no way to bar her. Meanwhile the Royal College of Surgeons of England persisted in barring women from its LDS examination, twice voting against it. Only in 1908 did the college finally admitted woman to all its examinations and, in 1912, Lily Fanny Pain became the first female to gain the LDS from the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Lilian and Robert Lindsay married in 1905, but first both had to overcome money and family issues, so Lilian practised in London. Apart from paying off her student debts, she helped to educate her younger siblings. In addition, she needed cash to rent premises and buy equipment. After their marriage, Lilian joined Robert’s practice in Edinburgh. In 1920 Robert became the first paid full-time dental secretary of the BDA, so they moved to London, living above its headquarters in Russell Square. Lilian didn’t practise, but, with a very enquiring mind, she collected books of dental interest. In 1920 about 100 books were presented to the association in memory of a former sub-editor of the *British Dental Journal* and Lilian was appointed as an ‘honorary temporary librarian’. She continued to expand the library until her death. The Robert and Lilian Lindsay Library is now one of the world’s major dental libraries. Lilian also collected dental ephemera, which became the basis for the renowned BDA Dental Museum and encouraged members to do the same, recognising the value of recording dental history. However, a lack of space delayed the official establishment of the museum until 1934. Lilian was an intellectual with wide interests in history and literature. She taught herself French, German, Latin and Anglo-Saxon, to help her read relevant literature and communicate with colleagues worldwide. She presented many lectures, the first to the Odonto-Chirurgical Society of Scotland in 1912. It was 11 more years before Lilian’s next lecture: in 1933 she delivered the first C E Wallis lecture to the Royal Society of Medicine. Between 1925 and 1959 she published 57 papers plus many translations, letters, notes and annotations for the *British Dental Journal*; at least ten of major historical importance. Annoyingly she often excluded references. In 1933 Lilian published *A short history of dentistry* (London, J Bale & Co). Her 1946 translation of Pierre Fauchard’s ground-breaking work *Le chirurgien dentiste* was very important in bringing it to the attention of English-speakers (*The surgeon dentist* London, Butterworth & Co). Lilian had a major interest in orthodontics, joining the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics in 1922 as its second female member. Lilian presented many papers between 1925 and 1948, often with Robert: their first was on the relevance of growth and formation of bone to orthodontics, her second on the stimulation of bone formation by percussion following treatment. Lindsay was editor of the society’s *Transactions* (from 1930 to 1934), president (in 1938) and senior vice president (from 1947 to 1955). After Robert died in 1930, Lilian became sub-editor of the *British Dental Journal*, remaining on its editorial committee until her death. She always championed the cause of women in dentistry. Not surprisingly, Lilian received many honours and awards. In 1946 she became the first female president of the British Dental Association, having already been president of its Metropolitan (London) branch. The same year saw her awarded the CBE and an honorary doctor of laws degree from the University of Edinburgh and an honorary higher dental diploma from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. The Royal College of Surgeons of England awarded Lilian its prestigious John Tomes prize in 1945, the fellowship in dental surgery in 1947 (the year of the foundation of the faculty of dental surgery) and the Colyer gold medal in 1959. Also in 1959, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh made Lilian an honorary FDS. At the Royal Society of Medicine, she was president of the odontology section (from 1945 to 1946) and the first female president of its history of medicine section (from 1950 to 1952). In 1950 she became the first female president of the Medical Society of London. Three years later she became an honorary member of the American Academy of the History of Dentistry. She was also an honorary member of the Odonto-Chirurgical Society of Scotland and of the Edinburgh Women Students. Lilian was vice president of the Johnson Society and a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. Music was important to her. In her sixties, she sang the toothdrawer’s song to the audience when giving her paper ‘The sun, the toothdrawer and the saint’ to the section of odontology of the Royal Society of Medicine. On her 80th birthday in 1951, Lilian was presented with her portrait painted by Thomas Cantrell Dugdale which, together with several other portraits of Lilian, now hangs in the BDA’s headquarters. Lilian Lindsay died on 31 January 1960. By then she had broken a number of glass ceilings and is remembered amongst the world’s greats in dentistry. In 1962, some dentists commemorated this outstanding woman by founding the Lindsay Club, which later became the Lindsay Society for the History of Dentistry. An annual Lilian Lindsay memorial lecture is delivered by a leading member of the profession at the annual conference of the BDA and a Lindsay medal is presented to outstanding dental historians. In 2013 English Heritage placed a blue plaque commemorating Lilian Lindsay on her childhood home at Hungerford Road, Holloway in north London. Because of partial destruction of the house, it was later moved to 23 Russell Square, former home of the BDA, where Lilian had lived. Although in the 19th century Lilian was discouraged by North London Collegiate School, now the situation is completely different: a group attended the unveiling of the plaque, and a house has been named after her at the school. In 2023 *The New York Times* published a belated obituary of Lilian as part of its ‘Overlooked’ series.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010640
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Broadway, Ronald Thomas (1927 - 2024)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Peter Broadway
Publication Date 2024-09-04
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010600-E010699
Occupation Orthodontist
Details Ron Broadway was a consultant orthodontist in Winchester. He was born in Ilford, Essex, on 14 October 1927, the son of Edward James Broadway and Martha Broadway née Swallow, and was educated at Bancroft’s School. He qualified at the Royal Dental Hospital in 1949, as did his twin brother Eddie. After house officer and senior house officer posts at the Royal, he undertook the required two-year National Service in the RAF, during which time he took and passed both parts of the fellowship of the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the first attempt, but found he was too young to receive the documentation – at that time the Royal College of Surgeons of England did not issue such diplomas to those under the age of 25! Determined to pursue a career in oral surgery, Ron gained a registrar post at the plastic and maxillofacial unit of Odstock Hospital, Salisbury (from 1952 to 1954), during which time he was awarded his master of dental surgery degree for a thesis on the application of oral surgery to dental prosthetics. A second oral surgery post then followed at Rooksdown House Maxillofacial Centre, Basingstoke, where Norman Rowe, Homer Charles Killey and Sir Harold Gillies were still working. By this time Ron realised that to progress to a successful career in oral surgery he would need a medical qualification and, about to be married, he decided instead to change specialties to orthodontics. With an already impressive CV, he gained a place on the newly established full-time orthodontic postgraduate course at the Eastman Dental Institute established by Clifford Ballard. Having achieved his diploma in orthodontics, he was now appointed to one of the hotly contested orthodontic senior registrar posts at the Eastman and, in 1960, was appointed to a new consultant post at Winchester with sessions at Alton and Basingstoke, where he soon gained approval for a registrar post linked to the Eastman. This was at a time when there was a rapidly rising demand for treatment but few orthodontic specialists working within the General Dental Services. As a result, much of the regional orthodontist’s time was spent providing treatment planning advice for straightforward cases which could be undertaken by local general dental practitioners. To increase the latter’s capabilities and at the same time reduce pressure on hospital waiting lists, many regional orthodontic consultants established ‘section 63’ postgraduate courses for their local general dental practitioners and Ron was no exception. He subsequently wrote a paper on the subject in 1976 (‘Continuing orthodontic education for the general dental practitioner’ *Br J Orthod*. 1976 Jan;3[1]:25-8). Since the establishment of the NHS, the Royal Colleges have played an increasing role in the standardisation of consultant training. In 1968 dental Specialist Advisory Committees (SACs) were set up to advise the Joint Committee for Higher Training in Dentistry. The formation of the Consultant Orthodontist Group (COG) arose from the need to provide authoritative and coherent advice to the SAC in orthodontics. Ron, who by this time was the Royal College’s regional dental adviser for Wessex, was a founder member and served as the COG secretary from 1963 to 1969, whereupon his brother took over. This freed Ron to join the council of the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics (BSSO), where he organised their 1976 meeting in Southampton. By this time, he had been elected to the Faculty board of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, completing his term in 1982, the year in which he became president of the BSSO. By the late 1970s it had been recognised that the obligation of dental practitioners to continually update their knowledge needed to be facilitated and reinforced. As a result, the Dentists Act of 1984 made the General Dental Council (GDC) the statutory authority responsible for postgraduate dental education in the UK and, three years later, regional dental postgraduate deans were created. It was highly appropriate that Ron would become the first postgraduate dental dean for Wessex. Shortly after this the GDC published its *Guidance on professional conduct and fitness to practice*, which recognised the need to introduce vocational training for those entering general dental practice. Ron organised one of the first voluntary schemes in the country and in due course this and the other voluntary courses became incorporated into a national scheme supported by the appointment of general dental practice advisers responsible to the postgraduate dental dean. During his time Ron was also very active locally. He was a member and later president of the Southampton branch of the British Dental Association and served on the board of management of the Winchester group of hospitals, as well as acting as a dental expert witness to the local coroners’ court. When Ron retired in 1993, he made a conscious decision not to carry on with any involvement in dentistry but to develop other interests. He had a large garden by this time and had been keeping bees since 1978. This and walking occupied much of his time. He became chairman and eventually president of the Winchester and District Beekeepers’ Association. He also joined a woodturning course at West Dean College: he found acquiring the basic skills of this craft very satisfying and, having equipped himself with a lathe and bandsaw, he joined the Hampshire Woodturners Association. He was soon taking an active part in its organisation and was its chairman for many years. In 2010 he won a voucher at a beekeeping meeting raffle, which entitled him to a trip in a glider and a three-month membership of the Lasham Gliding Society at Alton. Having enjoyed his first flight, he decided to carry on learning to fly. At 83 he faced a steep learning curve; he was still enjoying the challenges and thrills of gliding until the age of 90. Ron had met his wife Mary (née Pritchett) while working as a registrar at Odstock and by the time of his death 69 years later they had a family of two children, five grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Ron died on 17 April 2024 at the age of 96. Unusually there was no funeral as he had arranged for his body to be used for medical research.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010651
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Bass, Timothy Philip (1931 - 2023)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Chris Stephens
Publication Date 2023-09-20
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010400-E010499
Occupation Orthodontist
Details Tim Bass was a consultant orthodontist in Exeter. He was born in Chigwell, Essex, the eldest of four children and was educated at St Edward’s, Oxford, a boarding school. A career in dentistry was suggested by his father and Tim qualified from Guy’s in 1954. After National Service in the Royal Army Dental Corps at Colchester, he gained a senior house officer post at the Eastman. In 1959 he became a registrar in oral surgery at Stoke Mandeville but, deciding on a career in orthodontics, obtained his diploma in orthodontics while a registrar at the Royal Dental Hospital and took his FDSRCS a year later. After a linked senior registrar post with John Hooper at Bournemouth, Tim became a lecturer in orthodontics at the Royal. An inspiring teacher, he was soon head-hunted for a senior lecturer post at the London Hospital dental school. From here he moved back to Guy’s in 1968, which on refection he felt was a mistake for he found he was unable to introduce the new teaching methods he had seen employed at the London. (It was unfortunate that shortly before he took up his appointment a review of the dental curriculum there had endorsed the continued use of the ‘block system’, which meant that students only had three months in the department of orthodontics and children’s dentistry.) In 1970 Tim applied successfully for the vacant consultant senior lecturer appointment at Bristol. Here he was able to introduce a longitudinal curriculum for the school in which students had one session a week in the orthodontic department throughout the three years of the clinical course and so were able to treat their own orthodontics cases and present these as part of their final examination. Now married with two daughters and always keen on dinghy sailing – he built his first boat in 1953 and was later invited to consider joining the UK Olympic solo team – in 1974 he applied successfully for the vacant regional consultant post at Exeter, which then included sessions at Axminster, Barnstaple and Torbay. A strong supporter of the British Dental Association and a past secretary of the local Exeter section, Tim was made president of the western counties branch in 1992. Retiring in 1994, his several memorable retirement parties reflected the esteem in which all held their genial and hardworking colleague. In retirement Tim completed a master’s degree in maritime history at Exeter University, became a member of Salcombe Harbour board, commodore of the local yacht club and later chairman of Salcombe Maritime Museum.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010464
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Ballard, Clifford Frederick (1910 - 1997)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Chris Stephens
Publication Date 2025-03-06
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010700-E010799
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/388609388609
Occupation Orthodontist Dental surgeon
Details There can be no doubt that Clifford Ballard was the most important figure in British orthodontics during the 20th century and a significant influence in orthodontic thought throughout the world during the post war period. In his upbringing he had the advantage of being the eldest son of Frederick Ballard. The latter, although holding no dental qualification, was by 1948 regarded as ‘the voice of British dentistry’ by Aneurin Bevan, minister of health in the post-war Labour Government and chief architect of the UK National Health Service. It was because of Frederick Ballard’s influence that dentistry was included in the NHS. Clifford Ballard was born on 26 June 1910 in Willesden, Middlesex. His mother was Eliza Susannah Ballard née Wilkinson. He attended Kilburn Grammar School and entered the Royal Dental Hospital School of Dental Surgery in 1930. This was the same year the remarkable Corisande Smyth was appointed there as its first demonstrator in orthodontics and which led to the introduction of its first course of undergraduate lectures in the subject the following year. After gaining his LDS in 1934, Clifford joined his father’s practice before attending Charing Cross Hospital to achieve medical qualifications. In 1940, he returned to the Royal to become a full-time member of its teaching staff and where he spent the next 12 years teaching undergraduates and formulating his ideas on orthodontics. During the Second World War, as well as having medical responsibility for a number of aircraft factories, he became orthodontist to Middlesex County Council. It was during this time that he started working as a clinical assistant at the upper respiratory clinic of the Victoria Hospital for Children, which would be merged with St George’s Hospital in 1948. Here he worked with the ENT surgeon Eric Gwynne-Evans, and it was Ballard’s experiences in the management of children with respiratory problems which focused his attention on the activities of the orofacial musculature and their importance in determining the form of the dental arches. In 1936 Ballard’s father, later to be awarded an OBE for services to dentistry, had been elected as one of two members who served on the dental board of the General Medical Council to represent dentists registered under the terms of the 1921 Dentists Act. By 1947 Frederick was chairman of the dental board’s postgraduate education committee as well as a member of the boards of both University College Hospital and the Eastman Dental Hospital. It was therefore not surprising that, in 1948, Clifford Ballard was appointed head of the orthodontic department of the newly created Institute of Dental Surgery at the Eastman, where he remained until his retirement in 1972. He immediately established the first UK postgraduate course in orthodontics. In the same year he published his seminal paper ‘Some bases for aetiology and diagnosis in orthodontics’ (*Dental Record* 68: 133-145 [June] 1948), the first of a series which over the next 10 years would place orthodontic treatment on a sound scientific basis. Thereafter a World Health Organization travelling fellowship led to him lecturing extensively throughout the world including Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia. In the mid-1950s, with several of his former postgraduates established in NHS consultant orthodontist posts, he and John Hovell of the Royal Dental Hospital instituted an annual postgraduate meeting at the Eastman, which led in 1962 to the founding of the Consultant Orthodontist Group (COG). Originally intended to bring colleagues up to date with the latest orthodontic research and techniques, the COG soon provided an important influence on consultant training via the specialist advisory committee of the Joint Committee for Higher Training in Dentistry when this was established in 1969. Ballard was a civil consultant to the Royal Air Force for many years. He served as editor of the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics’ *Transactions* for seven years before becoming its president in 1957. Amongst many honours, he received both the fellowship of the Faculty of Dental Surgery and the diploma in orthodontics at the Royal College of Surgeons of England without examination when they were established. He gave the 1967 Northcroft Memorial lecture of the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics and received the Royal College of Surgeons of England’s Colyer gold medal. Despite his somewhat stern exterior, Clifford Ballard had a keen sense of humour, was a kindly and caring man, hospitable, loyal and tolerant towards his staff and students. Married to Muriel Mable (née Burling) with a son and daughter, he and his wife retired to Salisbury in 1972, and it was only with great reluctance that Ballard was persuaded to return to London in 1990 to be the first recipient of the medal of the Consultant Orthodontist Group, which bears his name. Ballard died on 16 July 1997. He was 87.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010716
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Smyth, Kathleen Corisande (1902 - 1953)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Chris Stephens
Publication Date 2025-03-18
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010700-E010799
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/388650388650
Occupation Orthodontist
Details Corisande Smyth was a pioneering reader in orthodontics at the University of London and one of the first women to become a fellow of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. She was born in Wimbledon in January 1902 but lived most of her life in Middlesex, where her father, Samuel Baker Smyth, was a chartered accountant. She was educated at Clarendon School, Malvern, an independent girls’ boarding school. Sadly, her sole brother Leslie was killed in Flanders in 1916 and her father died in the following year when Corisande was only 15, leaving her widowed mother Minnie Eliza Smyth to care for her two daughters. Nevertheless ‘Sandy’, as she would become known to her colleagues, won an entrance scholarship to the Royal Dental Hospital School of Dental Surgery, which had only recently agreed to accept women students. Indeed, the Royal College of Surgeons of England records her ‘college’ as being the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine for Women, which suggests that she was initially a preclinical student there. At the Royal Dental she won a prize in dental anatomy and produced her first published paper as a student (‘Practical application of dental anatomy’ *Royal Dental Hospital Magazine* 1923; 2). On qualification she was appointed as a house surgeon in the children’s department and immediately joined the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics, of which she would remain a member until she died. During the next six years while working in practice at Wimpole Street she produced six further publications in the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics’ *Transactions* and was probably also working unpaid part time in the children’s department, where already her gift for teaching had been recognised, but it was not until 1930 that she was appointed as a demonstrator in orthodontics at the Royal with funding provided by the Dental Board of the United Kingdom (£500 for five years). Shortly after this a new department of orthodontics was created at the Royal with Norman Bennett as its first lecturer. He would later be knighted for his services to dentistry. According to him at that time ‘most of the systematic teaching especially of technique and principles of treatment was undertaken by Smyth with assistance from myself by way of lectures and class teaching in diagnosis’ (*Br Dent J* 1936; 61:478). Clifford Ballard, the first professor of orthodontics at the University of London, and John Hovell, who were both to play highly significant roles in the development of British orthodontics over the next 40 years, were taught by Miss Smyth at the Royal. Hovell records: ‘Her wide orthodontic experience and sympathetic personality and deep interest in orthodontic teaching and research made her ideal for this post…. Having been taught by her myself I know well what an inspiration she has always been to the students of the Royal Dental’ (*Br Dent J*, 1953; 95: 32). Miss Smyth was an active member of the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics, the European Orthodontic Society and the odontology section of the Royal Society of Medicine. She served as a councillor on all three societies, was editor of the *European Journal of Orthodontics* for seven years and librarian of the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics for six years. She also undertook a large share of the organisation of the Second International Orthodontic Congress, held in London in 1931. In 1951 she became the first reader in orthodontics of the University of London, shortly after her former student Clifford Ballard became its first professor, thereafter ensuring close cooperation between the Royal and the Eastman Postgraduate Dental Institute in the development of postgraduate teaching of orthodontics. Miss Smyth made a significant contribution to published orthodontic research and literature. Amongst her better-known works were anthropometric research for the dental committee of the Medical Research Council in collaboration with Matthew Young, anthropometric research in Dublin, and research on the Bidford collection of Anglo-Saxon skulls in Birmingham with J C Brash. She was one of only four women to be elected to the fellowship of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England when it was introduced in 1948. But for her premature death, she would doubtless have received the diploma in orthodontics, without examination, when it was established in 1954. Sadly, she had suffered from ill heath all her life and it was at the 1953 European Orthodontic Society conference held in Monte Carlo, where she was due to present a paper, that her acute suffering made it imperative that she be flown home, where she died a few days later, greatly mourned by all who had known her.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010739
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Ridley, Doris Rosemary (1930 - 2013)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Chris Stephens
Publication Date 2023-07-07
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010300-E010399
Occupation Orthodontist
Details Doris Ridley was a consultant orthodontist in Inverness and later in Romford, Essex. She was born on 12 August 1930 in Mitcham, near Croydon, the daughter of James William Ridley, who had been an Army officer in the First World War, and Winifred Jamesina Ridley née Bain. Her early education was complicated by the death of her father when she was 11 and the outbreak of the Second World War, requiring evacuation from her home close to Croydon Airfield. Despite this, she gained entry to the Royal Dental Hospital and qualified in 1952 and had already decided to specialise in orthodontics. It was fortunate that by this time one of the two postgraduate courses in the UK had been established at the Royal Dental with lectures shared with the newly established orthodontic department of the Eastman Postgraduate Dental Institute in Grays Inn Road, London, where Clifford Ballard had recently been appointed by the University of London. After her postgraduate training, Doris gained a Fulbright scholarship, which enabled her to travel to New York to spend a year at the Eastman Dental Institute, University of Rochester, studying their treatment methods. Returning to England in 1956, she was appointed as a senior registrar in orthodontics at Great Ormond Street, a post linked with the Royal. Here Doris became interested in the treatment of cleft lip and palate patients and wrote the first of several papers on the subject, delivered to both the British and European orthodontic societies. Now determined on a hospital career, she achieved her FDSRCS in 1960 and, in the following year, became the first NHS regional orthodontic consultant to be appointed in Scotland and only the second woman to be appointed as an orthodontic consultant in the UK. Here she was based at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, but with outlying clinics serving one third of Scotland. This rudimentary service had begun to be established by Frank Jones, the first orthodontic specialist in that region. At Raigmore her one chair surgery was initially housed in what had been a 1939 emergency hospital with her technician located elsewhere in an old air raid shelter. Later a second surgery was acquired when a registrar appointment was created, but initially this was in another part of the hospital, which made supervision difficult. Nevertheless, her second registrar records that her caring attitude to patients was matched by her demand for high standards from herself and her staff. Not surprisingly, she travelled extensively to her outlying clinics on the mainland at Dingwall, Nairn, Golspie, Wick and Fort William and later to Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis and Broadford on Skye. Initially this entailed taking much of her clinical equipment with her, including a collapsible wooden dental chair. In 1979 Doris moved south with her mother to become a consultant orthodontist at Romford in Essex with clinics at Epping and Basildon. This was a new post and initially there were no orthodontic facilities at even her base hospital, however, her oral surgery colleague Leila Prasad generously shared her outpatient unit with her and in due course Doris was able to move to a large and well-equipped unit when a children’s ward was relocated. Here she continued to provide an excellent service for the local population until her retirement in 1990. In all her endeavours she was sustained by her Christian faith. She was a member of the Christian Dental Fellowship and at Inverness was a Bible class leader and taught in Sunday school. She was very much involved in the running of the church in Clacton-on-Sea, where she sang in the choir and was greatly appreciated for her careful flower arranging. During her time in Scotland, she achieved a BA from the Open University in modern European history. She enjoyed painting and travelling and, in her retirement, was able to visit some of the world’s great gardens. Devoted to her profession and her mother, Doris never married and was by no means idle in her retirement. Now within easy reach of central London, she was soon a volunteer at the British Dental Association’s world-famous museum and devoted considerable time to cataloguing the records of the library and museum collection of the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics, acquired since its foundation in 1907. This became the archive of the British Orthodontic Society in 1994. Doris Ridley died on 1 January 2013. She was 82.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010346
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Metcalf, John (1932 - 2022)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Chris Stephens
Publication Date 20-09-2023
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010400-E010499
Occupation Orthodontist
Details John Metcalf was a consultant orthodontist at Woolwich and Dartford, London. He was born in Bury St Edmunds, the son of Reginald Metcalf and Leila Metcalf née Moore, and qualified from Guy’s Hospital Dental School in 1955. After National Service, he entered general dental practice in Thames Ditton but, having soon decided on a career in orthodontics, obtained a part-time registrar post in the children’s dental department of Guy’s at a time when it was still possible to fulfil the requirements for the diploma in orthodontics (DOrth) from the Royal College of Surgeons of England by a preceptorship rather than by attending a full-time taught course. John applied himself to whatever he did with industry and dedication. At that time more than 90 per cent of NHS orthodontics was still undertaken with removable appliances and the use of simple, fixed appliances was confined to hospital departments. Like many of his generation, John was soon aware that his DOrth training and subsequent senior registrar experience at Guy’s had not equipped him to provide an internationally acceptable standard of treatment. This longstanding inadequacy was later acknowledged by Dick Mills in his 1977 editorial ‘At the crossroads’ in the *British Journal of Orthodontics* (*Br J Orthod*. 1977 Oct;4[4]:157-8), but John was already well ahead of the game. In the 1960s he attended a Tweed Edgewise course at Tucson, Arizona and followed this up by joining one of the early Begg courses held in Nijmegen, in the Netherlands. In 1969 John was appointed to a new consultant post at Woolwich and Dartford, which included one day a week at Guy’s, where he remained a popular and effective undergraduate teacher. Always unfailingly helpful and cheerful, he endeared himself to many generations of students. During this time he met an attractive Guy’s house surgeon intent on a career in orthodontics; he and Eileen (née Scutt) married in 1972. Soon after his consultant appointment, John set up the Brook Orthodontic Study Group at Shooters Hill to raise orthodontic treatment standards provided by local dental practitioners and subsequently became the local postgraduate tutor. He was later to become chairman of the regional dental committee and a member of the dental surgery specialty sub-committee of the regional medical committee. In 1992 John was elected president of the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics. His thoughtful presidential address entitled ‘1992 – the year of change’ accurately foresaw the changes in specialist dental training which were likely to follow the implementation of the European Act of that year and which were later described in the Mouatt Report of 1995. John retired in 1997 and was then able to devote more time to his family and his many interests. These included fly fishing, traditional jazz, gardening and wine (he had an extensive air-conditioned wine cellar). Keen on motoring from an early age, John was a longstanding member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and held the RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) gold award. For many years he was an official observer/instructor for those aiming to pass IAM tests and provided free lessons for many friends and local residents wishing to take this. John died peacefully surrounded by his family on 17 June 2022, having fallen ill shortly after celebrating his 90th birthday. The high esteem in which he was held, both among his colleagues and within the local community of Knockholt, Kent, was reflected by the huge attendance at his funeral held at St Katharine’s Church. John was survived by his wife Eileen and five children.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010463
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Robinson, Stanley Iain MacLeod (1940 - 2023)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Royal College of Surgeons of England
Publication Date 2023-07-18
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010300-E010399
Occupation Orthodontist
Details Iain Robinson was a consultant orthodontist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. The son of Stanley and Moira Robinson, he was born in Edinburgh on 22 January1940, shortly after the Second World War broke out. After the end of the war, his family moved south to Tadworth in Surrey, but, at the age of 13, Iain was sent back to boarding school in Edinburgh. At school he played rugby and joined the Combined Cadet Force, which led him to learn to fly at an early age. He entered Guy’s in 1958 and soon joined the sailing and rugby clubs. He qualified with the LDS in 1962, by which time he had decided on a career in hospital dentistry. On the primary FDS course at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, he met his future wife Ann Peters, then an oral surgery senior house officer at the London Hospital. Perhaps inevitably, with the distraction of sailing and now playing rugby for the London Scottish, Iain needed a re-sit, while Ann passed the primary first time! Iain then joined the one-year Eastman orthodontic course and achieved his DOrth in 1965, at which point he and Ann married. She was by this time a demonstrator in oral surgery at Guy’s and, three years later, Iain joined her there when he became a senior registrar in orthodontics in Jack Tulley’s department, where he made many lifelong friends. During his appointment, he and Ann were given a 15-month leave of absence to assist in the setting up of the Rangoon Dental School’s BDS course, which was being supported by the UK’s Ministry of Overseas Development under the post-war Colombo Plan. While there he was able to attend the Begg course on orthodontics in Melbourne and was therefore the ideal person to fill the consultant vacancy at Cambridge when Peter Burke left to take up a chair at Sheffield University in 1972. Peter had been an early convert to the Begg technique and on occasions required his patients to hold the first edition of Begg’s book open at the relevant page for guidance! Iain addressed his new appointment with customary energy and enthusiasm and was soon being called upon to run practitioner courses outside his immediate area. One of Iain’s early patients, who he inspired to take up a career in dentistry, has recently retired from a consultant post in the specialty. The 3rd International Orthodontic Congress held in London in 1973 demonstrated to many of the younger members of the specialty that its postgraduate training and UK NHS treatment did not meet contemporary international standards. This led to Iain becoming a founder member of the treatment study group of the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics, which produced the first of its demonstrations of exceptionally well treated, fully documented cases at the 1977 British Orthodontic Conference. This contributed to the pressure which brought about the establishment of the British Orthodontic Standards Working Party (1980) and ultimately to the introduction of the three-year specialist training programme in orthodontics. On their arrival in Cambridge, Iain and Ann bought a house in Haslingfield, Cambridgeshire, with no mains water or electricity and a leaking roof; described by his four daughters as a ‘complete wreck’. This he and Ann set about restoring. As soon as it was reasonably habitable, the house became a centre for convivial gatherings of neighbours and colleagues, with an inexhaustible supply of home-grown vegetables. Many skiing and golf trips were planned in the kitchen and skiing remained a large part of Ian’s life until his later years. Iain retired from Addenbrooke’s in 2002, but when Ann died tragically in 2012 he moved to Pampisford, also in Cambridgeshire, where he was immediately accepted and made welcome. Despite recovering from a fractured femur and a ruptured appendix (on his 80th birthday!), he remained positive and cheerful and, with the help of good neighbours, was able to stay in his own house and to accommodate Ukrainian refugees. He was planning a reunion of former colleagues at the time of his unexpected death. He will be greatly missed by all, especially his four daughters (who include a consultant radiologist and a consultant respiratory physician) and his seven grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010351
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Parker, Charles David (1929 - 2022)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Chris Stephens
Publication Date 2023-07-18
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010300-E010399
Occupation Orthodontist
Details Charlie Parker, a consultant orthodontist in Leicester, was a plain-speaking Yorkshire man. Born in Bradford, he and his brother both qualified from Leeds Dental School. Charlie was more interested in dental development than dental disease and so entered the Schools Dental Service in Bradford in 1952. In those early days of the NHS dental extraction of children’s grossly decayed deciduous teeth under general anaesthesia was commonplace and Charlie soon realised that he needed to know more about the effects these unplanned extractions had on the child’s developing occlusion. To this end he gained a place on the newly-established postgraduate orthodontic course run by Clifford Ballard at the Eastman Dental Institute in London, from where he achieved his postgraduate diploma in orthodontics in 1957. By then he had decided on a hospital career. He obtained his FDS the following year and, after registrar and senior registrar posts, was appointed to a newly-created consultant appointment at Leicester. Here he was given a disused ward of the former Groby Road Isolation Hospital to convert to an orthodontic outpatient department. From this challenging beginning, by the time he retired in 2002 the unit he had built up comprised three full-time orthodontic consultants, a senior registrar, a consultant in restorative dentistry (one of the first to be appointed outside a teaching hospital) and eight clinical assistants. In the intervening years Charlie had been treasurer and then chairman of the Consultant Orthodontist Group (COG), as well as a member of the British Dental Association’s (BDA) general dental services committee and was co-opted on to the BDA working party on specialisation in dentistry. Through the latter, he added his voice to those pressing for the establishment of dental specialist lists and the introduction of orthodontic therapists to increase the availability and reduce the cost of UK orthodontic treatment. The latter had been first advocated by the COG in 1966 and was finally approved by the General Dental Council in 2002. At the inception of the NHS its three dental divisions (the Schools Dental Service, General Dental Service and Hospital Service) operated independently and by 1976 each had its own specialist orthodontic society. Charlie, with his experience of the former and with a brother working in the General Dental Service, soon formed the view that as far as orthodontic treatment was concerned each had a role to play if only they could be persuaded to talk to each other. It was therefore appropriate that, in 1981, Charlie became president of the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics when the first British Orthodontic Conference was held. This highly successful meeting provided a forum in which all five specialist orthodontic societies took part and led to their unification 1994 to form the British Orthodontic Society. Charlie made another major contribution as a member of the Dental Estimates Board, which at that time authorised payment for all dental treatment undertaken within the General Dental Service of the NHS. He was also its orthodontic adviser from 1981 to 1992, and during his time greatly improved its efficiency by streamlining its system of prior approval for orthodontic treatment. He was a devoted husband to Margaret (née Goss) and their three children, Sarah, Richard and William, and well known in the local professional community where the couple’s parties and hospitality were legendary.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010352
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Smith, Peta Burton (1938 - 2022)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Chris Stephens
Publication Date 2023-07-18
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010300-E010399
Occupation Paediatric dentist
Details Peta Smith was head of the department of paediatric dentistry at King’s College Hospital, London. She qualified from the London Hospital Dental School at a time when it was the acknowledged centre of undergraduate teaching in what was then known as paedodontics. After gaining her FDSRCS and having decided on a career in children’s dentistry, Peta was appointed as the first lecturer in paediatric dentistry to King’s College Hospital Dental School. There, as a dedicated and popular teacher, she devoted her efforts to setting up the undergraduate course in paediatric dentistry which, up until that time, had been included within dental conservation. At the same time she provided specialist treatment for cases beyond the skills of the undergraduate. Eventually she became the senior lecturer and head of department and, as an honorary NHS consultant, she had sessions at Sydenham Children’s Hospital (until it closed in 1991) plus a day a week at St George’s Hospital Tooting, where she built up a new children’s dental unit with her orthodontic colleague Stephen Powell. She is still fondly remembered by all who knew her as being exceptionally caring and kind to patients and staff alike. Outside dentistry, a keen botanist, Peta had travelled widely in the 1960s, notably overland to Nepal to collect rhododendron specimens. On her retirement in 2008 she moved to her farm in Argyll to devote herself to care of her sheep and garden. She died on 12 March 2022 aged 83 and was survived by her husband Vinh.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010353
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Moss, James Percy (1933 - 2010)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Chris Stephens
Publication Date 2023-07-18
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010300-E010399
Occupation Orthodontist
Details Jim Moss was head of the department of orthodontics at University College London Dental School and a leading figure in British orthodontics and the international orthodontic community. He was born on 29 May 1933, one of five children of Percy Randolph Moss, a butcher, and Margaret Moss née Hollands and brought up in north London. He attended Preston Manor County School, Wembley, where he was head boy. He entered University College Dental School and qualified in 1956. He joined the orthodontic department at University College and worked under Willy Grossman, a refugee from Prague and a world authority on functional jaw orthopaedics. Jim progressed through the department as registrar, senior registrar, senior lecturer and consultant, finally becoming professor and head of the orthodontic department when Grossman retired in 1984. When the University College London Dental School closed in 1990, he joined the orthodontic department at the Royal London Hospital until his retirement in January 2004. Jim devoted almost all his professional life to supporting the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics (BSSO), which he joined in 1964. He was its treasurer from 1971 to 1979, president in 1980 and its editor and curator until 1994, when the British Orthodontic Society was founded. He remained a curator for the Society until his death. Jim was the Northcroft lecturer of the BSSO in 1987, was granted a BSSO special service award and elected to life membership of the British Orthodontic Society. Jim lectured widely throughout the world and was the John Valentine Mershon Memorial lecturer of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) in 1974 and 1984. In 2004 he received the AAO Louise Ada Jarabek Memorial International Orthodontic Teachers and Research Award. Jim was a member of the board of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England from 1984 to 1998, during which time he served as chairman of its postgraduate education committee and its examinations committee in orthodontics. He was elected as the vice dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery in 1994. He was the College’s Charles Tomes lecturer in 1985 and the T C White lecturer of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow in 1989. Jim Moss was instrumental in furthering knowledge of the Begg technique in Britain and established the UK Begg Study Group, based at the University College London Dental School in the early 1970s. Jim was also a very active member of the European Begg Society of Orthodontics and was later its president. In 1986, following the publication of the UK’s Schanschieff Report into unnecessary dental treatment, Jim agreed to chair the UK’s Occlusal Index Committee. As a result of its work, the Government provided funding to develop the IOTN (index of treatment need) and PAR (peer assessment rating) indices, which was now used to justify and evaluate NHS orthodontic practice throughout the UK. However, Jim Moss will perhaps be best remembered for his longstanding commitment to the European Orthodontic Society (EOS), which he joined in 1964. He was its honorary secretary from 1984 to 2001 and was elected EOS president in 1996. During his leadership the Society flourished and expanded. Membership from former Soviet Bloc countries was encouraged and delegates and speakers from all over the world went to the EOS Congress. His wife Mary was immensely supportive of this work and was frequently by his side at EOS meetings. (Jim appeared at an EOS competition in Brighton dressed as King Henry VIII and Mary was his queen.) Jim went on to help set up the European Board of Orthodontists, which was established in 1996 and was both its secretary and an examiner. He was also instrumental in involving the European national societies in the EOS and set up the Forum of National Societies in 1998 with representatives from European Federation of Orthodontic Specialist Associations. Jim gave the EOS Sheldon Friel Memorial lecture in 2002, the year in which he was made an honorary member of the Society. Jim Moss became a fellow of the World Federation of Orthodontists, which was established in 1996 and became an honorary member in 2005 in recognition for his outstanding service to orthodontics. He was due to receive an award for his services at the EOS Congress in June 2010 in Slovenia. Unfortunately, he was by this time too unwell to attend, and his award was presented to his family at Jim’s memorial service at High Barnet Baptist Church, where he had been a preacher, organist and teacher. The bedrock of Jim’s life was his beloved wife Mary (née Evans), and Jim devoted the last years of his life to caring for her during a prolonged terminal illness. Jim died on 14 June 2010 at the age of 77 and was survived by his three children, Richard, Elizabeth and Tim.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010355
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Profitt, William Robert (1936 - 2018)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Chris Stephens
Publication Date 2024-03-26
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010400-E010499
Occupation Orthodontist
Details William Robert Profitt, known as ‘Bill’, was head of the department of orthodontics at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, USA, and probably the most influential orthodontist of his generation. He grew up in Buies Creek, North Carolina, the son of teachers. His remarkable thirst for learning was evidenced by the fact that he taught himself to read at the age of three and subsequently skipped first grade. His mother, Edna, chair of the chemistry department at Campbell College, encouraged him to study science. He studied dentistry at UNC, gained a PhD in physiology at the Medical College of Virginia and completed his orthodontic residency program at the University of Washington. In 1965, he joined the faculty of the University of Kentucky and served as the first chairman of the orthodontic department. He then taught at the University of Florida for two years. In 1975 he joined the orthodontic faculty at UNC. He served as professor and later became chair of the department of orthodontics, a post he held for 26 years. He was still actively involved in teaching and lecturing at UNC and worldwide up until his death. In 1992, the UNC board of trustees appointed him a W R Kenan Distinguished Professor, considered to be one of the university’s most prestigious honours. An active researcher, Bill’s main interests were the aetiology of malocclusion and the effectiveness of combined orthodontic and orthognathic treatment. During his career, he published more than 200 scientific papers. He was one of the first orthodontists to adopt clinical trial methodology when his department carried out landmark studies into the early treatment of class II malocclusion. These provided models for the adoption of randomised controlled trial methodology in orthodontics throughout the world. Bill was also an approachable and effective educator. His textbook *Contemporary orthodontics* (Elsevier, Philadelphia, 2018), the sixth edition of which was published just before his death, was probably the most widely used book on orthodontic specialty programmes and is now available in 12 languages. Known simply as ‘Proffit’, nearly all orthodontists now own a copy. He also contributed chapters to 20 other books. Bill was a gifted and witty speaker whose lectures, delivered in his slow, southern drawl, were much in demand throughout the world for he had the ability of making the most complex subjects appear simple. Always keen to explore new teaching methods, in his later life he quickly adopted and pioneered online distance learning. A great anglophile, he was a frequent and welcome visitor to Britain and received an honorary FDS of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1990. His other many accolades included the American Dental Association Norton M Ross Award (1994), the American Board of Orthodontics Albert H Ketcham Award (2005) and the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award in Orthodontic Research made by American Association of Orthodontics in 2017. Bill in his earlier days was a fit and fearsome tennis player. He was proud of his ability to grow disease-free English roses in the unfavourable North Carolina climate. The worldwide travel, which he greatly enjoyed with Sara, his wife of 65 years, was linked to his ambition of riding on all the world’s major railways. This he largely accomplished. Bill died on 30 September 2018. He was 81. He was survived by Sara and their three children, Lola, Ed and Glenn, eight grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren. His influence on orthodontics has been immeasurable and all orthodontists throughout the world sadly miss him, many of whom contributed to the endowed chair created in his honour at UNC.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010605
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching McIlwaine, John (1934 - 2013)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Chrissy Murcott
Publication Date 2014-03-21 2015-12-14
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E005000-E005999/E005100-E005199
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/377348377348
Occupation General surgeon Paediatric surgeon
Details John McIlwaine was a very capable general and paediatric surgeon, of sharp intellect, with a keen sense of humour and liked by all who met him. He died 24 November 2013. John was born in Wellington on 25 January 1934 to John Erskine McIlwaine (a veterinary surgeon) and Celia Ann Coombe. His family nickname was 'B', reflecting his fascination with a bee early in his childhood. He attended Scots College in Wellington, commencing as a new entrant in 1939 and remaining there until 1951. John was scholastically very able and was Junior Dux (the first ever awarded this accolade at the school), Pipe Band Major, Head Day Prefect and Dux in his final year at College. He also played for the first XI cricket team and the first XV rugby team. John gained entry to the Otago Medical School in Dunedin, staying at the then male only Knox College (a residential Presbyterian university hostel). Knox was renowned for the camaraderie it encouraged with tales of water bombing from the top of the grand staircase (five stories high), abseiling the outer tower and 'curly kale', a staple vegetable dished up regularly. Returning to Knox at the time of his medical class reunion 50 years later, John was delighted to find his name remained carved into the wood under the mantle-piece of the room he had occupied in the tower. During term holidays John returned to Wellington securing vacation employment in the freezing works, wool scouring mills or tanning sheds. In his final year at medical school John married Mary (a school dental nurse) he had met and first admired while still at school. Graduating from medical school in 1957, John and Mary returned to Wellington. John worked as a house surgeon in Wellington Hospital 1958-59 and then as Surgical Registrar in 1960 followed by eight months general practice in Upper Hutt in 1961. Deciding that surgery was his path, John and the family moved to London where he worked as a surgical registrar in the Kingston-on-Thames Hospital, senior registrar at North Middlesex and St Mary's Hospitals and Resident Surgeon at Mayday and Croydon General Hospitals, gaining his FRCS (England) in 1964. Amongst other notable figures he treated, he attended The Queen Mother when she had a fish bone stuck in her throat. On returning to New Zealand in 1966, John commenced as Senior Out-Patients Admitting Officer at Wellington Hospital (1966-1967) and was subsequently employed as full-time tutor-specialist and later Resident Senior Surgeon. He was awarded FRACS in 1968. John was the true general surgeon who progressively specialised in paediatric surgery, having a background of colorectal and renal transplant surgery (assisting Donald Urquhart-Hay with the first renal transplant in Wellington), and he was appointed visiting General and Paediatric Surgeon at Wellington Hospital in 1970. He began consulting in part-time private practice in Kelvin Chambers with the late Evan Raine, later moving to AMP Chambers, and he operated at Bowen and Wakefield Hospitals. John assisted in the development and provision of teaching programmes in both undergraduate and post graduate surgery and was a popular teacher with both medical students and surgical trainees. Not loquacious in discussion, his comments were always well considered and appropriate and in formal presentations he was concise and precise. Invariably punctual he expected no less from others. He was a good clinician, technically excellent and quick - qualities which endeared him to his anaesthetic colleagues. John served on what was then known as the New Zealand Committee of the College and was also a College examiner in general surgery. He served as Chairman on the Wellington Surgical Staff Committee and contributed to planning committees for the development of ICU, operating theatres and theatre service centre at Wellington Hospital. John retired in 1999 and moved with Mary to 'Clarendon', a large colonial homestead in Carterton, Wairarapa. The house was built c.1880 and John and Mary developed magnificent landscaped gardens and had numerous sheds built. John was the ultimate 'sheddy'. He was meticulous and inventive and, with a love of classic cars, fully restored a Mark 2 Jaguar amongst others. He was also an avid reader and enjoyed classical music. A bee-keeper, he was active in the local bee club and many a nice pot of honey was harvested. John endured increasing disability in the last three years of his life with considerable strength, patience and dignity. He is survived by his adored wife, Mary, three adult children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E005165
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Green, Matthew Christopher (1931 - 2012)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Christian Sutherland
Publication Date 2014-11-25 2015-03-20
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E006000-E006999/E006400-E006499
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/378612378612
Occupation General surgeon
Details Colac lost a great champion of rural health care when Mathew Green died in July 2012. His surgical work along with an active obstetrics practice was invaluable to health services in Colac from 1963 until his retirement in 1999. Mathew was born in St. Kilda in 1931 and spent his early years in Bendigo. His father was a teacher and the family had an itinerant life in rural Victoria. Mathew excelled at secondary school, St Kevin's. He played in the First XVIII and was a fine tennis player. He enjoyed music and his academic record was excellent. He continued his rural life with summer farm jobs. Graduating in 1955 with Honours in Surgery and Obstetrics and Gynaecology he began surgical training at St Vincent's Hospital. In 1959 and 1960 he worked in London gaining the FRCS Eng. He returned to St Vincent's in 1963 and worked as an outpatient surgeon. He gained the FRACS and moved to Colac in 1964. He had married Denise Halstead, and they decided that a rural lifestyle had more opportunities for them. Colac offered a very busy medical life with a wide variety of surgery, an extremely busy obstetric practice and an onerous general practice on-call roster. Mathew and Denise revelled in these responsibilities. Mathew joined a practice with Jim McCarthy and Frances Galvin. Mathew had many other interests. As a fine sportsman he played squash and tennis. He had a fine palate and was an active member of the Colac Wine and Food Society. His knowledge and love of classical music was well known. During the busy years of practice, Mathew was supported by Denise and his family. The children, Elizabeth, Andrew, Rebecca, Emma, Richard, Christopher, Bridget and Paul were great sources of delight to him. Mathew was a highly respected member of the Colac medical fraternity. He was always encouraging and supportive of young surgeons. It was a privilege to have been a colleague of his.
Resource Identifier RCS: E006429
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Sacks, Nigel Philip Michael (1957 - 2017)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Christobel Saunders
Publication Date 2017-11-02 2018-01-10
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009300-E009399
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381547381547
Occupation Breast Surgeon General surgeon
Details Nigel Sacks FRACS, FRCS (Eng Hon), FACS died Friday 7 July in Melbourne. Nigel was a member of BreastSurgANZ and a Consultant Breast and Oncoplastic Surgeon at Maroondah Breast Clinic and Eastern Health, and Senior Lecturer at Monash and Deakin Universities. He was also my friend and teacher for more than 25 years and I will miss him dreadfully. A University of Melbourne graduate (1980), Nigel trained in surgery first at the Royal Melbourne and later in the UK in Nottingham, Oxford and Guilford. He was appointed consultant surgeon to the Royal Marsden Hospital in 1990 at age only 33, which is where I first met him. His extraordinary surgical skills, sharp brain, love of art and great love of life made him an ideal teacher of us young surgeons (well only just younger than him!). Nigel was a great innovator being one of the first to adopt reconstructive surgery and in 1997 sentinel node biopsy. I have just done a therapeutic reduction mammoplasty this morning in Perth - a procedure Nigel taught me back in the early 1990's. Nigel spent nine months in Pakistan in 2008 setting up breast services at the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital founded by Imran Khan, and during that time walked to K2 - a journey my son is setting out on actually today amazingly, after advice from Nigel. Nigel then returned to Australia in 2010, first to Adelaide, then in 2013 back to Melbourne. He re-met and married the love of his life Prof June Corry. Nigel leaves three beautiful daughters in the UK, and our heartfelt condolences go out to all of his family and friends.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009364
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Daniel, Owen (1917 - 2012)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Christopher Davies
Publication Date 2012-12-21 2013-11-15
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E003000-E003999/E003300-E003399
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/375503375503
Occupation General surgeon
Details Owen Daniel was a consultant general surgeon for the Clwyd and Deeside Health Board, Wales. He was born in Ystradgynlais, Breconshire, on 19 February 1917, the third child of David Daniel, a mining engineer and colliery manager, and his wife, Annie. Brought up in the south Wales valleys, Owen and his three siblings, Glenys, Goronwy and Rhona, were very close. His brother Goronwy, who was knighted in 1969, went on to become permanent under-secretary at the Welsh Office and principal of the University College of Wales. Owen attended Jones West Monmouth School for Boys in Pontypool and then Amman Valley Grammar School, from where he won the county award to study medicine at University College London. He graduated in 1942, having won the Liston gold medal for surgery in 1941. He started as a junior surgical trainee at St James's Hospital, Leeds, and the group hospitals in the East Riding of Yorkshire. In 1945 Owen joined the Royal Navy Voluntary Reserves with the rank of surgeon lieutenant. He was ship's medical officer in the North Atlantic convoy protection vessels, and later became a junior hospital surgeon to the Royal Navy in Bombay. His experiences during these years made him determined to continue his life as a surgeon. Owen attributed his ability to pass the primary fellowship at the first attempt to spending a lot of time at sea with his books. Returning to London, Owen became an assistant lecturer at the Postgraduate Medical School at Hammersmith, coming under the influence of Ian Aird. He passed the final fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1948 and became a senior registrar at University College Hospital in 1949. Owen then spent two enjoyable years in the USA, as a British Empire Cancer Campaign/American Cancer Society exchange fellow at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore. This was followed by a special fellowship in urology at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. On returning to Britain, Owen became a lecturer and then a senior lecturer (with honorary consultant surgeon status) at the University of Sheffield, at what is now the Royal Hallamshire Hospital. His reputation in surgical research was formidable (he was a founder member of the Surgical Research Society) and in 1960 he gained his MS degree for his work on 'The complications which follow diversion of the urinary stream'. It was also recognised by the Royal College of Surgeons with an award of the first of two Hunterian Professorships (*Ann R Coll Surg Engl*. 1961 Oct;29:205-25). In 1960 Owen was appointed as a consultant surgeon at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, Rhyl, succeeding the formidable Ivor Lewis, taking surgical responsibility for the whole area covered by the Clwyd and Deeside Hospital Board. Owen retained his passion for both research and teaching, and became well-known in postgraduate training circles. This reputation attracted trainees from the UK, the USA, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. Many of his former trainees went on to follow distinguished surgical careers. Owen's contributions were recognised internationally by invitations to lecture overseas, notably in India, Iraq and Lebanon. Owen continued to carry out clinical research on bile duct obstruction and other topics. He was awarded a second Hunterian Professorship in 1972 dealing with 'The value of radiomanometry in bile duct surgery' (*Ann R Coll Surg Engl*. 1972 Dec;51[6]:357-72). Early in his years in Rhyl, Owen took part in a preliminary trial of a scheme for postgraduate education initiated by the Royal College of Surgeons and funded by the Penrose May bequest. This was used initially to support visiting lecturers and later the running expenses of the Rhyl Postgraduate Medical Centre. At Owen's initiative, and with the assistance of the anatomy department in Liverpool and the approval of Her Majesty's Inspector of Anatomy, a dissection room was incorporated into the postgraduate centre, the first authorised facility for the study of human anatomy in the UK outside the university medical schools. This facility was later transferred to the new Glan Clwyd District General Hospital. Owen became surgical tutor and regional adviser for north Wales for the Royal College of Surgeons. On his retirement in 1982, he was presented with a certificate at the Royal College of Surgeons, naming him as 'Penrose May teacher'. He was elected president of the Welsh Surgical Society in 1979 and 1980. This was recognised by the presentation of a medal just two weeks before his death. After retirement, Owen embarked on a second career farming a smallholding in Meidrim, Carmarthenshire. He also continued his passion for study and learning, becoming thoroughly immersed in Welsh culture, philosophy and history. He was honoured by admittance to the highest order of the bardic circle (white robe) of the National Eisteddfod of Wales in 1982 in Swansea for 'significant contributions to medicine and surgery in Wales'. Owen was confirmed into the Church of England in Wales in 2003. These interests gradually replaced his other passions for sailing and mountain walking, to which he had always brought the same determination that characterised his surgical career. His sons recall that considerable fortitude was often required on their part. In 1947 Owen met Rhianydd Williams, originally from Cwmtwrch in the valleys, and a talented soprano and pianist, at the National Eisteddfod in Colwyn Bay. The two enjoyed time together in London when Rhianydd was a student at the Royal Guildhall School of music. They married in 1949. Their eldest son, Rhodri Daniel, is a consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Hospital. Their other two sons, Ivor and Huw, have pursued successful careers outside medicine. Owen Daniel died on 25 November 2012, aged 95. Following in the giant footsteps of Ivor Lewis, Owen Daniel became a towering surgical presence in north Wales. His enthusiastic teaching and research skills influenced trainees from many different countries. They remember him with great affection. He has been a hard act to follow.
Resource Identifier RCS: E003320
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Butler, Michael Frank (1924 - 2013)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Christopher M Butler
Publication Date 2012-02-09 2014-01-24
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E002000-E002999/E002000-E002099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/374184374184
Occupation General surgeon Vascular surgeon
Details Mike Butler helped establish and develop general surgical services in the Isle of Thanet, Margate and Ramsgate, Kent. He was born on 21 January 1924 in London, the third child and first son of Frank Butler and Ailsa Butler née Beckwith. His father served in the First World War and was a dentist, originally in Harley Street and then in Finsbury Square in the City of London. He was also a keen and gifted amateur musician: his wide circle of musical friends included Gustav Holst, who was a regular visitor to the family home. Mike's early appreciation and love of music was to stay with him for the rest of his life. He was educated at Tollington Preparatory School in London and, from 1937, he was a boarder at Bishop's Stortford College in Hertfordshire. He played both cricket and rugby in the school first teams. He entered St Mary's Hospital to study medicine at the age of 17, in 1941. He gained a prize in anatomy and the Meadowe's prize in obstetrics, and qualified in 1945, at the age of 21. His first post was as a resident obstetric officer at St Mary's, and this was followed by a spell as a house surgeon at the Royal South Hants Hospital, Southampton. In addition to surgical duties, the house surgeon was also expected to give anaesthetics for procedures such as tonsillectomy or cystoscopy. In 1946 he joined the RAF for his National Service and was appointed medical officer to RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland. The posting proved quiet enough for him to complete the reading and study required to pass the primary FRCS in 1948. After leaving the RAF in early 1948, he took a further house job in surgery at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Bournemouth. After passing his final fellowship in 1949, he was appointed as a junior registrar to W J Lytle in Sheffield. The position provided ample experience and training in elective abdominal, thyroid, breast, hernia, prostate and basic children's surgery. He felt that he learnt from Lytle the basis of a sound and safe surgical technique and a practical common sense approach to surgical problems and administration. This was to provide the basis for his surgical practice for the rest of his career. After a further year as registrar in Sheffield, he was appointed to the Westminster Hospital in London as a middle grade registrar to E Stanley Lee and George Macnab. The work involved not only the usual general and urology cases, but also major head and neck and breast cancer surgery with Lee and some brain surgery with Macnab. There was a weekly combined clinic led by Sir Stanford Cade, which usually had a remarkable collection of cancer cases to consider. In 1954 he was appointed as a senior registrar to Kingston Hospital with Richard Franklin, a post he held for two years, before rotating back to Westminster as senior registrar to Lee, Macnab and the newly-appointed thoracic surgeon, Charles Drew. Drew was ploughing a fairly lonely furrow developing his technique for open heart surgery using profound hypothermia, at a time when most cardiac surgeons were using and developing the heart-lung machine for these cases. Mike was interested to see the development and practice of the technique, and recognised the heart-searching that the pioneering Drew endured - particularly in the early days when fatalities were not uncommon. During the latter part of his time at Westminster he took a post as a clinical assistant to the urological surgeon David Wallace at St Peter's and St Paul's. Early in 1960 he rotated into the post of research assistant to Charles Drew. Some unsuccessful attempts at heart and lung transplants in greyhounds and feasibility studies on the possibilities of coronary artery endarterectomy using cadaveric hearts were undertaken. Although he found research work interesting, Mike didn't see his future as an academic surgeon: he was appointed as a consultant general surgeon to the Isle of Thanet Hospital group in 1960. His sessions were all based in Thanet, with colleagues from Canterbury having sessions in Thanet and covering some of the emergency rota. Initially he covered general surgery for the hospitals in Margate and Ramsgate. A true general surgeon, he could turn his hand to most operations, including chest and urology. As sub-specialisation developed in general surgery he was able to drop urology. He developed an interest in the newly-developing peripheral vascular surgery and was able, by visiting London centres, to train himself to a good standard. He helped develop and rationalise surgical service provision in Thanet with the gradual upgrading of the Margate site and the closure of Ramsgate Hospital to acute admissions. It was not until the 1990s, after his retirement in 1989, that the development of hospital services in Thanet was finally completed with the opening of the new Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother hospital. In 1947 Mike married Marjorie (née Parsons), a theatre nurse from the Royal South Hants. They had two children, Christopher, a surgeon, and Nigel, a general practitioner. An accomplished pianist and choral singer, Mike also enjoyed dinghy sailing, wind surfing and skiing. A keen and devoted family man, during his retirement he enjoyed watching his seven grandchildren grow up and taught them all to sail and surf. In 2010 his knowledge of anatomy was still good enough to help one grandchild pass his MRCS examination. He was a very fit man and enjoyed good health for most of his life, with the only significant surgery being a successful coronary artery bypass operation after a myocardial infarction in 2001. The last few months of his life were frustrating as the effects of a failing tricuspid valve made him rather short of breath and not able to attend to his large garden as he wished. He was spared any significant failing of his mental faculties and died suddenly but peacefully on 16 August 2013, aged 89, with his wife of 66 years by his side at home in the house that they had shared together for 53 years on the cliff top at Broadstairs. He was survived by his wife, two sons, four grandsons, three granddaughters and two great granddaughters.
Resource Identifier RCS: E002001
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Bates, Grant James Edward Mills (1953 - 2011)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Christopher Milford
Publication Date 2011-10-06 2011-11-24
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001400-E001499
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373637373637
Occupation ENT surgeon
Details Grant Bates was a consultant ENT surgeon at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. He was born on 7 June 1953 in Launceston, Tasmania, the son of Mills Bates, a doctor, and Margaret née Duffas, the daughter of a gamekeeper, but went to the UK, to Oxford (Merton College) and then to the London Hospital to study medicine. His postgraduate training in ENT included spells as a senior house officer on the professorial unit at Gray's Inn Road in London, as a registrar in Oxford and then as a senior registrar in Bristol. He also spent time as a research fellow in both San Francisco and Brisbane, before returning to Australia (Cairns) as a consultant for two years before electing for life in Oxford in 1992. In Oxford he threw himself into teaching undergraduates and postgraduates with his normal 'high energy' approach. As well as teaching the medical students, he became involved with the organisation of the student Christmas show and was often dragged on to the stage as part of the entertainment! Later, he took on the programme director's role for the regional training of registrars. Throughout, he was an inspirational teacher. Training included fitness sessions with him at the gym! Later he became an anatomy tutor at Merton and an intercollegiate examiner for the exit exam. During his time as a consultant in Oxford, he developed his interest in rhinology and provided a regional service for complex rhinologic pathology. He also became one of the pioneers (and an international expert) of endoscopic stapling for pharyngeal pouch. As well as putting huge effort into his clinical role, he also had an interest in medical politics and became chairman of the medical staff committee (both at the Radcliffe Infirmary and the John Radcliffe on separate occasions). In 1997 he also found time to serve as secretary of the laryngology section of the Royal Society of Medicine. He became known to even more people (if that was possible) when he took on the nationally important role of honorary secretary of the British Association of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery (ENTUK) from 2002 to 2005. During his time with ENTUK he helped 'defuse' the political time bomb of disposable tonsillectomy instruments that were introduced for a short period (and were associated with a sharp increase in postoperative haemorrhage rates) to avoid the sterilisation concerns at the time regarding variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. But for his illness it is difficult to believe he would not have taken on more prominent national roles within the specialty in the future. Although known within ENT for his input in these professional areas, he was probably equally recognised for his 'extra-curricular activities'. Grant was a glowing example of how to achieve a good 'work/life balance' well before the phrase first became popular. It is almost impossible to list the number of things that he 'crammed' into his life - he was an accomplished sub-aqua diving instructor and had a lifelong interest in underwater photography. Later in life he would throw in the odd London marathon run with training for the Engadin cross-country ski marathon in Switzerland, various triathlons, windsurfing and sailing (obtaining his Royal Yachting Association - RYA - coastal skipper certificate). He took up real tennis whilst in Oxford and spent many enjoyable hours on court (his definition of ENT was 'early nights and tennis'). He was a lifelong environmentalist and became a trustee of the Shark Trust in 2005. He was passionate about sharks and their conservation, and was an amazing advocate for the Trust, sharing his own experiences through talks and awareness events, and encouraging everyone he met to support the cause. When all the 'trappings' of life are stripped away, the important things come down to relationships with people - family, friends, patients. He was the devoted husband of Sue (née Wilkinson), whom he married in 1981, and the enormously proud father of Rebecca and James. He was the 'ultimate' communicator and he touched an enormous number of people's lives with his kindness, generosity and huge sense of fun. He was a great example to us all as to how to enjoy life and, at the same time, give of your best professionally. He died peacefully at Sobell House in Oxford on 18 September 2011 after a short illness.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001454
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Wyatt, Arthur Powell (1932 - 2009)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Christopher Russell
Publication Date 2010-10-14 2012-03-08
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001000-E001099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373236373236
Occupation General surgeon
Details Arthur Powell Wyatt was a consultant surgeon in the Greenwich health district. He was born in Hornsey, Middlesex, on 14 October 1932. His father, Henry George Wyatt, a medical missionary in China, died as a neutral during the Sino-Japanese War in 1938. His mother, Edith Maud née Holden, also a missionary, was a teacher. Arthur spent his early childhood in China, before returning to England in 1940 to attend Eltham College, then the school for the sons of missionaries. During the war it was evacuated to Taunton School and afterwards returned to Eltham. Wyatt entered St Bartholomew's Hospital, qualifying in 1955 with the Walsham prize in surgical pathology. After junior posts, he passed the FRCS in 1960 and became a lecturer in surgery at St Bartholomew's for two years. He then became a senior registrar at King's College Hospital, from which he was seconded to the post of postgraduate research surgeon at Moffat Hospital, University of California, San Francisco (from 1965 to 1966). In 1967, he joined Austin Wheatley at the Brook General Hospital to establish a vascular service, his experience at St Bartholomew's under Taylor, in San Francisco and at King's making him almost uniquely qualified for such a position. Austin Wheatley died prematurely in 1969 and was replaced by Arthur Wyatt, Mervyn Rosenburg and Ellis Field in 1970. They soon established the Brook as one of the places in London in the 1970s for young surgeons to establish their credentials in surgery. The hospital provided a wide range of experience with a heavy emergency workload. Arthur proved a master at difficult and complex operations, having wide experience in pneumatosis coli, oxygen therapy, transhiatal oesophagectomy for carcinoma, thoracic sympathectomy for axillary hyperhidrosis and introducing new methods of fixation for rectal prolapse. He took a full and active part in hospital management, as well as being a regional adviser in general surgery for the South East Thames Region. He was an active member, secretary and president of the surgical and proctological sections of the Royal Society of Medicine. He was a member of the Court of Examiners of our College. He was well recognised locally and became president of the West Kent Medico-Chirurgical Society. Like his parents, Arthur was a committed Christian, and was active in the Christian Medical Fellowship. After retirement, he retraced his Chinese experience to re-establish links with that country. He developed his long term interest in gardening. It was while establishing his new garden that he became aware of the tumour which eventually proved fatal. He accepted the diagnosis with calm bolstered by his Christian faith. He died on 11 October 2009 and was survived by his wife, Margaret Helen née Cox, whom he married in 1955, and their three sons, John, Robert and Andrew. A son, David, predeceased him.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001053
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Williams, Edward John (1928 - 2007)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Christopher Russell
Publication Date 2010-11-11
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001000-E001099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373242373242
Occupation General surgeon Vascular surgeon
Details Edward John Williams was a consultant vascular and general surgeon at St Mary's Hospital, London, and Wexham Park Hospital, Slough. He was born in Towyn, a small village in Clwyd, north Wales, on 3 February 1928, the son of D C Williams. He was educated locally and did his undergraduate studies at the London Hospital Medical School. After qualifying, he was house physician to Lloyd Rusby and the children's department, and house surgeon to the cardiothoracic firm of Vernon Thompson and Geoffrey Flavell. He joined the RNVR for his National Service and was a squadron medical officer on HMS *Cossack* in Korea from 1952 to 1953 and on HMS Indefatigable in 1954. On demobilisation, he returned to the London as senior registrar to Hermon Taylor, a pioneer vascular surgeon who was developing techniques for disobliteration and freeze-dried homografts, and then as an assistant on the surgical unit under Victor Dix and W T Irvine, who sent him as the Robertson exchange fellow in 1959 for a year to Chicago, taking with him his ravishingly beautiful bride, Sue. In Chicago he worked with R K Gilchrist, the general surgeon, and the vascular team under Julian, Dye and Geza de Takats. He returned to the London, bringing his new skills and expertise in vascular surgery, and, when in 1961 Irvine moved to St Mary's to be professor of surgery in succession to Charles Rob, John Williams accompanied him as senior lecturer and was later his deputy director of the academic surgical unit. St Mary's was at that time the centre for vascular surgery in London. 'EJ' (as he was known to many) was not a career academic and seized the opportunity in 1968 to move to the new hospital at Wexham Park, which was developed with close links to St Mary's. For the rest of his career he attended the surgical unit on Wednesday, taught the students and discussed cases with the registrars, and by his affability maintained the team spirit within the unit for the remainder of Irvine's tenure, and throughout Dudley's redirection of the unit from a vascular to a gastrointestinal interest. Many were the registrars and subsequent assistant directors who appreciated John's wise advice. His work was directed to establishing vascular surgery in a large modern district general hospital, yet by maintaining close links with the academic surgical unit at St Mary's he was able to ensure that the standard of investigation and treatment of his patients was the same in both units. He did not neglect Wexham: he was chairman of the Oxford Group of Surgeons from 1984 to 1987, president of the consultants' mess at Wexham for many years and, in 1989, was elected president of the Society of Vascular Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland. EJ maintained his links with St Mary's Hospital Medical School and regularly held the final MB examinations at Wexham. The examinations were organised meticulously, with outstanding cases, and followed by superb entertainment at his home on the outskirts of Gerrards Cross, where Sue and their two daughters kept horses. In retirement he continued his interests by being chief medical officer at the National Horse Driving Championships, dividing his time between his cottage in north Wales and fishing on the River Tay, where friends had the rights on a stretch of water. EJ lived life to the full, with an affability and gentlemanliness which made him so popular in company and in his professional life. He was remarkably helpful to many of his staff of all grades and made sure they were all well looked after. Towards the end of his life his wife Sue developed cancer, which spoilt his retirement, for she organised his life. She died a year before he did, leaving two daughters.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001059
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Blamey, Roger Wallas (1935 - 2014)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Christopher W Elston
Publication Date 2014-11-25 2015-02-27
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E006000-E006999/E006400-E006499
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/378606378606
Occupation Breast Surgeon General surgeon Transplant surgeon
Details Roger Blamey was professor of surgical science at Nottingham and a pioneering breast surgeon who developed the world-famous Nottingham prognostic index (NPI). He was born in London on 16 March 1935, the son of John and Cara Blamey. From Highgate School he went to Downing College, Cambridge, where he played rugby and was secretary of the boat club, followed by the Middlesex Hospital Medical School. He graduated BChir in 1960 and MB in 1961, and obtained his FRCS five years later. He became a research fellow under Pat Forrest in Cardiff and was awarded an MD from Cambridge University in 1970 for his thesis 'Immunological aspects of tumour growth'. He spent two happy years from 1970 to 1972 in Australia as a senior lecturer under Dick Bennett in Melbourne. He subsequently undertook further postgraduate surgical training in Cambridge, where he was involved in both renal transplantation and breast surgery, which stood him in good stead when he was appointed senior lecturer in Nottingham in 1973 in Jack Hardcastle's department. He was appointed professor of surgical science in 1980. Although he became an internationally-known breast surgeon, an early achievement was the introduction of renal transplantation to Nottingham. In 1974 the regional service for transplant surgery was too busy to cope with demand. Blamey felt that Nottingham patients were dying unnecessarily, so against the Regional Health Authority's wishes and inducing panic in his hospital administrators, he simply went ahead and laid the foundation for Nottingham to become a major renal centre. Roger Blamey became one of the foremost breast surgeons of his generation and established at the City Hospital the Nottingham Breast Institute, a beacon for teaching and research. His main objective was to find a way to tailor the treatment of patients with breast cancer so that each individual received the most appropriate therapy for them, rather than the broad based standard of the day. To this end he set up in 1973 the Nottingham Tenovus breast cancer study, in collaboration with the Cardiff Tenovus Research Institute. A range of potential prognostic and predictive factors was studied in a large group of closely followed-up patients, leading in 1982 to the Nottingham prognostic index, based on pathological (not clinical) tumour size, histological grade (the Nottingham method evolved by his colleagues Elston and Ellis) and lymph node stage. It proved, with oestrogen receptor status, to be a reproducible tool for the stratification of patients into therapeutic groups. Combined with newer molecular markers, such as HER2, the NPI still remains relevant. The collaboration with Tenovus was typical of Blamey's approach to research. From small beginnings he built a team of cellular pathologists, research fellows, oncologists, radiologists, plastic surgeons, geneticists and many others. Although clearly the leader of the team, Blamey took pains to develop the potential of every member. He was one of the first surgeons to introduce preoperative diagnosis of breast lesions, using needle core biopsy and fine needle aspiration cytology. This replaced the then standard practice of intraoperative frozen section, after which a woman would awake from surgery not knowing whether or not her breast had been removed. He also pioneered the concept of breast conserving surgery, despite opposition from more traditionally minded colleagues. Multidisciplinary team working is now standard practice for all patients with cancer and Blamey led the way. His weekly meetings with pathologists evolved into full-blown patient management conferences, including oncologists, radiologists and specialist breast care nurses, especially after the introduction of the National Breast Screening Programme, of which he was a key protagonist as project leader of the UK trial for early breast cancer detection (1980 to 1987) and the UK Coordinating Committee on Cancer Research trial of the frequency of breast cancer screening (1990 to 1996). Blamey published over 350 articles, 30 book chapters and eight books, and was in considerable demand all over the world as a teacher, lecturer and debater, even after retirement. He established the Nottingham international breast conference in 1990, one of the most important events in the breast research calendar, and it is hardly surprising that Nottingham breast service was selected as a national training centre for the screening programme. Many young surgeons from the UK and abroad trained under his supervision, with no fewer than 25 completing a doctoral thesis. He also had a major influence in establishing standards for the training of breast surgeons and the setting of national targets for the operation of breast units. At the British Association of Surgical Oncology he was chairman of the breast surgeons group from 1989 to 1996 and president (1998 to 1999). He was chairman of the British Breast Group from 1993 to 1995, and vice president and accreditation co-ordinator of the European Society of Mastology. He was an honorary fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. Roger Blamey was charismatic, a great motivator and possessed of a high intellect, but he was not noted for administrative efficiency and could be intolerant of those not in tune with his ambitions. Once on a lecture tour in the USA he telephoned his long-suffering secretary saying he was in Philadelphia, but where should he be? He was notorious for making extensive revisions to research papers before they were submitted for publication. His research fellows quickly realised that by the third or fourth redraft the paper bore an uncanny resemblance to the original, so they would agree with all his amendments and send off the original version! It is not known if he ever found out. Apparently this also happened when he helped his children with their homework. He had wide interests outside medicine, including music, theatre, art and sport, particularly cricket. He was a regular attender at the Edinburgh Festival. He had a very happy home life with Norma (née Kelly), his wife for 55 years, and they were very proud of their three children, Eleanor, Sarah and Edmund, and six grandchildren. Towards the end of his life he was admitted to hospital with acute symptoms, which turned out to be due to a cerebral abscess. This was successfully drained, but he never really recovered and died on 1 September 2014, aged 79.
Resource Identifier RCS: E006423
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Blandy, John Peter (1927 - 2011)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Christopher Woodhouse
Publication Date 2011-11-03 2012-12-21
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001500-E001599
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373690373690
Occupation Urological surgeon Urologist
Details John Blandy was professor of urology at the Royal London Hospital and the Institute of Urology. He was a product of the old Empire, from which he inherited many wonderful characteristics and none of the bad ones. His father was Sir E Nicholas Blandy. At the time of John's birth in the Edith Cavell nursing home in Calcutta on 11 September 1927, Sir Nicholas was serving as assistant commissioner in Barisal. The district was then a part of Bengal and now is in Bangladesh. John's mother was Dorothy Kathleen Blandy née Marshall. It was unusual for the children of the Empire to be born overseas, as it was considered too dangerous. John's older brother had died at birth in India and his father's first wife of cholera. His mother was, therefore, sent back to England for the birth of John's older sister, Helen. As this had gone well, John was delivered in India, but went to England at the age of three for safety from the diseases of the East and, later, to begin school at Edinburgh House, Lee-on Solent. For much of this period he was separated from his parents, who were busy governing India. Nonetheless, he had a happy childhood at a school that encouraged learning from a much broader curriculum than was usual. He lived with a family that looked after many other children whose parents were overseas. At the beginning of the war, he re-joined his parents in India and went to prep school in Darjeeling. Here he developed his love of painting. He excelled at academic work. In the 1942 school certificate exam in English he wrote an essay on all eight questions when only four were required, but still came first amongst all the candidates from India. His father died in the same year. The family returned to England, at great peril from U-boats and John went to Clifton College in Bristol. In 1947 he won a scholarship to Balliol, Oxford, and went up to read medicine in the following year. His anatomy tutor was Le Gros Clark. Clinical training began at the London Hospital in 1948. Apart from the ward work, particularly influenced by Donald Hunter (editor of *Hutchison's clinical method* and specialist in occupational diseases), he further developed his painting and became a proficient skier. He graduated in 1951 and did house jobs at the London, the first with Clifford Wilson. In 1953, he married Anne Mathias, a staff nurse at the London, daughter of Hugh Mathias. It was a happy marriage from the very start and John records in his memoirs that they skipped down the altar steps in Tenby, on the way to a honeymoon in Lincolnshire. They had four daughters, Su, Caroline, Nikki and Kitty. All have followed in the footsteps of their parents, Kitty as an artist, Su as a paediatrician, and Caroline and Nikki as nurses. He was no sooner married than he was sent off to the RAMC to do his National Service. He had several postings in the UK, ending as medical officer in Cowglen. There he wrote his first paper on a stress fracture of the femoral neck following excessive route marching. Once back to civilian life, he began a meteoric career in surgery, leading on to urology, then considered to be a small subspecialty. He was an assistant to Victor Dix at the London Hospital. In 1960 he was awarded a Robertson visiting fellowship at Presbyterian St Luke's Hospital in Chicago. Here he researched the use of intestine for the construction of continent urinary reservoirs. This formed the basis of his doctoral thesis which was awarded in 1963. The other most important outcome of his service in Chicago was to learn transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). This operation was hardly known in the UK, where Millin's open prostatectomy was still the popular operation for the benignly enlarged prostate. On his return to the London, he began a protracted battle to establish this new and much less traumatic operation. It was certainly an uphill task, partly because it was difficult to learn to do well and partly because 'general surgeons with an interest in urology' felt that the open operation that they had learnt as registrars was much superior. John's excellent text book on TURP (*Transurethral resection* London, Pitman Medical) was first published in 1971. It remains the standard work on the subject. While climbing the training ladder at the London and later as resident medical officer at St Peter's Hospitals, he published on a wide range of topics including the vascular anatomy of the colonic wall, bladder cancer and testicular cancer. He also designed a set of retractors for the newly described Gil-Vernet operation for staghorn calculus. He was appointed as a consultant general surgeon at the London in 1964. Although nominally a generalist, he immediately began to work almost exclusively in urology with the support of Gerald Tresidder. Together they worked to raise the standards of urological care introducing, amongst other things, the revolutionary idea that cystoscopies should be done with sterile water rather than tap water which was usually contaminated with *Pseudomonas pyocynea*! In his training he had been strongly influenced by David Innes Williams, the pioneer of paediatric urology. He was elected to the Society for Paediatric Urology and developed surgery for children, especially hypospadias, at the London. This led on to work on the surgery of urethral strictures, then treated mainly by repeated urethral dilatation. He used and developed the two stage inlay urethroplasty devised by his colleague, Richard Turner Warwick. Renal transplants were the great surgical excitement of the 1960s and were started at the London by John and the vascular surgeon, Douglas Eadie. In 1968 he was appointed a consultant at St Peter's Hospitals at the same time as John Wickham and Richard Turner Warwick. In the following year he was awarded a personal chair in urology. His output of research papers is legendary. He wrote in a style that encouraged readership and did many of the illustrations himself. His books were all medical best-sellers and strongly influenced his students and trainees. Most UK medical students learnt their urology from his *Lecture notes in urology* (Oxford, Blackwell Scientific). Many of today's consultants did their research in his department and owe their careers to his unstinting support. He travelled widely as a guest lecturer and visiting professor, often being elected as an honorary member of the relevant national urological society. He was council member of the Royal College of Surgeons, chairman of the training board and vice president from 1984 to 1986. It was due in large part to his influence that the first part of the FRCS became an exam on surgery in general as an entrance to higher surgical training. The final FRCS became a qualifying exam in the chosen sub-specialty. Amongst many other achievements, he was president of the British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) from 1984 to 1986, of the European Association of Urology (1988) and of the European Board in Urology (1991 to 1992). He was elected to the American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons (1977). In the New Year honours of 1995 the Queen appointed him CBE for services to surgery. He was awarded the St Peter's medal of BAUS in 1982 and the Willy Grégoir medal of the Société Internationale d'Urologie in 2001. Although medicine in general and urology in particular were the areas in which he was best known, he was truly a renaissance man. He read widely, but also enjoyed tinkering with the broken engines of motor cycles and cars that he had as a registrar. While returning from India in 1942 he helped to repair the broken engine of his ship. Both in working life and in retirement, he was a fine painter and sculptor. It was easy to know when a committee meeting had become too long as he would get out his pad and quietly sketch his fellow sufferers. At dinner in the RCS he used to tour the portraits with other guests, give a learned critique of the artist and a life history of the subject. He died on 23 July 2011 from a sarcoma. His funeral was private, but a memorial service in St Giles, Cripplegate, next to his home in the Barbican was full with family, friends and colleagues. The eulogies, readings and music, including the drinking song from act one of *La Traviata*, reflected his joy of life and enthusiasm for the achievements of his family and students.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001507
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Williams, Sir David Innes (1919 - 2013)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Christopher Woodhouse
Publication Date 2013-06-12 2014-04-09
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E004000-E004999/E004000-E004099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/376278376278
Occupation Paediatric urological surgeon
Details Sir David Innes Williams (generally known as 'DI') had two careers of equal distinction and near equal length - as a surgeon and as an academic administrator. However, he was first and foremost a surgeon. He was born on 12 June 1919 in London into a distinguished medical family. His father, Gwynne Evan Owen Williams, was a surgeon at University College Hospital, London. His mother, Cecily Mary Williams née Innes, was a nurse at the same hospital, while his brother, Sir Robert E O Williams, was knighted for his work in bacteriology and genetics. Until recently, it was almost expected that children should follow their father's profession. It is not surprising, therefore, that after Sherborne School in Dorset he went up to Trinity Hall, Cambridge, and qualified as doctor at University College Hospital, London in 1942. His tutor was Max Rosenheim (later Lord Rosenheim) and it was he who first encouraged David to consider research as the foundation of good medical practice. He had taken the shortened course arranged for medical students at the beginning of the war, which provided young doctors to run the major hospitals in the UK, leaving the more experienced surgeons for the military. He was greatly affected by the subsequent death in action of five of the 49 boys in his house at school, including one with whom he had shared a study. Despite a very heavy clinical workload, he found time to complete his masters degree in surgery, win the Erichsen prize in practical surgery, pass the fellowship exam of the Royal College of Surgeons, and marry Margaret Harding, a theatre sister, with whom he shared his life for 66 years. In May 1945 he was called up for military service. He was assigned to the Royal Army Medical Corps and sent to India as 1st lieutenant, general duties. He was discharged in 1948 as a major and with a very wide experience of surgery. It was only then, six years after qualifying, that he was able to devote himself to the field in which he was, in his day, to lead the world. It was entirely fitting that he should build the specialty of paediatric urology at the Children's Hospital in Great Ormond Street and at the Shaftesbury Hospital on Shaftesbury Avenue. The former was the first hospital in the United Kingdom to be devoted to the care of children, and the latter was named after the great pioneer of children's social care, the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury. There had been surgeons in the UK and elsewhere who had contributed enormously to the care urological diseases of children as a part of their work. Innes Williams was amongst a tiny group who made it their life's work. It is hard now to imagine that so major a specialty that can have an annual European conference with 600 delegates had but a handful when Innes Williams started work. A huge contribution was the classification of children's urological conditions which, at a time before modern imaging methods, was ground breaking. His unique surgical experience led to the writing of four books on the specialty, the first, written when he was 38, a book which is a model of lucidity and entirely based on his own experience (*Urology in childhood* Berlin, Springer Verlag, 1958). His constant quest for the scientific basis of children's neonatal and subsequent conditions produced dozens of scientific articles and book chapters, usually co-authored with inspired junior colleagues. His MD thesis on the chronically dilated ureter is as relevant today as it was at its acceptance in 1951. He was a superb technical surgeon. He made even the most complicated procedures look easy, so that he was admired by fellow surgeons and trainees alike. His formal lecturing and, particularly, his surgical teaching were legendary. Such was his prominence in the field that an appointment as his registrar was virtually essential for aspiring paediatric urologists from the UK, Commonwealth and North America. This, in turn, led to many visiting professorships and invitations to speak overseas. He was awarded honorary fellowships of prestigious medical colleges, including the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and the American College of Surgeons. Many doctors make major contributions to their field but are then superseded by later specialists and later research. Such was Innes William's contribution that it still forms the basis of the study of the natural history of congenital genito-urinary anomalies and their surgical correction. His early retirement from surgical practice in 1978 means that very few of those that he taught are still working, but they have instilled the Innes Williams' lessons into the present generation of paediatric urologists. Amongst his many medical honours were the Leverhulme research scholarship and subsequently a Hunterian professorship of the Royal College of Surgeons, and the St Peter's medal of the British Association of Urological Surgeons. He was awarded the Denis Browne medal of the British Association of Paediatric Surgeons in 1977 and the urology medal of the American Academy of Pediatrics in 1986. It was in 1978 that he made a radical change in his career. To the surprise of many, he retired from surgery. He was appointed director of the British Postgraduate Medical Federation, which at the time brought together as a school of the University of London the 12 postgraduate Institutes attached to the London specialist hospitals, including the Institute of Urology and the Institute of Child Heath, with which he was already familiar. However, in a subsequent reorganisation of the University, the institutes were attached to the general medical schools and the Federation became redundant. In 1985 Innes Williams was appointed as a pro-vice chancellor of the University of London. In 1982 he was appointed chairman of council of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (ICRF), a voluntary position in which he worked closely with (later Sir) Walter Bodmer, the ICRF's director of research, and Alastair Dennis, its secretary. It was an important period for the ICRF. During his nine years as chairman the Fund's income grew from around £15m annually to some £50m. Innes Williams was strongly supportive of the need for the ICRF to maintain excellence in its scientific appointments and scientific research. He was involved in the bold decision to substantially reduce the Fund's financial reserves, releasing the resources required to fund a dramatic increase in its research programmes. He contributed significantly to the development of the Fund's clinical activities, particularly in relation to the surgical profession and the promotion of research fellowships for practising surgeons. He played a key role in the decision to change the Fund's management structure, placing a scientist firmly in control, a contribution that still has profound implications for today's Cancer Research UK. During these later years, he played a significant role in the highest ranks of the medical profession. He served on the council of the Royal College of Surgeons from 1974 to 1986 and was vice president from 1983 to 1985. He was on the General Medical Council from 1979 to 1989 and was president of the BMA from 1988 to 1989. In all of these roles he brought his usual dignity, fluency and insight into the problems of a profession that often sees itself as besieged. In 1975 he had been appointed to the Home Secretary's Advisory Committee on the Administration of the Cruelty to Animals Act. When this work ended in 1979, he joined the council of the Royal Veterinary College, serving until 1986. He was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours list in 1985. DI's family life was a happy one. He and his wife Margaret welcomed to their home surgical colleagues and their partners and visitors from near and far with great polish. Part of his legacy was the founding in 1963 of the Society of Paediatric Urological Surgeons, an international paediatric urology 'think tank' with a tightly limited membership. The numbers were kept small, initially no more than could sit around his handsome dining table, in a belief that this allowed freer discussion. Everyone attending had to present a paper and all made a comment on each paper. Innes Williams was to have been a guest of honour at the 50th anniversary meeting of the Society at the Royal College of Surgeons in August 2013. DI's much loved wife, Margaret, died in 2011. In his last two years, with declining health, he received devoted care from Joyce Fay, an old friend and retired nursing sister. He died on 3 May 2013, aged 93, and was survived by his two sons, Martin and Michael. Innes Williams was given every honour in his chosen field and it was a remarkable achievement to be for so long the world leader of a specialty, which he had created. But above all this, way above and beyond all these distinctions, he had the deep affection and admiration of all who were fortunate to get to know him.
Resource Identifier RCS: E004095
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Venn, Graham Erskine (1954 - 2013)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Christopher Young
Publication Date 2013-11-08 2017-03-30
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E004000-E004999/E004600-E004699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/376810376810
Occupation Cardiac surgeon Cardiothoracic surgeon
Details Graham Venn was a consultant cardiac surgeon at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and, for the last decade of his life, at the centre of British cardiac surgery. He was part of all aspects of the discipline, from being passionate about training junior surgeons, to overseeing cardiac surgical research at St Thomas' Hospital, to being influential in the running and governance of the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery (SCTS), to his work linked with the Royal College of Surgeons and, finally, to his ensuring fair pay and contractual obligations for newly-appointed young consultants. Graham touched the lives of the cardiac surgical world in a way that few have. His wisdom, foresight and passion were remarkable from a young age. Graham Erskine Venn was born in Kent on 22 March 1954. He was educated at Dulwich College, London and went on to study medicine at the Middlesex Hospital Medical School from 1972 to 1977. Graham knew he wanted to be a heart surgeon as a student and one of his first posts after qualification was as houseman to the illustrious surgeons Jack Belcher, Marvin Sturridge and Donald Ross (the surgeon who performed the first UK heart transplant). Graham then went on to train under some of the greatest names in British cardiac surgery - Matt Paneth, Chris Lincoln, Stewart Lennox and Magdi Yacoub. The final part of his training was at the Hôpital Broussais in Paris, working with the father of heart valve repair, Alain Carpentier. During this period, Graham accumulated numerous prizes and distinctions, became a fellow of both the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of England and of Edinburgh, and went on to become a Hunterian professor of surgery at the RCS in 1989. Graham was appointed to the staff at St Thomas' Hospital in July 1989, where he quickly adopted a senior management as well as a clinical role, overseeing the difficult mergers of the Brook cardiac unit and later the unification of Guy's and St Thomas' cardiac services to form part of the largest UK trust hospital. He later became a member of the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London and was made a freeman of the City of London in 2003. Within the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery, Graham was influential for 20 years, from being an almost permanent member of the executive committee to chairing various society committees, such as the professional standards committee and the blood-borne infections panel. Latterly, Graham was a trustee and director of SCTS. In addition, Graham worked tirelessly through both the Society and the RCS to raise the standards of the profession, including leading on job planning (to ensure a fair deal for newly-appointed consultants) and acting as specialty adviser. Graham was also central to the development of the 'early response' initiative, a mechanism whereby the Society and RCS could rapidly respond to adverse surgical outcomes/performance by parachuting in a team. Graham himself formed part of the rapid response team, undertaking several exhausting reviews. Graham was appointed surgeon to the British Army in 1990, an honorary appointment whereby he initially looked after cardiac surgical issues for the entire Army and latterly provided advice on the management of chest trauma in overseas battle zones. Graham was a passionate trainer of young surgeons and his unassuming Facebook page was full of praise from his trainees. His final legacy was that the last three cardiac surgeons appointed to St Thomas' had been inspired by training under Graham. Two of them went on to train internationally, but all three wanted to come back to St Thomas' because of Graham's influence. Finally, Graham was an outstanding surgeon who pushed for increasing specialisation in cardiac surgery. His cardiac surgical results in general were outstanding, but particularly on mitral valve reconstructive surgery - a complex branch of cardiac surgery at which Graham excelled. He was very passionate about surgery and his patients. On one occasion Graham could not operate until another patient had left the ITU to move to another hospital, thereby vacating a post-operative bed. Such was the slowness of the pace, it appeared that Graham's patient would be cancelled that day. Graham was having none of it, and he went and found himself an old ambulance used for 'iron-lung' patients. He commandeered it and drove it to the main ITU himself. He was about to escort and drive the discharge patient himself, when the medical hierarchy gained control of the situation and suggested that an uninsured doctor driving a massive ambulance unescorted through the streets of London might not be in the patient's or Graham's best interests. Sadly, as Graham's health failed he had to give up surgery, but he was not one to sit at home! He soon became medical director of the UK for HCA International, a private healthcare company, a post he relished as he sought constantly to raise medical standards. Graham died of cancer on 29 September 2013. He was 59. He was survived by his widow Liz and her son Joe, his sons James and Jonathan, and his grandson Ryan.
Resource Identifier RCS: E004627
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Gray, Robin Charles Frank (1942 - 2020)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Christos Giannou
Publication Date 2024-04-30
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010600-E010699
Occupation General surgeon
Details Robin Gray was a consultant surgeon for the Greenwich Health District, a medical coordinator for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and then a medical officer at the World Health Organization in Geneva. He was born on 18 March 1942 at Epsom, Surrey, the son of Charles Horace Gray, a professor of chemical pathology at King’s College Hospital, and Florence Jessie Gray née Widdup, the daughter of an industrialist. He was educated at Kingswood Preparatory School and then Epsom College, and went on to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge and St Thomas’s Hospital Medical School. He was a house surgeon at St Thomas’, a house physician at Worthing Hospital, and then a senior house officer in venerology and a casualty officer back at St Thomas’. He then went to Leicester as a senior house officer in surgery at the General and Groby Road hospitals. He was subsequently a registrar at Plymouth General Hospital. He gained his FRCS in 1972. In 1977 he was appointed as a consultant general surgeon for the Greenwich Health District, a post he held until 1987. In 1988 he joined the ICRC, initially as a medical coordinator in Pakistan, then, in 1989, as a medical coordinator of surgical activities at the headquarters in Geneva. From 1995 to 2005 he was a medical officer at the World Health Organization, also in Geneva. At the ICRC he ushered in a ‘golden age’ of war surgery. He helped create a culture of independent ICRC hospitals to manage the war wounded in a number of countries in an era where there were not yet sufficient national personnel to face the task. Numerous volunteer doctors and nurses, mostly from European Red Cross societies, were seconded to the ICRC for a ‘mission’ of three to six months. Robin briefed them to what they could expect to encounter in a war zone. His gentle manner and jovialness hid a strong conviction in applying basic surgical principles to the difficult task of managing dirty and contaminated war wounds. ‘The best antibiotic is good surgery’ became his leitmotif. These basic principles involved wound debridement followed several days later by delayed primary closure, a tried-and-true application of the experience of numerous surgeons going back to the First World War, but all too often forgotten by new generations of war surgeons. He also encouraged surgeons, anaesthetists and nurses to record their experiences, collect data and publish their results. A large volume of war surgery articles followed constituting the most important cohort by a civilian organisation at the time. Robin went on numerous field missions often exposing himself to dangerous conditions. He was not dogmatic, however, and knew how to adapt to local conditions in some of the poorest countries in the world engulfed in armed conflict. He organised a first war surgery seminar in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1989, for Somali surgeons confronted with the wounded from an internal insurgency. Training through such seminars became a passion for him and he went on to organise such a session in Geneva ICRC headquarters beginning in 1990, a seminar that continues to the present day. Potential Red Cross personnel were thus prepared to meet the challenges that they would face in the field. Robin worked tirelessly to establish war surgery as a fundamental programme of the ICRC, often alone at the headquarters, at times helped by one or two colleagues, until such time as it was accepted as such despite the cost and logistic challenges. Years later, his example remained a model, and from one surgeon in ICRC headquarters working in a cubby hole, the surgical programme had become the hospital office with a head surgeon, head nurse, hospital administrator, anaesthetist and hospital programme manager. For those surgeons of a certain generation, Robin was and remained the leading light. He married Ulla Poulsen in 1964. They had a son and a daughter. Robin Gray died on 4 December 2020. He was 78.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010608
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Easton, Alfred Leonard Tytherleigh (1921 - 2012)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Claire Lewis
Publication Date 2013-11-08 2014-02-19
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E004000-E004999/E004600-E004699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/376799376799
Occupation Obstetrician and gynaecologist
Details Leonard Easton was an obstetrician and gynaecologist at the London Hospital. His background was unusual. His parents, Leonard Tytherleigh Easton, an elderly insurance broker, and Maria Bertrand Easton née de Lis met in Japan and he was born in Tientsin, China, on 11 July 1921. His education at Harrow was paid for by a wealthy uncle and there he excelled at rugby and science. Although diminutive, he was fast and fiercely competitive. His early passion for beetles, butterflies and the contents of rock pools from his beloved Cornish beaches, where he spent his childhood, evolved into a passion for human creatures: he never considered any career other than medicine. His studies led him to Cambridge, and he was always immensely proud of his years at Pembroke College. He went on to the Middlesex Hospital, where he met his future wife, Mary Josephine Latham, a highly spirited nurse who later became a prize-winning theatre sister. They married in 1946 and had two children. He had decided early on to specialise in obstetrics and gynaecology, and loved surgery from the outset. He had small hands, but they were steady as a rock, almost until he died. He carried out his National Service in Egypt and then went back to the Middlesex. He was a senior registrar there and then became a lecturer in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Birmingham. He was appointed as a consultant at King George's Hospital, Ilford, and Ilford Maternity Hospital, and became a consultant at the London Hospital in the late 1950s, where he remained until his retirement in the late eighties. He was immensely proud of the London and all his colleagues with whom he worked. He felt passionately about his job, and he and his colleagues were determined to bring down maternal mortality. He regularly went out on visits with the local obstetric flying squad and campaigned for supervised and hospital births. And, by the 1960s and 1970s, maternal mortality had significantly decreased. Early on he had to make a decision about where he stood on the issue of termination of pregnancy. As a Catholic, it was for him a defining moment. He knew he had to decide between what he thought was medically right and ethical and what the church was telling him. He decided that women had the right to choose termination if the circumstances were medically and socially appropriate, and never went to church again. As his daughter, I rarely saw him during my childhood. My memories are only of high days and holidays. Christmas was always special: he took my brother and me onto the wards and always carved the ward turkey dressed as Father Christmas. We met the nurses and patients, and felt part of his profession. I also remember him teaching me to swim in those Cornish rock pools, where he also saved a colleague's daughter from drowning. He wouldn't allow me to have my first two babies at home, when I was championing the natural childbirth renaissance in the 1970s. I remember him saying to me that you shouldn't expect to enjoy labour: the whole idea was to ensure the health of the mother and child. We had quite an argument about that, but I lost. He was a progressive, liberal thinker and a real supporter of women. And he did make a difference. I am very proud of him and what he achieved in nearly 50 years of medicine.
Resource Identifier RCS: E004616
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Powell, Henry Denis Whitwell (1919 - 2014)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Clare Garside
Publication Date 2014-09-19 2015-08-07
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E005000-E005999/E005900-E005999
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/378158378158
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon
Details Henry Denis Whitwell Powell 'Denis' was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon in High Wycombe and Amersham. The middle child and only son of Henry and Margaret Powell, he was born on 23 April 1919 and brought up with his two sisters Celia and Rosalind at Monkton Combe near Bath, in a large house with seven staff and good, tall trees for climbing in the garden. He and Celia shared a governess until he went to boarding school aged eight. Brought up in a Christian family, he regularly attended the school chapel in term time and visited a whole range of churches in the holidays. He was clearly keen on and good at sport. He enjoyed inspirational teaching from Bill Wilson, his biology teacher. Trips to his aunt meant going out with his GP uncle Cecil, visiting patients on Exmoor. Denis waited outside in the car, but he said this experience helped him decide to do medicine. Cambridge came next, an expansion of his world. Here he met Leonore Elisita Trench ('Leo'). Although Denis moved on to Edinburgh for his clinical studies, he stayed in contact with Leo and they became engaged in 1943. He used to tell stories of the times he cycled between either Bath or London and Edinburgh at the beginning and end of term, stopping in youth hostels or with friends and family on the way, taking roughly a week for each journey. In 1943 he worked through the summer in Hull and wrote a thank you letter after he left to his consultant, who responded, giving a delightful and recognisable picture of Denis. The consultant wrote: 'The hospital now is a remarkably peaceful place. The deathly silence of the corridors at night is most marked, no more are we uplifted by a melodious baritone voice raised in song, not even the mildest yodel can be heard. It is almost like a hospital. I'm not sure I have got your address right. I have tried a microscope on your writing in vain!' Denis and Leo were married on 3 February 1945 and spent three weeks together before he was called up. Their first daughter, Margaret, was born in December 1945, although she was not seen by Denis until he came home from India in June 1947. Janet was born in 1949, John in 1951, with Clare arriving in 1954. Denis joined the RAF and worked on flying stations in the UK. He took decisions about prisoners of war arriving back from the Continent, and whether they should be allowed to go home, which they were longing to do. He hated having to tell them 'No, you cannot go home as you need to be hospitalised' and 'Yes, you need to be de-loused again'. The other job he hated was having to take decisions about operational aircrew who were no longer fit to fly. While during the First World War what we now know as post-traumatic stress disorder was called 'shell shock', in the Second World War it gained the more blaming label of 'lack of moral fibre'. He hated having to give this label to men, but this was the only way to release them from active flying service. In the summer of 1945 he flew to India, and was there for most of the next two years. When he left the RAF in the summer of 1947 he struggled to find work, as he was competing with a flood of demobbed doctors chasing too few jobs. He eventually found jobs as a demonstrator and in house posts, and was excited by being part of the new NHS. He began his orthopaedic career, gaining his fellowship in 1953 after several attempts. The next milestone was 1956, when he moved to registrar and senior registrar posts in Manchester. At last, in 1960, he got a consultant job covering High Wycombe and Amersham hospitals, and the family moved to Cryers Hill on the edge of the Chilterns, roughly between the two towns. He did not often talk to his family about his work, but on the rare occasions he did, he would tell us how he cared for babies with spina bifida and thalidomide-affected children. We saw him at work on Christmas Day, when we always went with him to the hospital to visit. It was very clear he was loved by his nurses, whom he teased and was teased back by remorselessly - his way of making a more human connection than hospital roles often allowed. At the same time, he was also very clearly head of the team. He was utterly committed to his work and sincerely respected other peoples' contributions to the work of the team. Kim Cheetham, a paediatrician, writes: 'I soon discovered Denis was a marvellous colleague, very supportive of me, when I was new. We were always able to work together to make an effective treatment plan. He developed a system of treating young infants with broken legs without the need for hospital admission. This meant babies still very dependent on their mothers were not separated from them for the six weeks that was standard practice at the time. A quiet, highly competent man, who had high standards of personal practice that were very widely admired, and, of course, copied.' Another cause that engaged him was the care of patients who had undergone electro-convulsive therapy and had sustained femoral fractures during their seizures: this led him to research appropriate muscle relaxants. When walking around High Wycombe with his family, people would came up to him and say 'I worked in theatre with you in the 70s' or 'You did my hip in 82'. Their gratitude, and their pleasure at seeing him, delighted him. Much of his working life was before we had seat belts and before motorcyclists wore helmets. So his work included a lot of road traffic accidents. He struggled with breaking bad news to families, and with the operations where he worked for hours to try to save a badly hurt young motorcyclist, but still had to tell the parents at the end that the young person had died. He worked long hours, with full clinics and theatres, adding the hours on call and at the weekends to an already unlimited working week. He stayed at hospital until the work was done and his family never knew when he would come home. He showed great determination to do his best, was meticulously careful, and had real commitment to both the quality of his work and to his individual patients. The emotional demands of mending damaged bodies were enormous. He recovered by mowing the extensive lawns and gardening, and sometimes by eating alone and retreating to the study, where he wrote notes on every operation he did. There were significant costs to this way of working, both to him in his tiredness and in his absence from family life. So holidays became very important. The family youth hostelled, camped and caravanned. They walked and climbed the hills, and he ran down scree slopes, starting little avalanches and terrifying his children. He was a very good photographer of landscapes and occasionally included his family! Denis loved to combine work and travelling. He went to Denmark and Sweden to study what they had learned from a polio outbreak and to apply this to a 1958 UK outbreak. Working in northern Nigeria fascinated him. He was a professor in Sudan for a term, accompanied by Leo (and Clare joined them for a holiday), examined students in Libya, worked for the Eritrean People's Liberation Front in their struggle for independence from Ethiopia, which involved operating in an underground hospital and, last but not least, in Botswana, where, as well as treating people, he also operated on a lioness with a broken leg. Retirement meant more time and New Zealand was short of orthopaedic specialists in the late 1980s. Denis and Leo went three times to Dunedin, where he was known as 'the golden oldie', and once to Invercargill. They never repeated a journey, managing to cross Russia on the Trans-Siberian railway, visit family in western Canada and ex-colleagues in India. There was always music in his life. Denis listened, he sang and he played. One of his early memories was listening to his dad in the Bath choir, singing the *Messiah* every year at Christmas. Listening to good music gave him real joy. Denis started singing in the school chapel choir, and loved being part of the annual Gilbert and Sullivan school production. He was in choirs all his adult life, including the BBC Northern Singers in Manchester and, in his final years, the Humberstone Choral Society in Leicester. Singing for him was a way of expressing feeling, which was so much harder in words. As a youngster he played the cello and then passed his instrument on to his daughter, Margaret. Denis was a man who initially could look stern, especially to a child, and then came the twinkle, the tease and the laugh. His feet were firmly rooted in valuing the old. 'You can't throw that away, I bought it in India' he said of a decrepit bag spotted during the clearing of his home in 2007. The bag was at least 60 years old. He could be stubborn, always doing things in his own time, and unaware of the impact of this on other people. Denis could express his feelings very strongly, but not always in words. This could make communication with him difficult and sometimes impossible. Under stress, whether from work or family matters, he tended to withdraw and not see the pain this caused others and was often not able to engage in the discussions that, sometimes, can reduce pain. Finally, his faith, which was centrally important to him, but about which he rarely talked; it was a private matter, but he had great certainty. It was displayed in his work and his caring for his patients, as well as in his wider life. He loved visiting churches and cathedrals, whether ruined or still in use. Leo died in 2004 and, after three years, Denis moved from High Wycombe to Leicester, close to his middle daughter. He was able to live alone initially, but in time needed increasing support and moved into a care home for the last three and a half years of his life. He died on 11 August 2014, aged 95. His memorial service was attended by family and friends, representing many aspects of his life, from a lady who had been present at his wedding, a physio who had worked with him in High Wycombe, to four of his 10 great-grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E005975
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Rhodes, Alan (1936 - 2018)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Clare Marx
Publication Date 2018-11-19 2018-11-21
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009400-E009499
Occupation General surgeon Paediatric surgeon Breast surgeon
Details Alan Rhodes was a consultant in general and paediatric surgery in Coventry. He was born in Wolverhampton on 1 April 1936 to Florence Rhodes née Levers, a secretary, and Wilfred Rhodes, a clerk. After a stellar performance at Wolverhampton Grammar School, he entered Birmingham Medical School in 1953. He obtained a BSc in anatomy with a distinction in 1956, and then qualified in 1959 with another distinction, winning prizes in surgery, neuroanatomy and social medicine, together with the Queen’s scholarship for the best performing student in parts one and two of the final examinations. His early interest was in anatomy, and after house jobs he became an anatomy demonstrator in Birmingham before his love of the subject took him to the USA in November 1961 as an instructor in neuroanatomy at the State University of New York. He returned to the UK and Birmingham in 1963. He published scientific papers on nervous pathways involved in the ferret’s response to added light and the influence of thyroid state of C14 lysine in normal and regenerated neurons of rats, among other subjects. He rapidly completed his surgical training and became a consultant in Coventry at the very early age of 32. He loved teaching and did so throughout his training. Shortly after taking up his consultant appointment, he took on the organisation of the fellowship course, which he directed and taught for six years, eventually becoming the RCS tutor to Coventry. After his retirement, he even returned to teaching anatomy, this time to mature medical students at Warwick University. At a local level, he chaired the department of general surgery and later the Coventry hospitals’ medical staff committee for five years. At a national level, he was a member of the junior medical staff committee of the British Medical Association as a trainee and later a member of the central committee for hospital medical services of the British Medical Association from 1969 to 1977 and the central negotiating committee. Any of his colleagues would tell you that life was rarely dull when he was around. George Bentley, who worked with him in the very early years, described him as the most intelligent and entertaining man he could recall in all his training years. Surgery was where Alan felt in command; as a natural anatomist he was deft and meticulous in his surgical approach, and his accompanying commentary made the anatomy come to life for those he was teaching. Alan taught so much more than surgery. His leadership, hard work, dogged determination to get what was right for his patients, humanity and kindness made him a fantastic role model. He was always interested in and eager to forward the careers of those who had worked with him and encouraged and mentored both men and women, including Dame Fiona Caldicott, who became president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and Dame Clare Marx, who became president of the Royal College of Surgeons. He was an enthusiastic Rotarian and also helped found the Snowball Trust, which looks after sick and needy children in Coventry. His wealth of stories and his entertaining and masterful delivery meant that he was in constant demand on radio and as an after-dinner speaker. Although he hated flying, he was an enthusiastic traveller and a member of the 1921 Surgical Travelling Club. Alan was married twice and had four children, two boys and two girls. When his first son died in 2001, he was very deeply affected. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2013. Over time Alan’s physical and mental skills were stripped from him whilst he retained to the end the knowledge of how many abilities he had lost. He was survived by Caroline, his wife for the last 38 years and a general practitioner, three sons and a grandchild.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009484
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Evans, Gwyn Amman (1944 - 2022)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Clive Inman
Publication Date 2022-08-26
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010100-E010199
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon Paediatric orthopaedic surgeon Trauma surgeon
Details Gwyn Amman Evans was a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon at Oswestry. He was born in Denbigh, in the Vale of Clwyd, on 24 March 1944, the son of Owen John Evans, a presbyterian minister, and Annie Gwyneth Evans née Edwards, the daughter of a farmer. At the age of three the family moved to Bon-y-maen in Swansea, and he attended Bishop Gore Grammar School. He was keen on music and an accomplished pianist, accompanying school assemblies. He passed the associate of the London College of Music exam before leaving Swansea in 1962 to study medicine at Barts. In London he joined the London Welsh Youth Choir and continued to accompany services, his father taking on a church in Clapham. When he qualified in 1967, the dean, Ellison Nash, chose Gwyn to be his surgical house officer. In 1969 he worked at Birmingham Accident Hospital, where he was impressed by the humility of his boss. Returning to Barts to do surgical and anatomy demonstration jobs, he passed his FRCS. He joined a surgical rotation in Cardiff, where he wrote a paper on an incentivising spirometer for postoperative pulmonary complications, for which he won the Moynihan medal at the age of 30 (‘The evaluation of the incentive spirometer in the management of postoperative pulmonary complications’ *Br J Surg* 1974 Oct;61[10]:793-7). In 1974, he went to Oswestry, where he joined the orthopaedic rotation: to Hereford, Stoke-on-Trent for trauma, and then children’s orthopaedics under Rowland Hughes. He also gained a fellowship at Newington Children’s Hospital in Connecticut. The new Australian professor at Oswestry, Brian T O’Connor, asked him to write a job description for an ideal paediatric orthopaedic surgeon and six months later he was appointed to the job. He also worked at Wrexham Maelor in trauma and elective orthopaedics until 1999. Contributing enormously to the teaching of paediatric orthopaedics, he was the regional specialty adviser in north Wales and postgraduate tutor for the West Midlands. He served on the councils of the British Orthopaedic Association and the European Paediatric Orthopaedic Society. He received the Sharrard medal for children’s services and the British Society for Children’s Orthopaedic Surgery named its travel fellowship in his honour. He retired in 2004 and during his retirement, for nine months a year, he worked as a volunteer at the Dr H G Roberts Hospital in Shillong, Meghalaya, in northeast India, where he arranged for a generator to be installed and, with the help of funding from the Presbyterian Church of Wales, an intensive care unit was established at the hospital. At home he helped at the citizen’s advice bureau in Wrexham. He was strongly supported by his wife, Mary (née Tudor), his three children and seven grandchildren, and was strengthened by his deep faith which sustained him throughout his life. He died on 20 July 2022 at the age of 78.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010152
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Owen-Smith, Michael Stephen (1934 - 2013)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Clive Quick
Publication Date 2013-06-12 2014-02-19
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E004000-E004999/E004000-E004099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/376274376274
Occupation General surgeon Military surgeon
Details Michael Owen-Smith helped establish the new Hinchingbrooke District General Hospital in Huntingdon after a distinguished career in the Royal Army Medical Corps. He was born in Dulwich, south London, to Francis and Winifred Owen-Smith (née Bailey) on 11 August 1934, and lived much of his early life there, apart from a period when he was evacuated to Wales during the Second World War. His father was a civil servant and his mother a teacher of dance and swimming. Both loved sport in all its forms (Francis was a talented runner and keen cricketer) and passed this on to Michael, who excelled at cricket and rugby, representing his school at both these sports. Michael was educated at St Dunstan's College, then at Colfe's Grammar School. Both schools are in south London. From a very early age Michael's chief ambition was to become a surgeon. Upon leaving school, National Service loomed and he opted for a short service commission with the Royal Artillery. He was posted immediately to Hong Kong, where he represented the Army at cricket and rugby. Michael left the Army in 1957 to study medicine at University College and University College Hospital Medical School. Memorable tutors there included Charles Dent (metabolic medicine), Max Rosenheim (general medicine) and Robin Pilcher (surgery). He won the Erichson prize in surgery, which required very detailed knowledge of surgical instruments. This deterred other students from applying and he turned out to be the only applicant! After undertaking two house jobs at University College Hospital, Michael passed the primary FRCS at the first attempt in 1963, then re-enlisted in the Army after extracting a promise that he would have a surgical career in the service. To the chagrin of some senior officers and their wives, he automatically regained his original military number and its embedded social seniority. An early posting was with submarines with the Scots Guards; Michael was the only RAMC member in submarines at the time. From 1967 to 1969, Michael was posted to Terendak Military Hospital in Malaysia and the family accompanied him there. Soon afterwards, he was posted to the Gurkha recruiting centre in Dharan, eastern Nepal, for a demanding and memorable six weeks. Here he had to deal with retained placentas, bear bites, cleft lips and many burns and traumatic injuries. He also did a regular general medical clinic where tuberculosis was a common diagnosis. Upon leaving, he was presented with a specially handmade silver-mounted Gurkha kukri knife, complete with an RAMC crest. Further surgical training was at Hammersmith Hospital, Kingston Hospital and finally Queen Alexandra Military Hospital (QAMH), all in London. He was appointed consultant surgeon to QAMH in 1971, then spent three years at Anzuk Military Hospital in Singapore, before returning to QAMH and Queen Elizabeth Military Hospital as professor of military surgery at a very young age, a post he held between 1975 and 1981. He then left the Army (with the rank of lieutenant colonel) and obtained a consultant general surgical post in Huntingdon, initially at the little Hunts County Hospital, before transferring in 1983 to the new Hinchingbrooke Hospital, its replacement. He was a prime mover in the Huntingdon District breakaway from the Cambridge Area Health Authority and attended the House of Commons to support the local MP, John Major, on this issue. Huntingdonshire was poorly served with hospitals at that time and Hinchingbrooke was largely built because of local pressure and demand. It is a 'best buy' design, one of four in East Anglia, and from its beginnings was almost uniquely staffed with no registrars. Michael was used to working without registrars, along with the other former military consultants appointed there, and strongly supported a 'consultant delivered' service. This was then a novel concept in the UK, but has since become a desirable norm. As a result, Hinchingbrooke has nearly always been highly rated for clinical service by its patients. Michael was an early advocate of short stay surgery and introduced the Lichtenstein mesh hernia repair to Hinchingbrooke, conclusively demonstrating its advantages over older techniques. He later specialised in breast surgery, collaborating closely with the oncologist Karol Sikora on minimal surgery plus radiotherapy, a principle far more widely applied now than then. He also played a large part in establishing the Woodlands cancer centre at Hinchingbrooke. Throughout Michael's military career he devoted much time to researching mechanisms of blast and missile injuries and is widely known today for the original insights he gained from shooting anaesthetised sheep that were subsequently sacrificed. In fact, he became an expert on intubating sheep for this purpose. Much of this research was performed at Porton Down near Salisbury, Wiltshire, now the UK government military science park. He published widely in this field, including his London MS thesis on the successful prophylaxis of gas gangrene in high velocity wounds by early administration of penicillin, a practical and important finding. Nationally and internationally, Michael lectured and demonstrated on the principles of war surgery, and was an annual fixture on the Swedish war surgery course - compulsory for Army surgical consultants - for over 20 years. He won the prestigious Alexander gold medal an unprecedented four times, in 1969, 1972, 1975 and 1981, for research papers that benefited wounded soldiers. He was the author of a significant book *High velocity missile wounds* (London, Edward Arnold 1981) and co-author of several others, including *Surgery for victims of war* (Geneva, International Committee of the Red Cross, 1988) and *The field surgery pocket book* (London, HMSO, 1981. He also contributed a chapter on wounds and war injuries to *Hamilton Bailey's emergency surgery* (London, Arnold, 2000). His enquiring mind also gave rise to numerous other papers on, for example, left sided appendicitis, anal dilatation for haemorrhoids, phenol irrigation for pilonidal sinus and bilateral adrenalectomy for advanced breast cancer. Michael was Hunterian professor at the Royal College of Surgeons in 1980 and gave a lecture on 'A computerised data retrieval system for the wounds of war - the Northern Ireland casualties'. This was based on the British Army's hostile action casualty system, which he single-handedly conceived and implemented. It is an original and effective means of forensically auditing the casualties of war and is still in use today. Michael was admitted to the Order of St John in 1980. He was a member of the Territorial Army between 1981 and 2001 and won the Territorial Decoration and Bar. As a long-time senior Army officer, Michael could come across as unsympathetic, particularly when dealing with NHS administrators, who sometimes took his pronouncements in committee as dictatorial. Nurses, students and junior doctors were somewhat in awe of him, particularly in the early days in Huntingdon, but his modus operandi softened as time went by, and some nurses at least could get away with teasing him. He was always keen on teaching and training locally, and often took time to demonstrate techniques to juniors. He always fully supported his trainees and came in from home without hesitation for emergencies whenever he was needed. Michael married Angela Mary née Norman, a fellow University College Hospital student, in June 1961. She later became a consultant community paediatrician. They had three children, all of whom studied medicine. Victoria is a consultant in public health medicine in Manchester, Oliver was a consultant anaesthetist in Birmingham (he predeceased his father in 2009) and Henrietta (Hetty) qualified as a doctor but is not currently practising medicine. Michael was a keen and expert sportsman and enjoyed golf until his last days. He was very attached to an old flat hat he wore when dinghy sailing at St Ives and even when gardening and shopping, but Angela eventually banned it. He lived his life in the spirit of cricket - play by the rules with a straight bat and play the game. He was an expert and enthusiastic gardener and became a true family man, particularly with his grandchildren. After a distinguished career in military surgery and allied research, Michael became an 'old-fashioned' general surgeon in the NHS, with a broad enough training to be able to deal with a wide range of emergency and elective surgery. He had a career-long enthusiasm for teaching and training in military surgery and in general surgery, and was independent-minded enough to see that a consultant-delivered service at Hinchingbrooke was the future. Trainees were sometimes in awe of him, but appreciated his straightforward no-nonsense approach and worked hard for him. He introduced several important new techniques to Hinchingbrooke, and looked critically at the results. He was a kind man, if a little stiff at times, and a good and generous colleague. He bore his final illness with enormous fortitude and without complaint. He died on 18 April 2013 at the age of 78. He is much missed in Huntingdonshire.
Resource Identifier RCS: E004091
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Teasdale, Colin (1945 - 2023)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Roger Watkins
Publication Date 2023-08-15
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010400-E010499
Occupation Breast surgeon General surgeon
Details Colin Teasdale was a consultant general surgeon at Derriford Hospital, Plymouth. He was born in Leeds on 26 June 1945 to Alan Wainwright Teasdale and Eva Teasdale née Rowley He had an older sister, Jean, who trained as a dietitian, and a younger brother, Eric, became an occupational medicine consultant. Colin’s father was a school teacher and headmaster; both of his grandfathers were coal miners. He initially attended local infants and junior schools, then moved to two grammar schools – Normanton Grammar School from 1956 to 1961, followed by Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Wakefield from 1961 to 1963. He entered the London Hospital Medical College in 1963, having won the Price entrance scholarship and the Edith Forbes memorial scholarship. During his time at the London, Colin took an intercalated BSc degree in anatomy, achieving a first-class honours degree in 1966. He then qualified in 1969 and undertook a house surgeon role at the London Hospital. Following his post as a house physician in Bath, Colin returned to the London to demonstrate anatomy and take the primary FRCS examination, which he successfully passed at his first attempt. After a series of senior house officer posts, including one at St James’ Hospital, Balham, Colin joined the surgical registrar rotation in Southampton, passing the FRCS examination in 1974. At St James’ he worked for Andrew More ‘Dan’ Desmond, whilst in Southampton he came under the influence of Sir James Fraser and John Atwell. Colin developed an interest in cancer biology, particularly breast cancer, whilst undertaking research for his MS thesis at the Tenovus Institute for Cancer Research in Cardiff. His work, supervised by Leslie Hughes, had examined the effect of immune competence on breast cancer and in particular the role of T- and B-lymphocytes. Although B-cells were shown to be normal in breast cancer patients compared to a control population, there was a highly significant depression of T-cells in all cancer patients except those with stage three disease. However, routine tests of immune competence such as total white cell count, lymphocyte counts, serum immunoglobulin levels and lymphocyte transformation along with delayed hypersensitivity responses were shown to have no predictive value. Colin also evaluated the possible role of serum beta-2 microglobulin and found that levels were raised in cancer patients compared with controls, those patients with advanced cancer having the highest levels. Colin’s senior registrar posts were based in Bristol. Having previously undertaken a locum post, he was appointed as a substantive consultant general surgeon in Plymouth in 1984 and took on a very wide range of both emergency and elective surgical conditions. His calm considered manner in treating complex problems under demanding circumstances was an important feature, along with his surgical skill, that ensured good patient outcomes. Colin authored several publications covering a wide range of surgical conditions such as breast, oesophageal, renal, bladder, colonic and anal tumours, along with both benign and malignant biliary obstruction, the latter being published in the *Annals* of Royal College of Surgeons of England (‘Should endoscopic stenting be the initial treatment of malignant biliary obstruction?’ *Ann R Coll Surg Eng*l. 1992 Sep;74[5]:338-41). He was also involved in and reported on randomised clinical trials including antibiotic prophylaxis of surgical wound infections and comparison of local and general anaesthesia in inguinal hernia repair. Colin was always trying to improve the service that could be offered to patients, one example being the introduction of laparoscopic surgery. The trend towards such minimally invasive surgery accelerated in the early 1990s with the introduction of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The first such operation in Plymouth was performed jointly by Colin Teasdale and his colleague, Colin Brown. Although the procedure took several hours, the careful technique ensured that the operation was successfully completed and led to widespread adoption of the technique in Plymouth. At this stage laparoscopic surgery was about to expand enormously, eventually encompassing a very wide range of surgical operations. Colin was also enthusiastic about training and teaching, taking on the responsibilities of surgical tutor and both organising and delivering successful teaching sessions for the surgical trainees. As the NHS Breast Screening Programme launched in the late 1980s, Colin was tasked with developing the surgical aspects of the screening service in Plymouth and the surrounding areas. This proved a great impetus to develop the sub-specialty of breast surgery. Colin also was acutely aware that from the patient’s point of view the clinical service for breast patients at that time was geographically rather dispersed within the hospital. The breast service needed to be more patient-focused and have a ‘one-stop shop’. Colin was instrumental in planning what was to become the Primrose Centre at Derriford Hospital and worked tirelessly, not just on the proposed development, but also the associated funding that was needed. After its launch in 1997, the Primrose Appeal successfully raised over £500,000 and the Primrose Centre opened at Derriford Hospital in 2001, providing a purpose-built environment for one-stop breast clinics. Unfortunately, Colin was unable to work in the new facility as his ill-health due to multiple sclerosis forced him to retire from clinical duties. However, he soon became a trustee of the Primrose Foundation, the natural successor to the Appeal. As such he was able to continue to contribute to the further development of the Primrose Centre, the Foundation providing much needed money for both additional staff, new equipment and better facilities. Over the last few years, the Primrose Foundation has raised approximately £50,000 per annum and it will continue to be a lasting tribute to Colin in the years to come. Colin had had a keen interest in various sports including rugby, football and golf and also enjoyed walking. When his mobility was impaired as a result of his deteriorating condition, he enjoyed playing bridge to a very high standard. He married Ann Smethurst, who had trained as a nurse at the London Hospital, in 1969 and they subsequently had two children, Benjamin, who studied medicine at the London Hospital like his father and is an emergency medicine consultant in Leicester, and Rebecca, who trained as a solicitor. Colin Teasdale died on 8 April 2023 at the age of 77.
Resource Identifier RCS:E010433
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Boulton, John Baker (1945 - 2019)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Compiled with considerable help from Jon Cadwallader, Lissie Boulton and other members of the Boulton family
Publication Date 2021-05-18
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009900-E009999
Occupation Urologist
Details John Boulton was born in Taihape, central North Island, the third son of Edward Clive Boulton and Mary Patricia Reade, the family farming in the King Country south of Te Kuiti. He had two older brothers, David and Philip. In 1947 the family shifted to Palmerston North where John commenced school, finishing at Palmerston North Boys’ High School. There he became involved in rugby, hockey and track events. During his school years he joined Cubs to be followed by Boy Scouts where he became a Queen’s Scout. Although greatly interested in the outdoors, flora and fauna, he also spent much time reading his Pear’s Encyclopaedia, adding to his active and enquiring mind. Schooling completed, John commenced at Otago University in Dunedin where he gained entry to Medical School. He resided at Selwyn College, contributing significantly to the inter-hostel competition in cross-country running and hockey. He was elected President of the College in 1968 before embarking on his student flatting experiences. During this time, he was a regular participant in athletics as a member of the Otago Athletic Club. Whilst at Medical School, John joined the Otago University Medical Company (OUMC), an Army Territorial Force, thereby fulfilling his obligations under the National Service scheme. Enjoying this activity, which on one occasion included parachuting into the Auckland Harbour, he progressed through the ranks to Captain. When the New Zealand Service Medical Team operating in Vietnam offered three-month rotations to OUMC personnel, John volunteered and was selected and in 1970 spent a month attached to the 1st Australian Field Hospital in Vung Tau before joining the NZ Services Team at Bong Son for the remaining 2 months. Back in New Zealand he served in the 2nd Field Hospital before being posted as the Regimental Medical Officer of 5th Battalion. Gaining his MB ChB in 1971, John spent two years as house surgeon at the Palmerston North Hospital and remained there as surgical registrar during 1974-75. A retired senior nursing administrator during that era recalled John as being a very approachable, truthful, forthright doctor who was always a good listener. Furthering his surgical career, he travelled to England in 1976, initially residing at London House while attending the Primary FRCS Course. Successfully completing the part one FRCS exam, he was appointed to a post at St Albans Hospital (North London) working with the then President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Obtaining the FRCSEng in 1977, John trained in Urology at Bristol. He was appointed as registrar and spent 3 years at Southmead Hospital and Bristol Royal Infirmary Urology Unit, followed by short spells at the Oxford Renal Transplant Unit and the Leeds General Infirmary. Soon after his arrival in England, he met Lissie, a professional musician, and they were married in 1978. John, with Lissie, returned to New Zealand in 1980 when he was invited to take up a post as Surgical Tutor Specialist at Auckland Hospital. He was soon appointed to a consultant position and in 1982 he completed his FRACS(Urology). A strong believer in the Public Hospital system, John was a compassionate surgeon committed to the patients under his care. He believed in finding the best outcome for the patient, rather than focussing excessively on the medical problem. He enjoyed sharing his skill and experience with others in the urological field. Using his Bristol experiences, he introduced the use of urodynamics to the Auckland urology service. In 1995, with colleagues Jon Cadwallader and Roger Chambers he participated in developing a limited private practice at Urology 161 in Auckland. Once settled in Auckland John and Lissie had a family of four children – Charles, Katy, Rachel and Samuel. John passed his love of the outdoors to his children and with them enjoyed hiking, skiing and water sports. He pursued his love of forestry by joining Amakiwi, a group of families actively involved in developing a 150 hectare forest in the Waikaretu Valley. John, caring and gentle, a committed Christian with a timeless smile, retired from his Auckland commitments in 2011 and he and Lissie moved to Katikati to live. There he continued his passion for the outdoors with the purchase of an avocado orchard. Lissie’s quote – “he was never happier or more content in life than when he was in the orchard with a chainsaw”. He continued in urological practice part-time as a visiting surgeon to Tairawhiti Hospital (Gisborne) until the time of his death. His professional commitment to this hospital and the area has been much appreciated and will be greatly missed. John is survived by and greatly missed by his wife Lissie, their four children Charles, Katy, Rachel and Sam, four grandchildren, and his brothers, Philip and David.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009970
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Georgeson, Walter Selwyn (1918 - 2006)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by D B Leaming
Publication Date 2020-10-19 2020-10-28
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009800-E009899
Occupation General surgeon
Details Walter Selwyn Georgeson (he was always known as ‘Brux’ to his colleagues) was born on 13/3/1918 in Brisbane and lived with his parents and sister in Clayfield. He was educated at the Brisbane Boys College where he showed his abilities by always being near the top of his class. He was a keen rower at the BBC. He obtained an open scholarship to Queensland University and entered the Medical Course in 1937, during which he scored distinctions in many subjects and was a rowing blue. He qualified MB BS Qld in 1942 and started work as a resident in the Brisbane General Hospital (now known as the Royal Brisbane Hospital), before joining the Royal Australian Navy (1943 to 1946) as Surgeon Lieutenant seeing active service at sea and serving in Sydney and Darwin. After discharge from the Navy, he worked as Senior Medical Officer in Maryborough Hospital from 1947 to 1948 and as Medical Superintendent at Atherton Hospital from 1948 to 1949. In 1949 Brux worked his passage to England where he obtained the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and worked in Carshalton, Surrey at St Heliers Hospital with a well known surgeon York Mason (about whom he often talked) for five years. Returning to Brisbane he was appointed to the Visiting Surgical Staff of the Brisbane General Hospital in 1955 as Assistant Surgeon and commenced private practice in the town. In 1956 he left that hospital to be appointed to the Visiting Staff of the newly opened South Brisbane Hospital (later named the Princess Alexandra Hospital) as Junior Visiting Surgeon and later became Senior Visiting Surgeon. He was also a Consultant Surgeon to Greenslopes Repatriation Hospital. He was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of Surgeons in 1967. In 1970 he resigned from the hospital to pursue other interests which occupied him totally for some time but he returned to the world of surgery in the guise of a surgical assistant about five years later. For the next ten years he assisted a number of surgeons with their operations and only retired after his 75th birthday. In 1945 he married Lillian Dell Campbell (always known as Bonnie) by whom he had a daughter Madonna (born in Australia) and a son John (born in England). Tragically, Bonnie succumbed to complications of rheumatic heart disease in 1953. Life was not just surgery for Brux. He had an enduring interest in the stock market, which he pursued in his later years via his computer, was a voracious reader and did most of the maintenance on his boat and his house himself. Brux was a wonderful man who faced enormous difficulties in his private life head on and never faltered. He was a fine surgeon and teacher, kind and helpful to students and patients and always ready with sane and thoughtful advice. An impressive intellect allowed him to have a broad view of life and an insatiable curiosity. His quiet personality ensured that he was a very private man who never talked about himself or his life. He was extremely independent and despite very considerable difficulties would accept no help but continued to live on his own until the very end. He bore the pain and problems of his disease with characteristic fortitude and never complained. He is survived by his daughter Madonna.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009827
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Bird, Alexander Lithgow (1927 - 2002)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by D Barnard
Publication Date 2023-12-01
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010500-E010599
Occupation Oral surgeon Maxillofacial surgeon
Details Alex Bird died on 6 November 2002, aged 75. Born in Johannesburg, Alex Bird studied dentistry at the University of Witwatersrand. At an early stage, he developed an interest in oral surgery, working with Lester Brown at Baragwanath Hospital in Johannesburg. This was to shape his future career. He came to London in 1954 to study for the Fellowship in Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He spent two years as registrar at Odstock Hospital and married Louise Jones in 1958. He returned to South Africa with his new wife, intending to settle. He gained enormous experience in the management of maxillofacial injuries, at a time of considerable civil unrest but became increasingly disturbed by the political climate in the early 60’s. He decided to move to England with Louise and their young daughter Ann in 1963. The family settled in Portsmouth where David was born. Alex made a major contribution to the provision of oral surgery services in the local area. He was promoted to consultant in 1978 and worked tirelessly to create the new department at Queen Alexandra Hospital which opened in May 1979. He remained a key member of the Head and Neck Cancer team until his retirement in 1992. He earned the respect of his colleagues locally. He was elected chairman of the Portsmouth section of the British Dental Association and chairman of the Medical Staff Committee of the Portsmouth Hospitals. He was a fearless champion of patients and the doctors and nurses involved in their care. He enjoyed a robust relationship with hospital administrators and had little tolerance of the new bureaucracy which was beginning to emerge within the NHS. Alex was actively involved in the local community and had a broad range of interests. For the last ten years, he was a governor of Sharps Copse Primary School and had been secretary of the Emsworth Community Association. He was sailing secretary of the Emsworth Sailing Club, past secretary of the local RNLI and had a passionate interest in organ music. He was devoted to his family and is survived by his wife Louise, daughter Ann, son David and grandchildren Katie and John to whom we extend our warmest sympathies. His friends and colleagues will all have their own memories of Alex but above all, he will be remembered for his sense of humour and his laugh. He was a man of colour and warmth. He will be greatly missed.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010569
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Stirrups, David Robert (1948 -2016)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Royal College of Surgeons of England
Publication Date 2023-07-06
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010300-E010399
Occupation Orthodontist
Details David Stirrups, who died on Friday 12 August following a short illness, was an inspirational clinician, teacher, educationalist and colleague. David qualified from Sheffield Dental School in 1970, winning the prize for orthodontics. He became a Fellow of The Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1974 and did his orthodontic training in the North of England before being appointed a consultant at Glasgow Dental Hospital. It was during his training that David realised he needed to know more about statistics in order to analyse research papers and so completed an Open University degree in mathematics, followed by a Master’s degree in applied statistics. This training underpinned his innate facility with data, and made him sought after as a statistician. David was a very talented clinical orthodontist and his ability to predict facial growth and dental development and apply this to interceptive orthodontics was second to none. Appointed to the Chair of Orthodontics in Dundee in 1992 he immediately made a huge impact. He was the dental school’s first teaching Dean and galvanised us into activity to improve and develop the curriculum. He published widely in the field of orthodontics and co-edited a unique book on dental education, which sought to summarise the germane learning points in the dental curriculum. As well as training undergraduates David was a very committed postgraduate teacher who loved helping people, and he inspired a generation of high achieving orthodontists. He was a mentor as well as a friend and colleague to many, and had endless patience and generosity with his time. David was a man of tremendous integrity and sound judgement, and his advice on a wide range of clinical, academic and political matters was much sought after. He also had a tremendous sense of humour and fun that was infectious, and he could lighten any dire academic event with a witty quip. Following retirement from Dundee in 2007 he took up a consultant post in Middlesbrough before he and his wife Anne retired to Cambridgeshire. David had many interests including gardening, camping, orienteering and stamp collecting. He became a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society and was a world-renowned expert on the postage stamps of Gibraltar. We remember David as a thoroughly decent man, talented and generous, who helped many along the way. His death at such an early age is tragic for one who had so much still to offer.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010309
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Cooke, Brian Ernest Dudley (1920 - 2007)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by D Murray Walker
Publication Date 2023-08-10
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010400-E010499
Occupation Oral surgeon Oral pathologist
Details Emeritus Professor Brian Ernest Dudley Cooke, Founder Dean and Professor of Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology of the Dental School, University of Wales, College of Medicine, 1961-1982, died at his home at Pembroke on 28 September 2007, at the age of 87. His infectious enthusiasm and great integrity made him an effective leader. Brian qualified in dentistry at the London Hospital which he left in 1942 to join the Royal Navy Reserve as a Surgeon Lieutenant (Dental), serving in WWII. Afterwards, he completed his medical training. He became Reader in Dental Medicine at Guy’s under Professor Martin Rushton, the greatest influence in his career. Brian's private tuition course at his home for candidates for the Fellowship in Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons was attended by many postgraduates – it was said that only those who had been on Brian’s course stood a chance of passing the examinations! In 1961, he was appointed as the First Dean and Professor of Oral Medicine of a new Dental School of the Welsh National School of Medicine in Cardiff. In 1948, Brian married Neilla (née Hope) who was a staff nurse at the London Hospital, who survives him. Throughout their 59 years together, Neilla provided the love and support Brian needed in fulfilling all his many responsibilities. They regularly welcomed all staff to parties in their home in Lisvane and entertained visiting examiners and other academics or pathologists. Neilla not only knew the names of all the school staff but those of their families, helping to maintain staff morale at the new Dental School. In retirement, Brian pursued his considerable interests in poetry and literature, philately, furniture making and history of medicine. Their son, Nigel, is now a consultant physician and their daughter, Susan, a nurse practitioner.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010402
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching McEwan, Lena Elizabeth (1927 - 2011)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by D R Marshall
Publication Date 2014-08-15 2015-03-20
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E005000-E005999/E005800-E005899
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/378001378001
Occupation Plastic surgeon Plastic and reconstructive surgeon
Details Lena McEwan was the first woman to specialize in plastic surgery in Australia, and did so with much distinction. She was born on 11 August 1927 in South Australia. Her parents were recent immigrants from Glasgow, and when Lena and her mother conversed in demotic Glaswegian, they became totally incomprehensible to those not familiar with this language. She was educated in St Peter's Collegiate Girls School and in the University of Adelaide, where she graduated MB BS in 1949. She was a brilliant student. After a year as a resident medical officer in the Royal Adelaide Hospital and a year in general practise, she went to England for surgical training and secured positions as registrar in two great teaching hospitals, the Birmingham Accident Hospital and the now Royal London Hospital. She took the FRCS (Eng) diploma in 1954, and then returned to Adelaide, where she worked as Senior Surgical Registrar in the Royal Adelaide Hospital. This was a very responsible post, especially demanding in emergency surgery. Lena coped with the work with effortless ease, showing great skill in delegation; on one busy night, she directed a bemused neurosurgeon to remove a difficult retrocaecal appendix. Lena took the FRACS diploma in May 1958. She obtained a position as Honorary Clinical Assistant in the surgical staff of the Royal Adelaide Hospital, but after a year in this capacity she decided to move to Melbourne. Her English experience had included plastic work, and she came under the influence of B K (later Sir Benjamin) Rank, then the leading Australian plastic surgeon. In 1960-61, she was appointed as his associate at the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH), where she later became his second assistant after John Hueston. She also obtained an appointment as assistant plastic surgeon under George Gunter at Prince Henry's Hospital (1963-5), and an honorary appointment as plastic surgeon on the staff of the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital, (1961-82), later the Queen Victoria Medical Centre (QVMC), and at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Hospital (PMCH), where B K Rank took over as head of unit after retiring from the RMH. She remained at the PMCH until her retirement in 1992. Lena made notable contributions in widely different fields. In 1962, she published a paper on repair of injuries of the median and ulnar nerves. She studied the outcomes in patients treated in the Royal Melbourne and Royal Children's Hospitals; most had undergone primary nerve suture and were later assessed by quantified neurological tests of motor, sensory and sudomotor functions. Her study showed the good results of early operation by expert plastic surgeons, especially in children. Her elegant paper attracted much attention at a time when many surgeons favoured secondary(delayed) repair; it was later repeatedly quoted by Sydney Sunderland. After fifty years, the paper reads as a definitive contribution in a controversial field, and as a very mature assessment by one still a trainee. Lena also published a perceptive study of hand function and its restoration by surgery; this too reads very well today. At the QVMC, Lena collaborated with William Walters in the care of persons suffering from transsexualism due to underlying gender dysphoria. An interdisciplinary team was established in 1976, to treat selected individuals by gender reassignment. In most cases, this required reshaping male genitals to conform with a psychological conviction of female identity. In 1986, the members of the team published a book describing their work; in this, Lena was the leading author of a section describing the technique of male-to-female genital reassignment. She is remembered for her high surgical competence in these demanding operations, and for her compassionate care for the patients; she was never judgemental in her attitude to patients whose experience of transsexualism had affected their lifestyles. She also showed moral courage in undertaking what was then a controversial branch of plastic surgery. Lena became head of the Skin Unit in the PMCH in 1982 in succession to B K Rank. She was much interested in the management of skin cancers, and she coauthored with D R Marshall and B K Rank in a study of malignant melanomas. This confirmed the value of wide surgical excision, but also showed that massive excision of very small lesions did not improve the outcomes. It was well received at an international congress of plastic surgeons. Lena was a good teacher, and taught many future plastic surgeons at the PMCH, where she had a rotating trainee registrarship. She was also much interested in the needs of undergraduates, and was Senior Resident Tutor in University College where she later became Vice Principal. She was instrumental in the foundation of a scholarship at University College, and made generous donations to education there and in Adelaide. She was vivacious and companionable, and made many friends. She had sharp wits, and sometimes a sharp tongue. Once at a meeting, she memorably summed up the many questions of a self promoting colleague with a devastating phrase from ornithology: "male display." After her graduation, she must have had to struggle to establish herself as a woman in plastic surgery, and it has been suggested that she encountered male opposition. If this was so, she did not become embittered. In 1967, when she was president of the Victorian Medical Women's Society, she gave an address on the economic value and the problems of women in the Australian medical workforce. This reads as a tranquil and balanced assessment, tinged with gentle irony and making very constructive suggestions. After her retirement, she moved to Torquay Vic, where together with her friends Dame Joyce Daws DBE and Dr June Pash she developed a long-standing interest in botany, notably in growing proteas. She did this very well. She died after a short illness on 4 October 2011, from ovarian cancer, and was widely mourned. D A Simpson W A W Walters
Resource Identifier RCS: E005818
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Berger, Peter Lucian (1923 - 2017)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by D R Thomas
Publication Date 2018-01-17 2018-11-27
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009400-E009499
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381810381810
Occupation General surgeon Colorectal surgeon
Details Peter Berger was a consultant surgeon at the Good Hope Hospital, West Bromwich, Sutton Coldfield, Lichfield and Tamworth Group of Hospitals and at the North Birmingham Hospital Group. He was born in Königsberg, East Prussia as the only child of Max Mark Berger, a dental surgeon, and Gertrude Berger née Wald, the daughter of an apothecary. At the age of 14 he left Germany to escape Nazi persecution, arriving in the UK in April 1938. He lived in London and was granted naturalisation in July 1947. Peter was educated at Epsom College and gained an entrance scholarship to St George’s Hospital to read medicine, qualifying in 1946. He became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1956 and subsequently became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1957. His postgraduate career was as a resident surgical officer at Epping and St George’s, and he was then appointed as a senior registrar in the West Midlands area, working at Coventry hospitals, where he was much influenced by Trevor Berrill, Victor Brookes and Lionel Jones. He was also encouraged early in his career by Rodney Smith. His consultant career commenced in the north Birmingham and Staffordshire area, and he was appointed as one of three consultant surgeons in the then new Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield with outlying outpatient and operating sessions in Tamworth and Lichfield. Peter had a considerable and wide general surgical practice with a particular interest in colorectal surgery. He was the college tutor at Good Hope from 1967 until 1973, maintaining an active interest in surgical teaching of undergraduates and postgraduates. He was a member of the West Midlands Surgical Society, and also attended meetings at the Royal Colleges on a regular basis. He developed many contacts in the surgical world and was responsible for developing an exchange programme for local registrars with Swiss trainees from Basel. He was a great family man. He was married to Helen (née Levy) and had a son and two daughters. His children did not follow him into medicine. PLB was an imposing man with an engaging manner whose main interests were skiing, miniature Schnauzers and supporting his wife’s engrossing hobby of postcard collecting. Following his retirement, he moved back to London and spent the remaining 29 years there and little was seen of him in the Midlands, although he was still remembered with affection by patients and colleagues alike. Peter Berger died on 9 December 2017 aged 94.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009406
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Hooper, John David (1916 - 2008)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by SJ
Publication Date 2023-08-09
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010300-E010399
Occupation Orthodontist
Details John Hooper was the first Consultant Orthodontist in England to be appointed to a District General Hospital following the inception of the National Health Service. His example helped to determine the pattern for the future delivery of orthodontic services in this country. He died at the age of 92 on 12 December 2008. John David Hooper was born on 7 April 1916 and was educated at Ardingly College. He qualified in dentistry at the Royal Dental Hospital and then joined the staff in the orthodontic department. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, he was captured in Belgium and spent five years as a prisoner of war. Following liberation he married Sybil (née Morrison), a farmer’s daughter from East Lothian; they celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary in 2005. John Hooper was appointed in 1950 at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Bournemouth. Despite a legendary work rate it quickly became apparent that the only way to cope with the demand was to utilise the services of interested local general dental practitioners. He provided them with training courses, diagnosis and treatment planning and continuing support which became a model that was soon followed throughout the country. He was President of the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics in 1967 and one of the founding members of the Consultant Orthodontists Group, becoming chairman in 1970. He also held the important post of advisor to the Dental Estimates Board which regulated the orthodontic treatment carried out as part of the General Dental Services. In addition to his professional achievements John was a family man and proud of his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was also a keen sailor and great rugby fan. Both he and Sybil were the most hospitable of hosts and enjoyed the company of their wide circle of friends. Sybil predeceased him in November 2007 and he is survived by his son David, daughter Sheila and their six children. John ran an efficient, productive but happy department and was completely committed to the ethos of the NHS. He was an excellent clinician and an enthusiastic teacher providing a role model for those of us that had the privilege of working with him.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010392
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Laird, William Ronald Edwards (1939 - 2015)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Damien Walmsley
Publication Date 2023-07-06
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010300-E010399
Occupation Specialist in dental prosthetics
Details William Ronald Edwards Laird qualified from the University of Glasgow in 1962. Following dental practice in London, Ronnie returned to Glasgow to become Lecturer in Pharmacology and then Dental Prosthetics. It was here that he met Kay, his wife, who worked as a staff nurse in the oral surgery department. In 1970 he undertook research at the Eastman, London in physiological jaw movements and in 1974 worked at Manchester Dental School as Senior Lecturer in Prosthetics. Ronnie was appointed Professor of Dental Prosthetics and Head of Department at the University of Birmingham from 1984 until his retirement in 2004. He was Director and Head of the School of Dentistry from 1989 to 1994. There was turmoil and change at the university and Ronnie was asked by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Sir Michael Thompson, to undertake changes in dentistry. Ronnie kept the ship afloat and Birmingham emerged a much stronger school. Appointed as Public Orator for the university at degree ceremonies, Ronnie introduced well known honorary graduands before the award of their degree. His introductory speech for each of the awardees was meticulous in preparation. Externally, he served as Chair of the Council of Deans of Dental Schools (1993-1995), President of the British Society of Prosthetic Dentistry (1996) and both member and Chair of various GDC committees, including the Finance Committee and Professional Conduct Committee (1989-2003). He was a champion of the education and training of dental nurse assistants and was a member of their national examining board. Ronnie was a super clinician on removable prosthodontics and did attract his fair share of difficult cases, which he handled professionally and always put the interests of the patient first. He loved teaching and a Facebook page set up as a memorial received over a hundred likes and many more comments. All attested to his fairness and expertise as a teacher. Outside dentistry he had an encyclopaedic knowledge of Scottish football, and followed Queens Park where he sponsored the match ball at home games. He loved his cars, including Rovers and Jaguars. In his latter years he spent time in Millport, an island off the Scottish coast which was his 'island of dreams'. Ronnie loved people, he loved conversations and he was in the true sense of the word, a raconteur – never stuck for an anecdote or a joke. At work gatherings or family events he was often called to give speeches – he had a great gift for capturing the moment. He will be missed by Kay, Simon and Sally, the wider family and his grand-daughters, Poppy and Charlotte.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010315
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Rothwell, Richard Ian (1942 - 2021)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Dan Ash
Publication Date 2022-04-04 2022-04-19
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010100-E010199
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/385611385611
Occupation Oncologist Radiotherapist
Details Ian Rothwell was a consultant clinical oncologist at Cookridge Hospital, Leeds. He was born on 25 July 1942 in Buckingham to Mary Anne and Edward Richard Rothwell. A keen Scout, he enjoyed leading mountaineering expeditions. He studied medicine at the Middlesex Hospital Medical School, during which time carried out an elective with the Red Cross in Yemen. After qualifying in 1966, Ian trained in surgery and, after obtaining his FRCS, went to work in Sabah, East Borneo, where he met his future wife, Mary. From 1968 to 1971 he was posted to Sandakan, Semporna and Keningau, after which he returned to the UK to undergo surgical training. He returned to Malaysia, and in 1974 was appointed as a surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. In 1976 he played a key role in helping the survivors of the ‘Double Six Tragedy’, an aeroplane crash which claimed the lives of 11 people, including the then chief minister Tun Fuad Stephens. Ian returned to UK in 1978 and decided to retrain as a clinical oncologist, which he did at Cookridge Hospital in Leeds. Soon after completing his training he was appointed as a consultant with a special interest in gynaecological cancer. He also took on the care of cancer patients in Pontefract, where he became a valued and respected colleague for 35 years. Ian suffered from three separate cancers during his life and overcame them all with quiet courage. This gave him considerable empathy, which was a great help to his patients as well as the local and national cancer self-help groups to which he gave unstinting support. In retirement he developed an interest in medical history and was a popular lecturer at the Thackray Museum of Medicine in Leeds and in a variety of other venues around Yorkshire. In his last few years Ian was sustained by his wife and close family, who were by his side when he died from cerebrovascular disease on 1 August 2021. He was 79. He was survived by Mary, his wife of 51 years, their three children Robert, Martin and Tracy, and five grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010102
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching McMaster, Paul (1943 - 2024)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by John A C Buckels
Publication Date 2024-06-06
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010600-E010699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/388138388138
Occupation Hepatobiliary surgeon General surgeon Transplant surgeon
Details Paul McMaster founded the liver transplant unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham with his physician colleague, Elwyn Elias. He was born in Liverpool on 4 January 1943, the son of James McMaster, a general practitioner, and Sarah Jane McMaster née Lynn, and studied medicine at Liverpool University, qualifying in 1966. After early training in Liverpool and at the Hammersmith Hospital, he was appointed as a surgical registrar to Roy Calne in Cambridge, which was to have a pivotal effect on his future career. His first consultant surgical post was in Cambridge, where his practice included renal and liver transplantation. This was a threshold time for transplantation in that the Cambridge team was the first to use a new immunosuppressive, cyclosporine, that dramatically improved survival after organ transplantation. This led to a significant expansion in transplant activity all over the world, particularly liver. When an opening appeared for a second transplant surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, he seized the opportunity with a clear plan to start liver transplantation there. As well as participating in the renal transplant programme, he performed several pancreas grafts for diabetics. His initial efforts to start a liver transplant programme in Birmingham were met with significant local resistance, however, both the initial success of the programme and the subsequent supra-regional funding that followed had a major benefit. Colleagues who had been less supportive initially came on board when they recognised the advantages a major liver programme would have to the hospital in terms of additional nurses, anaesthetists, ITU beds and many other supporting staff. Paul was able to provide many trainees with the experience to forge careers in liver transplantation. Liver transplantation requires significant manpower for both the donor and recipient procedures such that the programme was very dependent on the support from visiting overseas fellows. Many of these went on to support or even successfully start their own programmes in all parts of the globe. Birmingham participated in numerous clinical trials, and he made a significant contribution to the adoption of tacrolimus as a superior immunosuppressive agent when early trials suggested major toxicity. At that time levels were not being monitored and he subsequently showed that lower doses with later monitoring of levels provided improved graft survival. His contribution to teaching and training led to Birmingham University awarding him a personal chair in 1995, and they subsequently awarded him an honorary doctor of medicine degree in 2012. He showed international leadership qualities as one of the founders of the European Liver and Intestine Transplant Association and subsequently as president of the European Society of Transplantation. He retired from the NHS in 2003 and then forged a new career as a surgeon in the humanitarian field. Initially he trained in women’s fistula surgery in Uganda and Rwanda, but in 2005 he began working as a surgeon with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). He undertook assignments in several African countries including Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia, also worked in Syria and Sri Lanka and was particularly active in Haiti after the earthquake in 2010. He then moved to MSF’s Amsterdam headquarters as surgical director, returning to the UK in 2012 to become the UK MSF president. He also took part in more field work, particularly in Syria again in 2013 and South Sudan in 2014. In later years he was active in his church and local communities. McMaster died on 27 May 2024 at the age of 81. Predeceased by his wife, Ruth (née Bryce), he was survived by their children Michael, Helen and Richard, a general practitioner.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010637
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Mander, Jeffory George (1927 - 2011)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David A K Watters
Publication Date 2012-06-28 2015-08-19
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E002000-E002999/E002500-E002599
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/374732374732
Occupation General surgeon Military surgeon Orthopaedic surgeon
Details Jeff Mander was Bendigo's first Orthopaedic surgeon where he was in practice from 1969 to 2002. He was instrumental in the accreditation of orthopaedic training in Bendigo with the first trainee commencing in 1989. He was born and raised in Reading, the only child of George and Constance Mander. He graduated from St Mary's medical school in 1952. He met Sylvia, a nurse there, and they married in 1953, before he enlisted for 16 years' service in the RAF. He gained his Fellowship in General Surgery from the Royal College of Surgeons in England in 1960, before specialising in Orthopaedics. The RAF posted him overseas for two year terms in the Yemen, Aden and Cyprus and as a service medic he rose to the rank of Wing Commander. The family moved to Bendigo in 1969, where he joined the practice of Eugene Sandner and Ian Gordon. He performed the first total hip replacement in Bendigo, and was an enthusiastic teacher of medical and nursing staff. He was elected to Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 1977 under article 21. In addition to his surgical and orthopaedic practice he was on the Board of the Mt Alvernia private hospital and was for a period chairman of the medical staff group at the Bendigo Base Hospital. In practice, he was joined by Bill Hannah, a general surgeon, and in 1985, a second orthopaedic surgeon, Travis Perera. In running his practice in Bendigo, Jeff had a reputation for being punctual, efficient, thorough and fair. His surgical management was precise as were his habits. When he retired from surgical practice in 1997 he established a further career in medico-legal consultation, and his services and unbiased advice were sought all over Australia. In the latter stages of his career Jeff gave considerable support to orthopaedic training programs in Fiji and Papua New Guinea. Ikau Kevau, now the head of surgery in Port Moresby and also one of his early trainees, wrote of how he was inspiring, pioneering, and distinguished. Jeff was a specialist who though he liked things to be done properly, was willing to work at ground level in the developing world and help establish foundations for orthopaedic surgery where formerly there was only surgery in general. Today Papua New Guinea has seven orthopaedic surgeons and a well-established orthopaedic unit in the teaching centre of Port Moresby General Hospital. After moving to Bendigo, he adopted the Cats as his Australian Rules Football team although during his own playing career he played rugby union. He was also an enthusiastic actor in amateur productions and an able singer. He loved classical music and relished the spoken word and the sound of language. Never one to be inactive, he began reading for Vision Australia's radio station and was recording a book for them at the time of his death. 'Poppa' enjoyed his family and loved to entertain his grandchildren with whom he shared his interests in soccer (Arsenal), in board games (Rummikub), television (*Vicar of Dibley*), movies (James Bond) and puzzles (Sudoku). In between meals he was particularly fond of Mars Bars. During his final illness he suffered from complications of the management of fractures, but showed courage and determination, remaining cheerful and articulate throughout his hospital stay. Jeff is survived by his wife, Sylvia, son Alastair, daughter Jane, daughter-in law Sally, son-in law Alwyn, and grandchildren Hamish, Annabel, Lachlan and Nicholas.
Resource Identifier RCS: E002549
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
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First Title value, for Searching Mosquera, Damien Anthony (1959 - 2014)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Adams
Publication Date 2014-12-24 2015-08-19
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E006000-E006999/E006600-E006699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/378792378792
Occupation General surgeon
Details Born in 1959 Damien grew up in Liverpool, the eldest of three sons born to Margret and Tomas. His paternal grandparents were Spanish immigrants who ran a successful business in the port of Liverpool. His father Tomas, a serving First Officer in the Merchant Navy, suffered a fatal accident on board ship dry-docked in Port Chalmers in the mid 1960's starting the family connection with New Zealand. Damien had a happy childhood, beginning his education at St Joseph's Catholic Prep School, Childwall, and he was proud of the fact that he was the head altar-boy at Bishop Eton Church, earning considerable pocket money performing at weddings and funerals. He continued on to St Francis Xavier's college, then Liverpool University and Medical School, graduating in July 1983. Damien made many lasting friendships during this time and one of his proudest moments was being named captain of the football team. After working as a house surgeon in Liverpool, Damien progressed into surgical training via a year as an anatomy demonstrator. He obtained Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1988 and, after a period of research, was appointed as a Consultant General & Vascular Surgeon at Birmingham Heartlands & Solihull NHS Trust where he also held a post as Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Birmingham. Damien had a passion for evidence based medicine. If there was a right way to do things he wanted people to know about it, and if the right way wasn't known he wanted to find out what it was. After completing his surgical training he undertook post graduate research into endothelial proliferation in vascular grafts, gaining his Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Birmingham in 1992. His pursuit of knowledge and truth did not diminish in the subsequent years in the UK, nor after coming to New Zealand, as he regularly presented papers at scientific meetings and published in peer-reviewed journals. In the process he became known as a mentor to surgical trainees looking to undertake research projects the outcomes of which he jointly published with them. While working as a registrar at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital Damien's eyes met those of the nurse on the opposite side of the table and they were locked for ever more. Damien and Eileen married and had seven children who they brought to New Zealand, when they made a lifestyle decision, with Damien taking up a post as Consultant in General and Vascular Surgery at Taranaki Base Hospital in 2002. Surgical training at Taranaki was significantly enhanced by Damien's arrival there, in no small part due to his efforts. In 2004 he was admitted to Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and the following year appointed as the Hospital Supervisor of Surgical Training. Damien thus came to serve on the New Zealand Committee of the Board in General Surgery, a post which he held until prevented by illness in 2013. Although there is no official deputy chair of this Committee, in later years he effectively fulfilled this role, accepting the responsibilities of the Chair when they were unavailable. In 2008 he was appointed Head of Department at Taranaki and in 2010 selected to serve on the Hospital Credentialing Committee. Clinically, Damien was astute and compassionate; admired by his colleagues as a strong team player with excellent decision making, and loved by his patients for his empathy and integrity. When Damien saw a need he would do something about it. Shortly after arriving in Taranaki he set up a dedicated leg ulcer clinic which continues to the present. When the hospital lost its interventional radiologist, Damien undertook further training with the aim of performing these procedures himself. Damien's passion for the dissemination of knowledge also led him to develop a vascular surgical website (http://www.vascular.co.nz/) shortly after arriving in New Zealand and which he kept updated with current surgical knowledge, even as his illness progressed. While the website was ostensibly set up for the education of his patients, it was often used as a 'go to' resource by his colleagues. The Vascular Society of New Zealand will maintain this site as a tribute to Damien. There was never a 'too hard basket' for Damien; even when his illness prevented him from being allowed to drive to work he bought an electric bicycle so he could continue to make the trip independently. Damien demonstrated a richly layered life based on simple pleasures, strong faith and an extraordinary sense of humour. He was a talented cello player and, with his seven children, a great fan of football, supporting Liverpool of course. Damien had a strong faith and his church was part of his life - in his later years he took up studying theology and philosophy. Never one to push his religion on others he perhaps quietly sought to help them see the light. When one colleague asked if there was anything they could do to help during his illness, the answer was a simple "well, you could pray for me". Damien died on 21 May 2014, aged 54, his life and career tragically shortened by a brain tumour, an illness borne with courage and dignity. To quote his signature song sung at many medical reunions, 'He did it his way'. Damien is survived by his wife Eileen and seven much loved children Tomas, Patrick, Daniel, Damien, Maria, Sean and Elizabeth, three of whom are hoping to follow in their father's footsteps.
Resource Identifier RCS: E006609
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Considine, John (1925 - 2008)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Arkell
Publication Date 2011-09-28
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001400-E001499
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373618373618
Occupation Urological surgeon Urologist
Details Initially trained as a general surgeon, John Considine later specialised in urology and spent his consultant career at Heartlands Hospital (formerly East Birmingham Hospital) in the West Midlands. He was born in County Clare, Ireland, on 30 January 1925 and was educated at University College Dublin. After graduating in 1949 he trained in Glasgow and London before his appointment as consultant urologist to East Birmingham and Solihull health authorities. Although quietly spoken, with an unassuming manner, he possessed a sharp analytical mind. He was a keen and enthusiastic trainer of surgical registrars, many of whom were initiated into urology under his guidance. His calm and patient approach converted many a young surgeon to take up the specialty as a future career. He published articles on the retrocaval ureter (whilst in training) and developed a suction diathermy electrode for the cystoscopic treatment of superficial bladder tumours. His interest in bladder cancer led him to participate in numerous trials as a member of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC), but even this did not dissuade him from continuing to enjoy smoking his pipe. In the days when it was still allowed in hospitals he was easy to track down by the clouds of smoke issuing from the consultant's room! He was a very private individual, rarely mixing socially with colleagues. However, those that did meet him found him to be a true gentleman, always stylishly dressed and a most intelligent conversationalist. His French wife Marie predeceased him. They had three children, two sons, Vincent and Laurence, and a daughter, Marie. He died following a severe chest infection on 27 December 2008.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001435
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
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First Title value, for Searching Cundall, Robert Davies (1924 - 2009)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David B Cundall
Publication Date 2010-05-20 2012-03-22
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E000000-E000999/E000900-E000999
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373178373178
Occupation General practitioner Missionary surgeon Missionary doctor
Details Robert Davies Cundrall was a missionary surgeon and a general practitioner. He was born in Wuhan, China, on 26 August 1924, where his parents, Edward and Mary Cundall, were Methodist missionaries. His parents had to make the very difficult decision to send him home to school in England at the age of 8, while they remained in China. Bob went to Nottingham High School and gained a scholarship to study medicine at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, going on to the London Hospital for his clinical training. After qualification, he was a house surgeon on the surgical unit under Victor Dix. Bob had originally intended to work in China, like his parents, but that country was closed to missionaries. Bob was advised by Ralph Bolton, the medical secretary of the Methodist Missionary Society, that it was essential that Bob passed his fellowship, which he did in 1953, before he started work as a missionary. Bob worked at Ituk Mbang Hospital, Nigeria, for the next six years, where the medical superintendent was Harry Haigh. Bob enjoyed the challenge of surgery in this environment, turning his hand to many unusual cases, as well as countless hernias and caesarean sections. He enjoyed teaching the nurses, both in formal lectures and at the bedside. Bob entered general practice in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, in 1959, joining an old friend from college days, George Johnson, as the second partner in the practice. He missed operative surgery, but for many years was clinical assistant to Graham-Stewart in his rectal clinic at Harrogate General Hospital. The general practice expanded and, when George Johnson moved on to a career in public health, Bob became a senior partner and made the partnership into a teaching practice. In his medical work, Bob was a highly regarded as a meticulous clinician, supportive colleague and excellent teacher. He had met Monica Pritchard, an English student at Girton College, Cambridge, and they married in 1948. They moved to Nottingham, where his maternal uncle, Jack Davies, a senior surgeon at Nottingham City Hospital, was a mentor. Bob and Monica were devoted to each other and, in his later years, Bob took on the role of caring for Monica when she developed a progressive ataxia. They celebrated their diamond wedding in December 2008. Bob had experienced a major cognitive decline over the preceding year and died, following a major stroke, a few months later. Of their four children, Edward is a tropical plant breeder, David, a community paediatrician, while Ruth and Margaret are both teachers. Two of their 10 grandchildren intend to be doctors. Bob and Monica were active members of the Methodist Church and were committed to ecumenical and inter-faith initiatives. In retirement, Bob was able to indulge his passions for walking, natural history and photography. Although by nature reserved, Bob as a TV rugby supporter was a wonder to behold! He had a lively sense of fun and a quick wit. He died at Hampden House, Harrogate, on 25 May 2009.
Resource Identifier RCS: E000995
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
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First Title value, for Searching Cohen, Bertram (1918 - 2014)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Barnard
Publication Date 2014-04-09 2014-06-13
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E005000-E005999/E005200-E005299
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/377442377442
Occupation Dental scientist Oral pathologist
Details Bert was the first Nuffield research professor of dental science at the Royal College of Surgeons. He was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, the third of four children of Pauline (née Soloveychik) and Morris Cohen, Jewish immigrants from Lithuania. His grandfather, Shmuel, had opened a wholesale grocery in downtown Johannesburg. Bert was educated at King Edward VII School, Johannesburg, and at the University of Witwatersrand, where he was president of the Student Dental Society and the All Sports' Committee of the University. He played first team cricket and squash, and conducted original research on oral disease in the Bantu as an undergraduate. He qualified in dentistry in 1942 and was awarded the Henry St John Randall medal as the most distinguished student of his year. This was judged not only on academic excellence, but also on the record of student activities and athletics, conduct and personality. Bert joined the South African Medical Corps and became a dental officer. He kept a remarkable war diary, tracing his progress to Egypt and then, in the bitter Italian Campaign, from Taranto to Bellagio, where his war ended beside Lake Como. He was appointed to the whole time staff of the Oral and Dental Hospital at Witwatersrand in 1946. Within six months he won the Montgomery Ward fellowship to Northwestern University, Chicago, where he was awarded a masters degree by thesis. During this period, he also obtained the higher dental diploma from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, (the forerunner to the fellowship in dental surgery). He returned to Witwatersrand as a senior lecturer and quickly showed himself to be a talented teacher and innovative research scientist, securing important research grants. He was appointed chairman of the scientific programme committee of the International Conference of the Dental Association of South Africa. In 1954, he was the first dentist to be awarded a Cecil John Adams memorial travelling fellowship and spent a year in the section of morbid anatomy and the radiopathology research unit of the Medical Research Council, attached to the Hammersmith Hospital in London. He conducted research into salivary gland function and bone pathology. Once again he returned to South Africa, and then came the event which was to shape the rest of his life, and the lives of many others. He applied for the Leverhulme research fellowship in the department of dental science at the Royal College of Surgeons. In his original application he stated: 'It would be my sincere desire to serve the College to the limits of my capacities by seeking to advance the standards and the status of dental science.' One of his referees spoke of Bert's early recognition 'that fundamental research in dental pathology must be based upon the principles of general human pathology'. This important principle became the lodestar of his approach to the science of dentistry. He took up the fellowship at the Royal College of Surgeons in January 1957. In 1960 he was appointed as the first Nuffield research professor of dental science and director of the department. He occupied this position with great distinction for 23 years. He was a prolific researcher and an inspiration and father figure to generations of younger colleagues. He had broad interests in the pathology of oral and dental disease, and his world-leading research into dental caries, and his work to develop a vaccine to prevent it, formed a central part of his endeavours over 20 years. Much of the research was undertaken at the research station at Downe. A successful vaccine was not achieved, but his department contributed to the understanding of this common disease in a way that has influenced research and patient care ever since. He also demonstrated innovative thinking on the susceptibility to the other common dental problem, periodontal disease. In 1980 he delivered a Charles Tomes lecture on 'Problems peculiar to oral pathology'. The same year he gave a memorable Vicary lecture - 'A tale of two paintings', in which he presented elegant research to prove the provenance of the two Holbein paintings belonging to the Company of Barbers and the Royal College of Surgeons. In 1982 he presented a Hunterian lecture entitled 'An inquiry into the decay of teeth'. It wove a magical path from John Hunter through to contemporary academic research. He was highly respected as a diagnostic oral pathologist in the field of head and neck cancer and had published important papers on the typing of tumours for the World Health Organization as far back as 1970. In 1976 he co-edited a seminal compendium *Scientific foundations of dentistry* (London, Heinemann Medical). This included 60 contributions from the most prominent scientists of the day from all around the world. He served as president of the British Society for Oral Pathology in 1979 and president of the section of odontology of the Royal Society of Medicine in 1981. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in dental science by the University of Newcastle in 1981, a rare honour. He gained fellowships of the dental faculties of the English, Edinburgh and Irish Royal Colleges. He was awarded an honorary FRCS by the English College and was a fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists. In 1982 he was appointed CBE. He was a member of the far-reaching Nuffield Inquiry into Dental Education in the UK in 1980, and had a major influence upon the direction of the subsequent review. This considered personnel auxiliary to dentistry, and changed the way the dental team would deliver care. When he retired from the Royal College of Surgeons in 1983, he joined the tumour panel of the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, and continued in this role for another decade. He recalled this period as particularly fulfilling and enjoyable. In 1984, he was elected to the board of trustees of the Hunterian Collection and was an outstanding chairman from 1996 to 1999. He was the first dentist to hold this position. To become one of the guardians of the great scientific collection of John Hunter, the father of scientific surgery, was a particular joy to him and he continued on the board until 2010. After 26 years, he was one of the longest serving trustees in the board's 200-year history. Bert was a kind man with a big presence and captivating warmth. He was a charismatic and often demanding leader within the Royal College of Surgeons for over half a century. He was a scientist of great energy, an articulate speaker, a fluent writer and always an upholder of the highest traditional standards and courtesy. His interest in all people, the arts and literature, made him one of those rare individuals who can properly be called a polymath. He was proud to be a member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St Andrews, and maintained a passion for golf throughout his very long life. Bert Cohen died on 19 March 2014, aged 95. He was survived by his beloved Hazel, whom he married in 1950. They had no children, but were surrounded by a devoted family, all of whom adored their Uncle Bert.
Resource Identifier RCS: E005259
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Dickson, Gordon Colin (1920 - 2013)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Barnard
Publication Date 2023-07-07
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010300-E010399
Occupation Orthodontist
Details Gordon Dickson was born in Yorkshire on 15 April 1920. He qualified in dentistry in Sheffield and served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve during the Second World War. Developing an interest in orthodontics, he was the second consultant orthodontist to be appointed after the formation of the National Health Service in 1948. Initially in Birmingham, he moved to the south coast to establish a new department at the Royal Portsmouth Hospital in 1957. Gordon developed a close working relationship with local colleagues and at an early stage established an innovative, part-time training programme and support service for dental practitioners undertaking orthodontic treatment. He was the author of *Orthodontics in general dental practice* and co-authored with Albert Wheatley, his technician, *An atlas of removable orthodontic appliances*. These became standard texts and were translated into several languages. He was active in the British Dental Association and served as chairman of the Portsmouth Section. He was later elected a life member of the Association. He was invited to deliver the Northcroft Lecture of the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics in 1969 and served as president of the Society. He was elected as a member the Board of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1972 and vice-dean in 1978. At Portsmouth his personal qualities earned the respect of his consultant colleagues and he was elected chairman of medical staff. He retired from clinical practice in 1985. Outside a distinguished career in dentistry, he had a love of music and combined his interests in natural history and photography. He received an award from the British Mycological Society in 1987 for organising a mycological survey in the Amazonian rain forest in Ecuador. In 1996 he co-authored *The fungi of the new forest – a mycota*, which became a definitive reference book. Gordon was held in great affection by those who knew him. He died in Hampshire on 1 August 2013 in his 94th year. His wife Joy predeceased him but he is survived by his sons Richard and Robert, his daughter Diana and four grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010338
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Bennett, Richard James (1921 - 2017)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Brain
Publication Date 2017-02-17 2017-11-22
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009300-E009399
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381486381486
Occupation ENT surgeon
Details Richard James Bennett (or 'Jim' as he was universally known) was a consultant ENT surgeon in Birmingham. He was born on 24 July 1921 in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. His father, James Bennett, worked as a potter. Jim was educated at St Joseph's School in Stoke and later progressed to Birmingham University as a medical student and qualified in 1944. Whilst still a student Jim began to suffer from a duodenal ulcer, which was to plague him for much of his life. After completing his junior house jobs, he decided to train as a pathologist, but this had to be abandoned as he developed a sensitivity to formalin. It was then he embarked on his surgical career, leading to a decision to specialise in ENT surgery. After completing his specialist training, he worked for short periods as a consultant ENT surgeon at Durham and later Stoke-on-Trent, before obtaining a consultant post in Birmingham. Jim rapidly developed a consuming interest in otology and he was fortunate in obtaining a post at the Queen Elizabeth and the Birmingham and Midland Ear, Nose and Throat hospitals, which enabled him to largely abandon the nose and throat and devote most of his time to surgery of the ear. Jim was a first class tympanoplasty surgeon and became a national authority on this subject. Jim was happily married to Jacqueline, a fellow Birmingham medical graduate, for nearly 60 years. They had two children - Richard and Anne. His main recreation was bridge, but he also played some golf. Sadly, at the very end he suffered from dementia. He died on 10 January 2017 at the age of 95.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009303
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Nade, Sydney Michael Lewis (1939 - 2013)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Brunton Gibb
Publication Date 2013-02-20 2013-03-20
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E003000-E003999/E003600-E003699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/375783375783
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon
Details Sydney Michael Lewis Nade was foundation professor of orthopaedics at the University of Western Australia. His parents, Louis Nade, an electrical engineer from Warsaw Polytechnic, and Ludwika Nade née Kaftal, a law graduate, fled to Australia from Poland in 1938. Their first son, Sydney, named in honour of their adopted city, was born on 7 June 1939, just six weeks after their arrival. Syd proved to be an exceptional student and, after achieving his leaving certificate at Fort Street Boys' High, a selective school, he enrolled in the faculty of medicine at the University of Sydney in 1956. His subsequent academic career was outstanding: he graduated with a BSc and a MB BS with first class honours. His first postgraduate appointment was to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, where he trained as a medical registrar. He subsequently attained fellowships of the English and Australasian Royal Colleges of Surgeons and of the Australian Orthopaedic Association. He also gained a doctorate in medicine from Sydney University, based on his work at the National Orthopaedic Hospital in London, and a doctorate in science from the University of Western Australia. Syd's first appointment in the UK was as a senior house officer at the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, in 1967. He said that this was the most important event of his life because it was there that he met his future wife, Sally Pitman, a nursing sister. Within three months they were engaged and within a year they were married. He subsequently worked in Oxford as a research fellow and as a senior registrar at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Hospital and Radcliffe Infirmary. He was awarded the Moynihan prize and medal of the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland in 1970. In 1971 he was appointed the Lord Nuffield scholar in orthopaedics and attained his membership of the Royal College of Physicians of London. He returned to Sydney in 1972 as a senior lecturer in orthopaedics at the Royal North Shore Hospital and was appointed as Hunterian Professor in 1976. In 1978 he accepted a chair as foundation professor of orthopaedics at the University of Western Australia. Syd said that this time in Perth was by far the most productive of his professional career. His final appointment was that of clinical professor of orthopaedics at the Westmead Hospital, Sydney, in 1986. On his retirement in 1999 he was made an emeritus consultant there. Syd was always passionate about medical education, especially the teaching of undergraduates. Up until a few months before his death he was still teaching anatomy, clinical medicine and orthopaedics to medical students. He wrote a book entitled *Career doctor: so, you want to be a doctor?* (Westgate, New South Wales, c.2004) as a guide for high school students contemplating a career in medicine. One of his final requests was for financial support for surgical education at Sydney University. He was also passionate about medical research, particularly in regards to children's disabilities. His special areas of interest were bone and joint infections, abnormalities of gait and motion, techniques of bone replacement and the application of ceramic technology to orthopaedics. He published over 100 scientific papers and three books on these subjects. He was popular and talented clinician, well respected by his patients, who benefitted from his broad experience as both a physician and surgeon. Syd had a deep knowledge and understanding of his discipline, and had been dubbed by one of his American colleagues an 'orthopaedic philosopher'. He was a member of the Court of Examiners of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons from 1982 to 1988. Syd had a great sense of community and affection for his colleagues. Amid the turmoil of final year medicine he accepted two onerous tasks on behalf of his fellow students - those of president of the Medical Society and editor of the 1962 senior year book, a publication of over 150 pages. His efforts on their behalf were not unrecognised and he was awarded the Robin May prize for 1962. This prize commemorates the drowning of five newly graduated doctors in 1948 following the sinking of the launch *Robin May*, and is regarded by many as the most prestigious prize awarded throughout the medical course. It is given, by popular vote, to the final year student deemed to be the most outstanding personality of the year. In the months before his death, despite his increasing incapacity, he edited a companion to his 1962 year book, which recorded the life journeys of his fellow undergraduates over the intervening 50 years. He also organised a 50-year reunion dinner for March 2013 - an occasion which, sadly, he was unable to attend. While at university Syd was secretary of the ski club and an intervarsity representative at soccer. He was a good swimmer and over the last 30 years of his life had been an enthusiastic tennis player and golfer. His sunny nature and lively conversation will be greatly missed by his former sporting companions. In his latter years Syd discovered another passion - music. He learned to play the clarinet and joined the local Lane Cove Concert Band. He said this experience gave him immense pleasure and that it was one of the great revelations of his life. His was a life well lived. He frequently spoke of his good fortune and of his love of his family. He was survived by his wife Sally, children Nicholas, Victoria and Rebecca, five grandchildren and his brother George. He was their pillar of strength, and his love and wise counsel will be greatly missed. Syd suffered from a lymphoma for a number of years but, mercifully, the more incapacitating aspects of the disease were not manifest until the final months of his life. He was always most appreciative of the care he received from his medical attendants. Syd died on 29 January 2013, aged 73. He bequeathed his body to the faculty of medicine at Sydney University.
Resource Identifier RCS: E003600
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching MacKay, Colin (1936 - 2023)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David C Smith
Publication Date 2024-11-08
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010600-E010699
Occupation General surgeon University administrator
Details Colin MacKay was a consultant surgeon at the Western Infirmary and Gartnavel General Hospital in Glasgow and a former president of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. Born to Kenneth MacKay and Margaret Blair Dawson MacKay née McLachlan in a nursing home in the Park Circus area of Glasgow on 8 November 1936, he was subsequently evacuated along with his cousins on his mother’s side to Tighnabruaich in Argyll, where he started primary school. His father was the manager of the Milngavie branch of the Bank of Scotland and home was the bank house. After returning to Glasgow, Colin was enrolled at Hillhead High School and he never grew tired of recalling for the benefit of his own children and grandchildren how, as a small boy, he travelled each day, unaccompanied, by bus from Milngavie into school in the West End of the city. In addition to high academic achievement there, he performed with enthusiasm and skill in the school cricket XI. Intent on a career in medicine, he entered the medical faculty at Glasgow in 1954 and, after picking up numerous prizes and a BSc in physiology along the way, graduated in 1961 with the Brunton medal, awarded to the graduate with the highest marks in the finals, and went to work in the Western Infirmary, eventually becoming the Hall fellow and lecturer in surgery in Sir Charles Illingworth’s academic unit. His training involved rotation through other units at the Western, together with a period at one of the district hospitals, in Colin’s case the Royal Alexandra Infirmary in Paisley. In 1964 Illingworth was succeeded in the regius chair by Andrew ‘Drew’ Kay and, with his support and encouragement, Colin, by now married with two young children, was awarded a prestigious Medical Research Council travelling fellowship to Boston University, where he worked on gallstone disease and bile salt metabolism – a research subject which he developed further on his return to the Western 12 months later. He was appointed as a senior lecturer in 1970 and continued to work closely with Kay until 1982, when he was appointed as a consultant surgeon at Gartnavel General Hospital, where he was acknowledged as a friendly and wise mentor to young surgeons in training, many of whom went on to become successful surgeons themselves. He remained there until his retirement in 1996. Both Illingworth and Kay had successfully combined their clinical and research activities with active involvement and subsequent presidency of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, which has played an important role in the development and oversight of postgraduate medical and surgical training since its foundation in 1599. Colin MacKay was elected to the college council in 1972 and became an honorary treasurer four years later, a post he held for 10 years – a period during which the college’s finances were always in an extremely healthy state. As a combined college of physicians and surgeons, the college had automatic representation on an extremely wide and ever-expanding range of medical bodies. The president needed support to fulfil all these commitments, and the posts of vice president (medical and surgical) were created. Colin was elected as the first surgical vice president in 1992 to support the then president, Donald Campbell. As a result of this increasing involvement in intercollegiate activity, his many abilities and interpersonal skills came to the attention of office bearers from the three other surgical royal colleges in the British Isles – Edinburgh, England and Ireland. Together they had responsibility for managing and supervising surgical training and examinations across the UK and Ireland through the Joint Committee for Higher Surgical Training (JCHST), which met four times a year and rotated its meetings through each college with the host-president taking the chair. It was recognised that continuity of JCHST work would be better ensured by the appointment of a permanent chairman for a four-year period and Colin MacKay was immediately recognised as the obvious choice for this post, being nominated by the president of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He combined these activities with membership of the Greater Glasgow Health Board and the General Medical Council, as well as being an examiner for numerous home and overseas universities and surgical colleges. In 1996, on his election as visitor (president elect) of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, he retired from clinical practice and served as college president for three years from 1997. This covered the year when the college celebrated the 400th anniversary of the granting of its royal charter by James VIth in 1599. Inevitably it was an extremely busy year involving many special events, the highlights being a visit to the college by Her Majesty the Queen accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh and a gala dinner where the principal guests were Mary McAleese, the president of Ireland, and Scotland’s new first minister, Donald Dewar. These memorable occasions and many others were hosted with great aplomb, dignity and good humour by Colin MacKay supported as ever by his wife Helen. He was awarded the CBE for services to medicine after stepping down as president in 2000. The following year he was invited to chair the board of governors of the University of the Highlands and Islands Millennium Institute – the body charged with the task of assimilating 15 colleges and higher education facilities throughout the north of Scotland and the Western Isles into a single institution – the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI). He had family connections with the highlands. His father’s family hailed from Shieldaig in Wester Ross. His paternal grandfather had come down to the west of Scotland to take up the position of head gardener at the home of the Dowager Duchess of Hamilton – the White House – in Lamlash on the Isle of Arran. At the conclusion of a very successful eight years as chairman, full university title was granted to UHI and its degree awarding status was recognised. He worked closely and harmoniously with two principals, Bob Cormack and James Fraser. Colin’s pivotal role in guiding the institution to full university status was recognised in a statement by UHI following his death and, in a message of condolence to the family, James Fraser made special mention of Colin’s ability to get the best out of people, his compassion, his eye for detail and his great sense of humour, all of which ensured the success of the UHI project. It was therefore very appropriate that he was one of the first recipients of an honorary fellowship awarded by the new university. All that Colin MacKay did in his highly productive life was underpinned by his deep Christian faith and the strength and stability of his family life. He was an elder in the Free Church for more than 50 years, firstly in Partick Highland, then the City Free Church and finally in Crow Road Free Church. He was a close friend of Donald MacLeod, who had been his pastor at Partick Highland and latterly greatly valued the ministry and regular visits from the Rev Colin Dow. Prayer and daily reading of his Bible were the mainstays of his life and all that he achieved. The other great source both of support and enjoyment was his family, particularly his wife Helen (née Miskimmin), to whom he was married for 57 years. She had her own career as a specialist in care of the elderly. She beautifully complemented all that Colin did and was a wonderful hostess both at official functions and in their home in Bearsden, where their hospitality was legendary both for friends and the many visitors from overseas arriving in Glasgow to visit his hospital, the college or their church. Colin and Helen enjoyed travelling, particularly in North America, where they had visited every state, but no matter where they were they always ensured their presence in church each Sunday. He and Helen also enjoyed being part of the Moynihan Travelling Surgical Club, which met twice a year, once in the UK and once abroad. His other great delight was his family – one son, also Colin, and two daughters, Elspeth and Helen. Their spouses Gill, Donald and Donald were warmly welcomed into the family circle, which expanded further with the arrival of six grandchildren who all greatly appreciated the unconditional love and support shown to them by their grandparents. Elspeth is now an administrator for the Langham Partnership, an international Christian Charity, Helen junior became a consultant in palliative care and Colin junior is a consultant surgeon. Colin MacKay died on 17 December 2023 at the age of 87. His passing has deprived many areas of Scottish life of a much valued and highly regarded servant. He leaves a substantial legacy – firstly a group of surgeons still in clinical practice trained and encouraged by him and, secondly, the greater availability of higher education in the north of Scotland through the continuing growth of the University of the Highlands and Islands.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010679
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Stevenson, Thomas McIntyre (1931 - 2016)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Campbell
Publication Date 2017-04-21
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009300-E009399
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381509381509
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon
Details Sadly we acknowledge the passing of a truly great man, a gentleman surgeon, Mr Thomas Stevenson who passed away on 21 August 2016 following a battle with pancreatic carcinoma since 2014. Thomas Stevenson's origins are from Luss, a village near Loch Lomond in Scotland which accounts for his tenacious accent. He received his medical degree from the University of Edinburgh in 1954 and commenced working in that year as a house physician and surgeon at Shoreham, a small town in Sussex, Southern England. During his time in England he married Kathleen (Kathy), a romance that lasted their entire lives. Shortly after his marriage, he enrolled for national service and for the next two years he was stationed in Malta, Suez, and Cyprus. He returned to Sussex to complete his surgical training and obtained his FRCS London in 1961. Three years of general practice was followed by three years of orthopaedic training on the London/Southern circuit. In 1967 he immigrated to Australia to work as a clinical assistant at the Royal Adelaide Hospital where he worked for the ensuing 5 years. He obtained his Australasian Fellowship in 1968. In the same year, he became a clinical assistant at the Adelaide Children's Hospital and a visiting orthopaedic surgeon to the Repatriation General Hospital and the Queen Elizabeth Hospitals, with a pace and vigor that have characterized him ever since. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital has been synonymous with Tom Stevenson over the last 48 years and he contributed as Head of Unit for a decade until 1997. In the private sector he had a similar fervor since commencing in Harley Chambers, North Adelaide in 1969 and ultimately forming the Wakefield Orthopaedic Clinic where he continued a stalwart attendance at our research meetings. He was heavily involved in rural orthopaedic services where he visited Clare and Gawler. Tom Stevenson was a curious paradox. The records will describe an overachieving individual who has excelled in every conceivable aspect of orthopaedic surgery. He was awarded the Order of Australia in 2000 for services to orthopaedic surgery and the community through his work with the Prospect Rotary Club. In 2014 he was a recipient of the Sir Henry Newland award, the highest honour we offer for services to surgery in South Australia. He has represented the Australian Orthopaedic Association as the SA Branch Secretary and Chairman. He was also the National Vice-President. He has taught and treated at outreach clinics in Fiji and Papua New Guinea and has been an examiner and visiting Professor in Burma. He has just completed a 20-year term as the SA Branch Archivist. In his later years, he continued to teach the undergraduate OSCE exams and surgical skill courses for basic trainees and our registrars at the Lyell McEwin Hospital clinics. Tom always responded to requests for tutorials, post graduate examinations, medical school admission interviews, encouraging research and presentations. The list of his achievements still remains unknown because of his paradoxically humble and selfless personality. In his final months his time was increasingly spent caring for his ailing wife, Kathy Stevenson. He is survived by his wife Kathy, daughter Fiona, son-in-law Brooke, grandchildren William, Alice and Edwina, and two great grandchildren Oscar and Lottie. His colleagues, who have known him as a teacher, mentor, and an inspiration will sorely miss him.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009326
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Morris, Sir Peter John (1934 - 2022)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Cranston
Publication Date 2022-12-09
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010100-E010199
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/386259386259
Occupation Transplant surgeon Vascular surgeon General surgeon
Details Sir Peter Morris was the Nuffield professor of surgery, chairman of the department of surgery and director of the Oxford transplant centre at the University of Oxford and president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England from 2001 to 2004. He was born in Horsham in the state of Victoria, Australia on 17 April 1934. His father, Stanley Morris, was a civil engineer, and a twice medal winner in the Premier Australian Football League. His mother, Mary Morris née Hennessy, was a pharmacist. His father died suddenly at the age of 49 from a heart attack, when Peter was 14, and tragedy hit again a year later when his younger brother, Stan, was killed in a car accident. At Melbourne University, Peter switched from engineering to medicine and was first introduced to immunology by Macfarlane Burnett, who later shared the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine with Peter Medawar. He excelled at sport, representing Australia in university baseball and cricket. He graduated in 1957, started his surgical training in Melbourne, and married Jocelyn Gorman. They then travelled to England, working their passage on a cargo ship. He continued his surgical training in Southampton and was a surgical registrar at the Hammersmith Hospital when the first living non-related kidney transplant was performed. In 1964, he moved to a surgical resident post at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. The following years were spent as a research fellow while continuing his surgical training under the direction of Claude Welch, who had been president of the American College of Surgeons. He worked 120 hours a week, lucky to get two hours sleep when on call. The day began at 5am to see all the patients before the formal ward round at 6.15am. Not only was Welch a superb technical surgeon, but he remained calm and polite in theatre, however difficult the situation. Due to return to Melbourne in 1967, Morris received a phone call to say that the university was going through a financial crisis and his post had been frozen. On hearing this, David Hume, head of surgery at the Medical College of Virginia, invited him to set up a tissue typing laboratory in what was then the biggest transplant unit in the world. Attracted by a freezer full of samples taken before and after every transplant, Morris accepted. He tested all those sera for antibodies with Paul Terasaki, who gave him his new micro assay trays. Together they discovered that, contrary to popular opinion, lymphocytotoxic antibodies did appear after transplantation and their presence at the time of transplantation imposed a high risk of hyper-acute rejection. The importance of humoral immunity was then gradually accepted by the transplant community. He returned to Melbourne in 1968 to work as a transplant surgeon and to set up and direct the tissue transplantation laboratories, working with Priscilla Kincaid-Smith, a nephrologist and renal pathologist, and a surgeon, Vernon Marshall, who had started the transplant unit. There were often long nights as he was involved not only in the tissue typing of the donor and recipient, which was slow and tedious in those days, but also the donor nephrectomy and the subsequent renal transplant, being performed continuously over a 15-hour time span. He was appointed as first assistant in the department of surgery and became director of the Australian Kidney Foundation. From data of transplant outcomes, he showed that blood transfusion before transplantation, which could ‘sensitise’ patients, was associated with improved survival of donor kidneys, rather than making it worse, which was the prevailing opinion. This conundrum has never been satisfactorily explained. In 1973, Peter Morris was on the point of accepting the chair of surgery at Adelaide University in South Australia when a phone call from Sir Richard Doll, regius professor of medicine in Oxford, led a path to the Nuffield chair of surgery in Oxford in 1974 and a professorial fellow at Balliol College. Arriving at the old Radcliffe Infirmary on 4 August, he found a note from Sir Hans Krebs, who had won the 1953 Nobel Prize for the discovery of the citric acid cycle. Morris had no idea he was still alive and working! In Oxford he established the transplantation programme with the support of Desmond Oliver, a New Zealander and former All Black, who was running one the biggest home haemodialysis units in Europe at the nearby Churchill Hospital. To that date the UK survival figures for renal transplantation were very poor: 40% of patients died within one year, and the graft survival rate was only 50%. The first two patients were transplanted on 29 and 30 January 1975 before and after midnight. Both kidney transplants were successful, and the patients lived for many years. Soon there were more than 100 patients on the waiting list. For the first few years he did most of the transplants himself, but gradually he trained up a team of surgeons. He insisted on doing the living donor transplants himself as the consequences of technical failure involved both donor and recipient. He followed the example of his mentor Claude Welch in always being courteous and unflappable. He was also a vascular surgeon and set up an academic department of vascular surgery that provided an excellent service to the region and for a time he was the only surgeon to perform carotid endarterectomies for stroke prevention. He developed an internationally renowned research programme in transplant immunology and made pioneering discoveries in the fields of tissue typing and cross matching, which led to longer kidney graft survival and more organs being suitable for transplantation. He also started the successful Oxford pancreatic islet research programme for the treatment of diabetes. He retired from the Nuffield Chair in 2001, with a three-day festschrift delivered by leading surgeons and scientists from around the globe, ending with a cricket match and banquet at Blenheim Palace. He was elected president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, serving from 2001 until 2004, and was extremely energetic in this role. He visited five to six hospitals each month, to see how surgical services and training were being delivered. He would meet the CEOs, medical directors, consultants and trainees separately, listening to the views of clinicians as to how improvements might be made and follow up on the actions taken. He would ignore artificial health service boundaries if he felt these were detrimental to patient services and safety. Despite his workload, he enjoyed life with a fondness for fine wines, food and sport. He was the first president of the College to have Sky Sports put into the presidential office and lodge and would often walk into meetings late rattling out the latest test match score. As chairman of the RCS research board, he drove the implementation of the research fellowship scheme, which has led to the appointment of more than 900 research fellows. He established and chaired a working party on transplantation in the UK, which led to the rationalisation and improvements in the way organ transplant services were run. While president he realised that there were 19th century human remains that had been taken from Aboriginal graves in Australasia and some of this material had ended up in the museums of the Royal College of Surgeons. Morris understood the Aboriginal spiritual belief that the body should be intact and repatriated more than 75 sets of remains to Australia and New Zealand. He also invited Sir Richard Doll to lead a working party to advise on the future of surgical audit, which led to the establishment of the clinical effectiveness unit, bringing systematic methods to the collection and interpretation of surgical outcomes data. In 2005 he established the centre for evidence in transplantation at the Royal College of Surgeons and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to evaluate the quality of evidence in the field of organ transplantation. He was responsible for the development of an electronic library of all randomised controlled trials in organ transplantation. He later served as chairman of the British Heart Foundation and president of the Medical Protection Society, which provides medical indemnity for some 250,000 physicians worldwide. He was editor of the journal *Transplantation* and author of 800 papers. His book *Kidney transplantation: principles and practice* (London, Academic Press, 1979), regarded as a classic, is now in its seventh edition. He was a founding editor of the*Oxford textbook of surgery* (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1994). He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1994 and was a foundation fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 1997. Also in 1997, he was awarded the Lister Prize for his contributions to surgical science and the Medawar Prize in 2006 for his contributions to transplantation. He was knighted for services to medicine in 1996 and he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia for services to medical sciences in 2004. His family was an important part of his life and their home in Oxford was always welcoming. Jocelyn, herself an accomplished chest physician, would host the families of new arrivals to the Nuffield department of surgery for coffee mornings. An assortment of people was regularly welcomed to the family dinner table, where quality Australian wine would be consumed. Sir Peter Morris died on 29 October 2022 at the age of 88.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010190
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Blaiklock, Christopher Thomas (1936 - 2018)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Currie
Publication Date 2006-09-22 2018-05-01
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E000000-E000999/E000200-E000299
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/372451372451
Occupation Neurosurgeon
Details Christopher Thomas Blaiklock was a consultant neurosurgeon at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. He was born on 27 July 1936 in Newcastle upon Tyne and raised in Northumbria. His parents, Thomas Snowdon Blaiklock and Constance Rebecca Blaiklock, were both doctors. He attended Oundle School, Northampton, and then carried out his National Service (from 1954 to 1956) in the Royal Navy. He went on to study medicine at Durham, qualifying in 1961. Chris was influenced by his medical house officer post with the Newcastle neurologist, Sir John Walton. His original intention was to pursue a career as a physician, but, having passed the MRCP in 1966, he came to the view that, with the resources available at the time, he could achieve more for patients as a surgeon and he did his basic surgical training in Cardiff. He decided on a career in neurosurgery which, at the time, could not be said to be the most successful of surgical specialties, but he was fortunate to be regularly in the right place at the right time. He was a neurosurgical registrar at Atkinson Morley Hospital in London, which was famous (or notorious) for giving a rigorous training. While he was there the first CT (computed tomography) scanner in the world was installed and Chris was among the first neurosurgeons to experience the revolutionary transformation of neurological imaging and the huge improvement that brought to patients' experience of neurological diagnosis. In 1972, he was appointed as a senior registrar in neurosurgery in Glasgow with Bryan Jennett at a time when Glasgow was being recognised as a centre of excellence in neurosurgical research. The first CT scanner in Scotland was installed in Glasgow during his training there. In 1974, he was appointed as a consultant neurosurgeon at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. He was only the third neurosurgeon in Aberdeen after Martin Nichols and Bob Fraser. The department covered the whole of the North of Scotland, including the Northern and Western isles. In addition to providing a comprehensive neurosurgery service, the department housed, prior to the advent of intensive care units, the only ventilation unit in the region and the two neurosurgeons were responsible for its management along with a single trainee. Chris brought his experience of CT imaging and saw the installation of the first CT scanner in Aberdeen. He introduced the operating microscope and effectively brought neurosurgery in Aberdeen into the modern era. When the world's first MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scanner was built and became available for clinical use, Chris was the first neurosurgeon in the world to employ it and gain experience in its use in neurosurgery. Chris was unusual in being a neurosurgeon who was also a member (and subsequently a fellow) of the Royal College of Physicians, and his diagnostic skills were evidence of his broad general knowledge. For many years, the neurosurgeons in Aberdeen also offered the out-of-hours neurology service, handing patients over to the well-rested neurologists in the morning. Chris often remarked that he could just as easily have enjoyed being an engineer. He had a fascination with how things worked. He carried a skill with tools and his manual dexterity into his operative surgery. He was a true craftsman. His operative surgery was calm, precise and quick, and an inspiration to his trainees. He was an NHS partisan. Despite a heavy workload, his waiting times were negligible and he was offended on occasions when it was suggested to him that he might see a patient 'privately'. He was intensely proud of the local service and of the beautiful territory he served. He enjoyed demonstrating the extent of the territory he covered by placing a pair of compasses on Aberdeen and passing it through his most distant centre of habitation - one of the North Sea oil platforms. The circle also passed through Watford. He contributed extensively to NHS administration, both locally and nationally. With the introduction of clinical management, he became director of surgery for Grampian - a post that he accepted without dropping any clinical sessions. He lacked self-importance or pomposity, and was genuinely interested in people and their occupations and he was always available. For a year, while the other consultant post was unfilled, he provided the service single-handedly. Chris Blaiklock died at home on 8 February 2018 at the age of 81 and was survived by his wife Judith, an anaesthetist, and by his son, Ian, and daughter, Fiona. He will be remembered with great affection by former patients, colleagues in all health professions and by his trainees who have occupied consultant posts in Scotland and in other countries.
Resource Identifier RCS: E000264
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Jackson, Robert Wilson (1932 - 2010)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Dandy
Publication Date 2015-09-14 2015-11-20
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E008000-E008999/E008000-E008099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/380226380226
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon Specialist in sports medicine
Details Robert Wilson 'Bob' Jackson was a pioneer of arthroscopy in North America. He was born in Toronto in 1932 of Scottish parents. He attended the University of Toronto Schools and qualified as a doctor with the University of Toronto MD in 1956. An outstanding athlete as a student, he played Canadian football for the university junior team, but was unable to progress after rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament playing lacrosse. No successful treatment was available for such an injury in those days. He was also a successful boxer, but retired when he discovered there was an association with brain damage. After a rotating internship in Toronto, he completed a year's research into fractures of the tibia, for which he received the International Award of the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma. Two years training in general surgery in Toronto and a year of research in Boston followed before he went to England, where he spent 18 months at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and a year in Bristol working for Kenneth Pridie. He was invited to apply for Pridie's post after his death, but was strongly urged to return to Toronto, where he became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada in 1963. His career was shaped in 1964 when he travelled to Tokyo with a McLaughlin travelling fellowship to learn tissue culture techniques, for which it was necessary to learn Japanese in evening classes. At the suggestion of Ian Macnab of Toronto he sought out Masaki Watanabe in Tokyo to assess reports that he was able to derive useful information from examining the knee with an endoscope. Although Watanabe's work was known in the English-speaking world, he was almost unknown in Japan. Without an address it was not easy to make contact with Watanabe, but he was eventually found at the Tokyo Teishin Hospital, which was dedicated to the care of postal workers. Watanabe spoke no English, but agreed to teach Bob Jackson arthroscopy if he would teach him English in return. The two remained firm friends and in 1974 Bob Jackson became founder member and vice president of the International Arthroscopy Association under the presidency of Masaki Watanabe. In the same year Bob Jackson was appointed consultant to the Canadian Olympic team at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, where he met Sir Ludwig Guttmann of Stoke Mandeville Hospital during the Paraplegic Olympics that followed. There were no Canadian entrants. On his return to Toronto Jackson founded Canada Wheelchair Sports, taking a small team to the Stoke Mandeville Games in 1966 and a much larger Canadian team to the 1968 Paraplegic Olympics in Tel Aviv. He was invited to join the board of the international movement, became vice president in 1972 and ran the 1976 Olympiad for the Disabled in Toronto, where conditions other than paraplegia were included for the first time, perhaps making it the first true Paralympics. He succeeded Sir Ludwig Guttmann as international president in 1980 and in 1997 was awarded the Olympic Order, the highest award of the Olympic movement. He received the Paralympic Order in 2005. On returning to Toronto from Japan in 1965, after a further six months involved with tissue culture in Boston, Bob Jackson joined the staff at the Toronto General Hospital. There he developed diagnostic arthroscopy and the basic techniques of arthroscopic surgery before the introduction of fibre optic cables, fibre light or endoscopic television. In those days the light source was a small tungsten bulb that would sometimes break within the knee, making it essential to have a second arthroscope available to remove the fragments. Bob Jackson became chief of orthopaedics at the Toronto Western Hospital in 1976 and a full professor in the University of Toronto in 1982. In 1985 he was appointed chief of staff and surgery at the Orthopaedic and Arthritic Hospital in Toronto until his appointment as chief of orthopaedics at Baylor University Medical Centre in Dallas and professor of surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, in 1992. He lectured widely both in North America and internationally, and was probably responsible more than any other individual for teaching the safe practice of arthroscopic surgery around the world. Those who doubted the potential of arthroscopy, of whom there were many, would be invited to Toronto, where he would entertain them and demonstrate the technique in person. His teaching was clear, reasoned and free of the fanatical zeal sometimes seen in surgical pioneers. Bob Jackson was a big man, well over 6' tall, with a quiet manner that commanded attention. He was admired for his integrity, decency and humble demeanour, characteristics combined with a sharp but gentle sense of humour. He married Marilyn in 1961 before they came to England and they were immensely proud of their five children and eight grandchildren. He died on 6 January 2010. Bob Jackson received many honours. In addition to those already mentioned, these include an Officer of the Order of Canada, the Award of Merit from the City of Toronto, an honorary fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons, the Lister Prize in Surgery from the University of Toronto, the founders' medal of the Canadian Orthopaedic Research Society, the JC Kennedy Award for Research in Sports Medicine, the Award for Excellence in Research from the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, the Jackson-Burrows Medal of the Royal National Orthopaedic Institute and an honorary fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
Resource Identifier RCS: E008043
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Johnson, Peter George (1932 - 2023)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Dempster
Publication Date 2023-08-15
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010400-E010499
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/387133387133
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon Trauma surgeon
Details Peter Johnson was a consultant orthopaedic and trauma surgeon at Frimley Park and Farnham hospitals, Surrey. He was born on 6 June 1932, the only child of Percy George Johnson, a local GP in the Staffordshire mining village of Silverdale, and Daisy Evelyn Johnson née Rowley. He was educated locally at Wolstanton Grammar School, before going up to Merton College, Oxford to read medicine. He transferred to St Thomas’s Hospital Medical School for his clinical training and graduated BM BCh in 1957. From 1959 to 1961 he carried out National Service in the Army, where he reached the rank of captain, serving as medical officer to the 29th Field Artillery Regiment, mostly in Germany. He later spent some years in the Territorial Army Volunteer Reserve, with the RAMC. Returning to St Thomas’, Peter held various posts, including house surgeon in both general and thoracic surgery, and casualty officer, before gaining his FRCS in 1967. Peter undertook his orthopaedic training at St Thomas’, under the direction of Ronnie Furlong, and whilst there met his future wife, Ann Williams, an orthopaedic ward sister. During training, he also spent time at the associated Lambeth Hospital and a year on attachment, as associate professor of orthopaedic surgery, at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. Part way through the year he returned briefly in April 1973 to marry Ann in her home town of Dolgellau, Wales, before returning to the United States with her to complete his year. Returning to England, he became a chief assistant to the orthopaedic department of St Thomas’ and over the next year or so published work on the management of spinal injuries, the management of the critically ill and, jointly, an account of fractures of the spine. Peter was appointed as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon to Frimley Park and Farnham hospitals in 1977 and, with Ann, moved into Strangers Corner, Farnham – the first house built by Harold Falkner, the renowned Arts and Crafts architect, where they lived together for the next 46 years. Although appointed as a general orthopaedic surgeon, he took a full part in the on-call rota, dealing with trauma, until just a few years before he retired. He always had a special interest in knee surgery and was an early advocate of knee arthroscopy. He was intrigued by adolescent knee pain and the mechanics of the patellofemoral joint. He continued to enjoy both hip and knee arthroplasty. Expecting high standards of both himself and his colleagues, he could at times be quite acerbic, but a sharp rejoinder would usually result in a gracious apology, sometimes associated with a round of coffee or a box of chocolates! Peter retired from Frimley in 1997 and embarked on an active life as a volunteer driver for Care Farnham and, with Ann, running annual charity events for Guide Dogs for the Blind. After the local Oxfam charity bookshop opened in 2005, Peter was an early volunteer. He was an avid reader and could seldom leave a bookshop without a new purchase, and his exposure to books in the Oxfam shop gave him further opportunity to indulge this hobby. He had an extensive and wide-ranging library. For some years Peter worked behind the reception desk and as a guide at the Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, where he became known for his very dry sense of humour. Retirement also gave him time to resume piano lessons after a gap of almost 50 years, and he took several exams to achieve grade five. He enjoyed painting and produced work of a high standard. Peter and Ann split their time between their home in Farnham, and a house they maintained in Dolgellau, and Peter was a member of art societies in both areas. Peter developed a great affection for the part of Wales from which his wife originated, which he would describe as ‘God’s own country’. He spent time learning about Welsh culture and made a great attempt to become proficient in the language. In the last few years, Peter’s physical health declined, and he became less mobile and more frail. He died peacefully in his home in Farnham in May 2023, and was buried near his own and Ann’s parents in Dolgellau, after a bilingual service in the chapel in which they had been married, 50 years earlier.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010428
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Patterson, Thomas John Starling (1920 - 2020)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Evans
Publication Date 2020-12-18
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009800-E009899
Occupation Plastic surgeon
Details Thomas John Starling Patterson (TP) was a consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon in Oxford. He was born on 27 November 1920 in Melbourne, where his father, Sydney Wentworth Patterson, was working as a physician. His mother, Muriel Patterson née Starling, was the daughter of Ernest Starling, an eminent physiologist known for Starling’s law of the heart, who also established the idea of semipermeable capillary walls and the principles of fluid balance, discovered secretin and coined the word ‘hormone’. Also among his mother’s relations, his great grandfather was Sir Edward Sieveking, physician to Queen Victoria. Returning to England, TP was educated at Marlborough. He already had an adventurous streak and remembered sneaking out of his school house in the middle of the night and cycling 20 miles (in the rain) to see the sunrise at Stonehenge (unfortunately invisible), then back to school undetected, before the house awoke. Before going to Cambridge, he spent two terms at Basel University, where he learnt German and continued to fence – he had been captain of his school fencing team. In Basel, he was surprised by the lively duelling ethic, using sabre as opposed to safe epee swords. It was taken for granted that Tom would pursue medicine, as had four generations before him. He went up to Cambridge in 1939, at the beginning of the Second World War. The three-year preclinical course was condensed into two years and the students were recommended to join the Home Guard. He had vivid memories of night exercises with fields of burning crops due to incendiaries. He went on to St Thomas’ Hospital in London for his clinical studies and anticipated a career as a physician, but decided on surgery after a ward round with a surgical registrar particularly impressed him. Tom remembered realising: ‘dear God, here’s a chap who can operate and he can actually think’. In wartime London, medical students were left to get on with things they were thought able to deal with, including the regular tonsil list. In 1944, Tom witnessed the first use of penicillin at St Thomas’ when he was involved in the treatment of a policeman who was dying from an infected hand. The penicillin powder was sprinkled on the wound and the man’s life was saved: the penicillin was extracted from the patient’s urine and used again. Once qualified, TP became a resident surgical officer in the ‘sector’, St Thomas’ being scattered all over Surrey. He felt fortunate to work for Walter ‘Gaffer’ Mimpriss, who was then one of the junior surgeons, to whom he attributed his extensive general surgical training. By the end of the war St Thomas’ was receiving regular convoys of wounded serviceman back from France: this provided great experience in the management of unhealed wounds, which Tom tackled together with an orthopaedic registrar. Further training with Sir Harold Gillies at Rooksdown House convinced him he should continue with plastic surgery. In 1957 TP was appointed as a consultant at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford alongside Eric Peet, taking over when Thomas Kilner, who held the first Nuffield chair in plastic surgery, retired. After some initial difficulties when Kilner refused to relinquish his office or his out-patient clinics and operating lists, TP set about reforming the department, making links with other specialties, including radiotherapy, trauma surgery, maxillofacial surgery and dermatology. He also established research projects in the Nuffield department of surgery with Philip Rowland Allison and later with Sir Peter Morris, which led to some important work with Stuart Milton on blood supply of skin flaps in the immediate pre-microvascular surgery era, working with pigs and also establishing microsurgical models in rats. He also extended the use of intravenous dyes to predict flap survival, and studied amniotic band syndrome. In 1959, he gave a Hunterian lecture on congenital deformities of the hand. With Des Oliver, who was running the haemodialysis unit, he worked on techniques to create Brescia-Cimino fistulae for dialysis patients, and also supported the initiation of renal transplantation at the Churchill Hospital. In 1968, with Joe Smith, a urologist, TP performed the first renal transplant in Oxford. He also developed an active head and neck cancer practice in collaboration initially with Frank Ellis, a radiotherapist, and a consultant clinical oncologist George Wiernik. They developed ways of maximising the benefit of combined surgery and radiotherapy, including a technique of surgical excision with flap repair and parallel plastic tubes placed beneath the skin flap through which irridium wires could subsequently be threaded to deliver a high but very localised dose of radiation. Tom had a cordial relationship with Eric Peet, his senior colleague. They were very different: Eric was a technically adroit surgeon, who took great pleasure in the technical precision of his surgery, and had a large private practice; Tom was an academic surgeon, technically adventurous but grounded in general surgical philosophy, with never any appetite for private work. With Peet, TB wrote a fine textbook *Essentials of plastic surgery* (Oxford, Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1963). He also contributed to *The McDowell indexes of plastic surgical literature* (Baltimore, Maryland, Williams and Wilkins Co, c.1971-77), translated *The Zeis index and history of plastic surgery, 900 BC-1863 AD* (Baltimore, Maryland, Williams and Wilkins, c.1977) from the original German, produced the *Patterson index of plastic surgery* (William Wilkins, 1978), in which he collected all plastic surgery literature between 1864 and 1920, and, in 1988, published a translation of Eduard Zeis’ 1838 work *Hanbuchen der plastischen chirurgie* as *Zeis’ manual of plastic surgery* (Oxford, New York, Tokyo, Oxford University Press). In 1978, he retired from surgery to take up a post at the Wellcome unit for the history of medicine in Oxford, where he studied the role of the East India Company in introducing western medicine to India. He was widely respected among medical historians and became an indefatigable writer, producing, with G D Singhal, a *Synopsis of Ayurveda* (Delihi, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1993) and *The East India Company and medicine in India* (2012). He also tackled more diverse subjects, including *Chamber music miscellany* (2006), *Maps and socks: a walker’s miscellany* (2013) and a biography of the educationist, poet and essayist Arthur Hugh Sidgwick, published in 2017 when TP was 96. He had many interests, including music; he was an enthusiastic amateur viola player, enjoyed chamber music ensembles and for many years had a major role in the running of the Headington chamber music course, attended by amateur players from around the country. Tom Patterson was a lively, warm, vivacious man with a sharp sense of humour. He was a superb surgical teacher, modelled on the style of teaching he had enjoyed – by example, followed by supervision, followed by independent working. In 1944, he married Sonia Scott-Fleming. Although they separated in mid-life, they remained close and shared a four-storey house close to the old Radcliffe Infirmary, living on two floors each. They were both slightly eccentric: dinner when they were together in their house at Kidlington was in the kitchen, with some of their cats wandering past across the table. TP remained relatively independent in a sheltered environment almost to the last, retaining full mental capacity, although weakening physically. Near the end, he wrote to say that he now understood the meaning of the expression ‘last legs’. He died on 31 October 2020 after a short illness following a fall, four weeks short of his 100th birthday. He was survived by two daughters, Belinda and Judy, and three grandchildren, Tamsyn, Jessica and Ben.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009894
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Tynan, Anthony Peter (1940 - 2016)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Golovsky
Publication Date 2018-11-20 2018-11-26
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009500-E009599
Occupation Urologist
Details Tony was the fourth child in a family of five of Patrick and Madeline Tynan, an Irish Catholic working class family living in Kogarah. He was educated locally first at St Patrick’s and then at Marist Brothers High School. He was a good student and always dreamed of becoming a doctor. His Dad, a truck driver for Tooth’s Brewery could not afford the University fees but was fortunate to obtain a Commonwealth Scholarship and entered the faculty of medicine at Sydney University in 1957. He was the first person in his family to go to University. He was conscientious student and even got through 4th year despite his Mother’s passing after a motor vehicle accident. He was a student at St Vincent’s Hospital but was appointed a Junior Resident Medical Officer at the Mater Hospital. To supplement his income he did GP locums and a stint with the Royal Flying Doctor Service during his senior year. It was at the Mater that he met Margaret O’Grady (Maggie), who he married and promptly left for England. He obtained both the Edinburg and English Fellowships of the College of Surgeons and worked as a Surgical Registrar in Birmingham. In 1968 he returned to Australia working his way as a ship’s surgeon with Maggie and their two children, Damien and Cait, and took umbrage at the fact that most of the passengers were “Ten Pound Poms”. Back in Australia he obtained his Fellowship with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. In 1969 he embarked on his Urological career by obtaining a Fellowship in Urology with Professor Joe Murnaghan. A firm friendship was cemented between Joe and Tony, in fact Tony was the only person who could call him Joe as he was a stickler for formality. He was made Senior Lecturer in Surgery for the University of New South Wales. The babies kept arriving so he had to supplement his small salary by doing lots of GP locums on the North Shore and in the West. In his “spare” time he joined the RAAF Reserve with the rank of Flight Lieutenant. However, after three years he resigned his commission because of the pressures of work. Joe encouraged Tony to consider pursuing an academic career but he chose to take an appointment as a Visiting Medical Officer at St George and Sutherland Hospitals. He soon set up a thriving practice in the Sutherland Shire and worked closely with Ted Korbel and later Gerry Testa. Together with Maggie they had six children under the age of 9 – Damien (Ticka), Cait, Jacinta, Rowena (Ro), Justin and Alexandra (Bubs). His marriage to Maggie ended after 23 years. Later, he met Peta and subsequently they married. He served with the Urological Society as Chairman of ANZAUS in 1980-81 and was President of the NSW Section in 1989. Tony helped mentor many trainees, never afraid to stir on their behalf and had the reputation of being very fair as an Examiner for the College of Surgeons. There were countless Urological dinners where Tony and Michael Rosen would trade jokes having the table in stitches. People would be leaving, the tables would be cleared except for the red wine, Michael would be out of breath, but still there was time for one more story. He loved his sail boat he had in Port Hacking. He successfully sailed up to Sydney many times despite just an occasional altercation between navigator and skipper. He and Peta were inveterate travellers. Their map of Australia documenting their travels was almost obliterated by lines resembling the scribbling of a child. In later life most people have a ‘sea change’, not so for Peta and Tony. They opted for the land and moved north to Gloucester. Tony worked for a short time in Taree but settled down as a farmer and got on well with the locals. Unfortunately with his increasing disability due to motor neurone disease a heavy load fell on Peta’s shoulders. Tony was fortunate to have someone as strong and capable as Peta to look after him during this difficult time of his life. Tony was a loving and proud father to his six children, his three step children and grandfather to 16 grandchildren and 5 step grandchildren. Ted Korbel summed him up as a “careful, thoughtful colleague, a teacher and cheerful friend, a profound thinker and astute clinician and a larger than life colourful character, a real Australian larrikin”.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009531
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Templeton, John (1937 - 2018)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Griffiths
Publication Date 2018-11-19 2020-11-23
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009400-E009499
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381892381892
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon Trauma surgeon
Details John Templeton was a professor of trauma and orthopaedic surgery at Keele University. He was born on 13 June 1937 in Ballyclare and grew up in Northern Ireland. He qualified in Belfast. After house jobs at the Royal Victoria Hospital, he moved to Saskatoon, Canada in 1962 and Montreal in 1966. After a year as a research fellow in Oxford, he was appointed to a consultant post in Montreal in 1970. He returned to Northern Ireland in 1978 and was appointed to the first chair of trauma and orthopaedic surgery at Keele University in 1988 and became the dean of postgraduate medicine. John retired from clinical practice in 2002 and then spent three years as medical director at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Oxford. He was instrumental in designing and implementing the Major Trauma Centre network in the UK and was renowned as an excellent teacher and an unflappable surgeon whose calm demeanour was much admired. He was married to Patricia and had three children (the eldest of whom, Peter, was also an orthopaedic surgeon and predeceased him) and seven grandchildren. John died of renal failure after a long illness on 30 April 2018. He was 81.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009488
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Cowan, Alan Normington (1929 - 2021)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Hollands
Publication Date 2023-01-11
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010100-E010199
Occupation General surgeon
Details Alan Cowan was a consultant surgeon and general practitioner in Canberra, Australia. He was born in London on 13 June 1929, the son of Samuel Cowan and Helen Cowan née Normington, both schoolteachers. He attended Wandsworth Grammar School for Boys and completed his schooling in Surrey, where he and his family were evacuated during the Blitz in London. In 1946, he began studying medicine at King’s College, London and qualified in 1951. In the same year he married Anne Gammon, and they went on to have four children – John, Stephen James, Robert Alan and Sarah Jane. Between 1953 and 1955 he carried out his National Service as a captain at the British Military Hospital in Tripoli, Libya. After leaving the Army, he continued his hospital work, holding appointments at Southport General Infirmary, the Royal Free, Tindal and Queen Charlotte’s hospitals. He gained his FRCS in 1957 and a diploma in obstetrics in 1966. In 1966 he and his family moved to Australia and settled in Canberra, where Alan worked for the rest of his medical career, both as a specialist surgeon and a general practitioner. In 1969, I met Alan at a three-week camp for birdwatchers on Cape York in far north Queensland. It was not long before we realised how much we had in common: we were both from England, both doctors and both had an eagerness to see and learn as much as we could about the remarkable environment and birds around us, not just for the purpose of ticking them off on a list. We spent a lot of time together on that trip. One common interest was classical music and Alan’s knowledge was clearly profound, particularly of the works of Bach. I had sung in Bach’s B minor mass at school, but Alan’s knowledge went far beyond this, particularly with the sacred cantatas, of which I knew nothing. He waxed lyrical about them, talking about who had recorded them and which performances he thought were the best: he had a remarkable intellect. Alan was not only a Bach enthusiast. He had a fine voice and was a member of the Canberra Choral Society for many years. He loved almost all classical music, and I remember sitting transfixed with him in Canberra at a marvellous concert of Haydn symphonies. Another of his great loves was birdwatching, particularly seabirds. He went on a number of oceanic expeditions, and it was seabirds behind his decision to join the Australian National Antarctic Research Expeditions (ANARE). He over-wintered as a medical officer at Carey station and, on his return, was awarded the Polar Medal in 1979. The Antarctic is not for the faint-hearted and there were many hazardous situations there in inflatable boats but nothing to compare with the voyage of the *Totorore*. This was a tiny 11 metre yacht, being sailed by its owner around Cape Horn, and then up the western side of South America, all in search of seabirds. He needed a crew to make the venture possible and Alan put his hand up, flying to the southerly tip of the continent to join the boat. By all accounts, it was a successful but highly testing journey through some of the wildest seas in the world. Sometime later, the *Totorore* and its master disappeared at sea without a trace. Alan had been very fortunate. His marriage to Anne ended and for some time he was alone and not very happy. It was a source of great joy for him when he met and, in 1987, married Susan Poultney. The renewed vigour and enthusiasm which emerged was inspiring to all who knew him. They met through choral singing and continued to sing and to travel extensively. It did not need a psychologist to see that they were happy together. In 1999, I was studying and photographing owls around the world and, high on the wanted list, was the snowy owl, the great white owl of the Arctic. I asked Alan if he would like to come and he eagerly accepted, saying that Susan would come too. The trip was a great success, and I still have a photograph of Alan, dressed like an Inuit, struggling against the wind to put up my bird hide in the snow. Three years later, I called on Alan again. This time, the quarry was blakiston’s fish owl in Japan, the largest owl in the world and one of the rarest. Sumio Yamamoto, our host, had organised accommodation in a traditional Japanese guesthouse, which was an experience in itself. Conditions were very cold, with heavy frosts at night, but Alan’s Antarctic experience stood him in good stead and we both thoroughly enjoyed the experience of working together with this mythical bird. In his later years, Alan was not in the best of health but, to talk to him, one would never have guessed it. He had cardiac problems and some major hip complications but made light of both and remained as positive and switched-on to the world as he had ever been. Over the years, he had been a regular contributor of letters to *The Canberra Times* and I gather that this tradition continued to the end, with his final letter to that paper still waiting to be published at the time of his death. Alan Cowan was fatally injured in a road accident near his Canberra home on 22 July 2021, a tragedy for himself, for his family and for all who knew him.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010196
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Bonney, George Louis William (1920 - 2007)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Hunt
Publication Date 2020-10-19 2021-07-02
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009800-E009899
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/383872383872
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon
Details George Bonney, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at St Mary’s Hospital, London, was an original. Tall, fine looking with a dominating presence, a wry smile, an acute wit and a great way with words, he amused many and confused others. He was one of the last classically trained doctors. Whatever he said, it would be unexpected, original, often funny or disconcerting. When a junior doctor said a patient needed an X-ray, he would raise his eyes to the ceiling and cry: ‘A radiograph not X-ray! You take photographs – not lights!’ Achieving legendary status and devotion among the many who were trained by him, who knew him as GB, he was much imitated, and his many aphorisms quoted. But some just could not ‘get him’ and even feared him. He was born on 10 January 1920 in Kensington, London, the son of Ernest Henry Bonney, a GP, and Gertrude Mary Bonney née Williams, a teacher. His grandfather, William Augustus Bonney, was also a medical practitioner and his uncle, who George was particularly close to, was the famous gynaecologist Victor Bonney. Victor Bonney developed the blue antiseptic dye used as a marker in surgical procedures and known as ‘Bonney’s blue’ or, as George would say when he needed it: ‘Give me my uncle’s blood!’ At the age of 13, George won a scholarship to Eton. He was a diligent student of literature, German, Greek, Latin and history, before changing to natural sciences (rather looked down on at Eton) because he wanted to do medicine. He would always go his own way. At school he developed an interest in drama and rowing. With his joy of words and a natural irreverence, he developed a brilliant wit. George’s father died at an early age and there was no money for George to go to Cambridge, so he went straight to St Mary’s in 1938, funded by his uncle. As a student he rowed and was involved in drama and, as secretary of the student union, succeeded in transforming the library into a temporary theatre. After qualifying in 1943, George and worked as a house surgeon to Arthur Dickson Wright and Valentine Ellis. He was enormously influenced by Dickson Wright and his eccentricities which, it is said, George imitated. More significant was the influence of Valentine Ellis: he developed George’s interest in orthopaedics. Still in its infancy, orthopaedics was, like sciences at Eton, rather looked down on. But George saw that orthopaedics was a growing specialty, and he has been proved right. He saw it as the true ‘general specialty’, treating all groups of patients and all parts of the body. There were many challenges – the treatment of fractures, replacement of joints and, for George, the healing of damaged nerves. Having got the fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1945, George joined the Royal Naval Reserve. He was passionate about the Navy – he loved the uniform and the comradeship. He said, ironically, it was good to have been in ‘at the end of the British Navy’! George became a master of surgery in 1947, the qualification he considered essential for a surgeon. He then went to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London, where he was taught by Sir Herbert Seddon, a notoriously hard task master. He stimulated George’s interest in the upper limb and injuries to peripheral nerves, the brachial plexus in particular. With the neurologist Roger Gilliatt, he did seminal research, developing a way of identifying the site of the lesion to the plexus by the axon response. This was published in 1954 and remained the gold-standard test until the advent of magnetic resonance imaging (‘The value of axon responses in determining the site of the lesion in traction injuries of the brachial plexus’ *Brain* 1954; 77; 588-609). With the sudden death of Valentine Ellis in 1953, George was appointed to St Mary’s to replace him, where he joined John Crawford Adams. Together they achieved distinction in their individual fields and in training future surgeons. George committed himself to work on injuries of the brachial plexus, the cervical spine and the thoracic outlet – pioneering surgery, which few surgeons would attempt. The operations were long, requiring meticulous technique and George would be left physically and emotionally drained. He was not ashamed of his emotions; he felt deeply his commitment and concern for his patients. These injuries were often in young people, who in an accident, usually from a motorcycle, were left with a paralysed and painful arm. George knew and taught how this could devastate a young person’s life. On one occasion, a young woman was presented at a clinical conference; George was asked what he thought about her management. He simply replied: ‘Isn’t she charming?’ It was true and showed how George was aware of the need to make her feel better, having had her horrible injuries discussed in front of others. This greatly impressed some surgeons from Germany who were present. Later, in the bar, George and the Germans spent the evening quoting Nietzsche, with George lamenting the fact that none of his registrars could quote poetry. George only published intermittently, which is a pity because he wrote so well. Even his letters were eagerly awaited by colleagues as they were so beautifully written and contained original thoughts usually absent from medical letters. He travelled little and seldom spoke at meetings. Essentially shy and deploring self-aggrandisement, he never received the credit due to him. His dedication to St Mary’s led him to the board of governors. He also chaired the medical committee and the district hospital medical committee during times of great change, but when these committees had some power. He was a formidable opponent and he achieved much for St Mary’s. Perhaps he is best known for his work with the council of the Medical Defence Union. He was highly respected by the legal profession, who enjoyed the intellect and originality of his expert opinion. He was happy to give lectures on medico-legal problems. These were highly entertaining, although some found them perplexing. He would often arrive late, having apparently ‘got lost’. In truth he suffered from terrible nerves. He would then stand at the lectern for what seemed an age – some would leave at this juncture – and eventually start with dramatic stammering, then say something completely unexpected. For example, when lecturing at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, his alma mater, he would start with: ‘It’s, It’s, It’s… a great honour to be asked to speak at the Institution where I trained with the three people who have had the most influence on me – Herbert Seddon, Roger Gilliatt and…and…I’ve forgotten the third.’ Then would follow the most informative, amusing and memorable talk. He would often be irreverent, saying, for example, that the discovery of penicillin was a disaster for doctors as they could no longer expect to make their money from a good bedside manner, but be expected to cure the patients swiftly or get sued. He said that the concept of the NHS was to reduce the need for healthcare by prevention and easy access to diagnosis and treatment, but he foresaw that it just increased demand and costs, which had led to a decline in the patient-doctor relationship and this, fuelled by legal aid, had led to an increase in litigation. Intolerant of cant and sycophancy, wary of institutions and convention, George was dismissive of those who flourished in these areas. He was not political, but disdainful of politics and politicians, whose motives he suspected. With his masterful presence, his wry grin, the raised hand in recognition, saying ‘Ah…Ah…Ah…It’s …’, often with a nickname of his own making, many were attracted to him and revelled in his presence. Yet he was plagued by self-doubt and a sense of inadequacy, but no one tried harder to solve intractable problems. George Bonney was above all a very good doctor, a physician who operated. Perhaps a little surprisingly and contrary to popular perception, some of the best doctors have been orthopaedic surgeons. George Bonney was one. In 1950, he married Margaret (‘Peggy’) Morgan and they had two daughters. George Bonney died on 11 February 2007. He was 87.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009805
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Carroll, Raymund Noel Patrick (1938 - 2011)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David J Farrar
Publication Date 2011-11-10 2013-06-26
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001500-E001599
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373741373741
Occupation Urologist
Details 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 obtained the gold medal in surgery and subsequently chose urology as his specialty. He moved to England in 1964, working at Hammersmith Hospital and, on completion of his urological training in 1974, he was appointed as a consultant urologist at Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) and as a clinical lecturer in surgery at Manchester University Medical School. In 1972, whilst still a senior registrar at Manchester's Christie Hospital, Ray became the first president of the Urostomy Association, which had its origins at the Christie, fulfilling this role until 1983 with his customary enthusiasm. This enthusiasm and attention to detail pervaded his clinical, teaching and administrative work throughout his professional life. At the MRI he was active in setting up a range of new clinical services and was largely responsible for the commissioning of a new surgical wing there in 2001. Ray also had a wide ranging and successful medico-legal practice, which he continued to develop after his retirement from the NHS in 1999. In 2001 he obtained a master of laws degree in the legal aspects of medical practice from Cardiff Law School at the University of Wales Away from medicine, Ray's passion for rugby never dwindled. He was a keen follower, both at home and abroad, and was a fund of sporting knowledge, enhanced by his collection of some 1,400 rugby books and memorabilia, which he generously donated to Belvedere College. Lewy body disease sadly forced his retirement from both private and medico-legal practice in 2007. Throughout his professional life in England and after he was loyally supported by his wife Liz, an ex-nurse, with whom he had three children, Andrew, Peter and Katherine. He was also the proud grandfather of Camela, Sofia, Niamh and Rory. He died on 26 July 2011, at the age of 72.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001558
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Jonathan, Owen Morris (1917 - 2017)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Jonathan
Publication Date 2017-07-12 2018-03-21
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009300-E009399
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381539381539
Occupation General surgeon
Details Owen Morris Jonathan was a consultant general surgeon at Glan Clwyd Hospital, north Wales. He was born in Bodedern, Anglesey on 25 July 1917, the son of Owen Arthur and Hanna Ester Jonathan. His mother's family were Anglesey farmers, but he was brought up in Tywyn, Merionethshire, where his father was the proprietor of the well-known haberdashery and general store, Cambrian House, and chairman of Merionethshire County Council. He was educated at Tywyn Intermediate School and then, following his matriculation, at Aberystwyth University, where he completed his first MB. He then moved to Guy's, qualifying in 1942. He gained his commission in the Royal Army Medical Corps and, after training in Northern Ireland and Southern England, was posted to the Far East, where he served in India, Ceylon, Burma, Indonesia and Vietnam until he was demobilised in 1946 with the rank of captain. On his return to the UK he resumed his medical training. Having decided to specialise in general surgery, he trained mainly in Wales, but also undertook fellowships at St Mark's Hospital, London, in colorectal surgery and in urology at St Peter's, London. He also undertook a further fellowship at the University Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. He became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1950. In 1949, he married Lowry Thomas of Abererch, Pwllheli by whom he had three children, Ann, Owen and David. In due course, he became grandfather to seven and great grandfather to three. In 1959, he was appointed as a consultant surgeon in south Wales, but three years later was able to achieve his ultimate ambition of returning to live and work in north Wales and was appointed as a consultant surgeon to the Clwyd and Deeside Group, initially based at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, Rhyl and Colwyn Bay Hospital, which were subsequently amalgamated as Glan Clwyd Hospital, where he remained in practice until his retirement in 1983. He established a reputation not only for his prodigious workload but also for the range and complexity of surgery he undertook. A story that caused much amusement at the time related to an accreditation visit to his unit by a distinguished professor, who after being taken on a ward round and seeing the range of major procedures that he had undertaken, turned to him and said 'Tell me Jonathan, what do you do with your hernias? Send them to Liverpool?' Upon his wife's untimely death in 1983, he decided to leave Prestatyn where he had lived for the previous 20 years and move to his family's home in Criccieth, Gwynedd. In retirement, he took up a number of consultant locum appointments that brought him back to Glan Clwyd and also to Bangor's Caernarfonshire and Anglesey Hospital. He also served as a panel member of the Welsh Medical Appeal Tribunal Board, working into his seventies. In 1988, he became High Sheriff of Gwynedd, a role he thoroughly enjoyed with the exception of having to occasionally wear ceremonial dress! He also travelled very extensively, visiting his three children in their various overseas postings and also his many friends and former colleagues around the world. Even until his death he was still in regular communication with several of his previous registrars. He also took up two visiting professorships in surgery in Nairobi, Kenya and in Ludhiana, India. When at home he read extensively and was particularly interested in Welsh history, UK politics and global current affairs. He was a passionate supporter of Welsh rugby and of English cricket. He was also a very keen golfer and continued to play in his longstanding foursome well into his late nineties. Above all, he was devoted to his family and friends and to the memory of his late wife. He died on 24 May 2017 at Gwynedd Hospital eight weeks short of his 100th birthday, an event that he had planned for, including writing his speech. In the event his family decided to continue with the party as a memorial, where his large family and many friends were able to enjoy much reminiscing.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009356
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Fixsen, John Andrew (1934 - 2014)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Jones
Publication Date 2014-09-19 2015-06-19
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E005000-E005999/E005900-E005999
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/378152378152
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon Paediatric orthopaedic surgeon
Details John Fixsen was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London; by the time of his retirement he was unsurpassed as a children's orthopaedic surgeon in the UK and in great demand as a teacher, lecturer and surgeon worldwide. John was brought up in Altrincham and excelled at Manchester Grammar School. After gaining an open scholarship to Cambridge to read classics, he decided he wanted to pursue a medical career. He joined the sixth form biology class and, having studied no science after his second year at the school, with one year's study obtained an open scholarship to Cambridge in biology. After leaving school he carried out his National Service and was commissioned into the Royal Navy, where he learned Russian and worked as an interpreter. In 1955 he went up to Cambridge to read medicine, going to the Middlesex Hospital for clinical studies and qualifying in 1962. During his house jobs there he came under the influence of Philip Newman in particular and settled on a career in orthopaedics. He trained at the Middlesex and on the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital circuit, gaining his FRCS and MChir on the way. In 1969 he was appointed as a consultant at St Bartholomew's Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children, Hackney. Following a reorganisation, the latter became part of the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, and John served there with distinction for the rest of his career, virtually single-handed for many years. He was also a civilian consultant to the Army, Navy and RAF, and visiting consultant to Chailey Heritage, St Margaret's, Tadworth, and St Bernard's, Gibraltar. As his practice grew, so did his reputation as a surgeon, teacher and mentor. In his clinics the children referred to him as 'Mr Fixit' and he took on the most complex cases across the whole spectrum of children's orthopaedics, apart from spinal surgery. This gave great support to not only the children and their families, but also the surgeons who referred cases from far and wide. Even if a case had gone badly wrong for the referring doctor, John's letters were supportive and never critical of previous management. In the operating theatre he was a methodical and consistent surgeon with phrases and tricks to accompany each stage of the operation. These were well remembered by his trainees, who in turn could pass them to the next generation; a true example of apprenticeship. Apart from his clinical and surgical abilities, he published widely in books and journals and gave countless presentations and invited lectures nationally and internationally, including the Robert Jones lecture in 1994. He also served the British Society for Children's Orthopaedic Surgery and the European Paediatric Orthopaedic Society with distinction. His international reputation was cemented as a member of the International Pediatric Orthopaedic Think Tank. He was a voracious reader with an encyclopaedic memory and his knowledge of the orthopaedic literature was one of his hallmarks as a teacher and participant in clinical conferences. He was a long-term examiner for the fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and later the intercollegiate orthopaedic fellowship. He also gave sterling service to the *Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery* as a career-long reviewer, editorial secretary of the British Orthopaedic Association (from 1982 to 1984), board member (from 1982 to 1985) and a highly-valued associate editor and rewriter from 1997 to 2011. He retired from the NHS in 1996 but remained active as a teacher, lecturer and consultant adviser. In 2002 he was invited to Afghanistan as medical adviser to Sandy Gall's Afghanistan Appeal, working with Afghan nationals trained by the charity as physiotherapists, orthotists and prosthetists in clinics in Kabul, Jalalabad and elsewhere. John quickly realised that little attention was being given to children who presented with untreated conditions, including congenital disorders, polio and cerebral palsy. His contributions during biannual visits over 10 years included the introduction of screening programmes for congenital clubfoot and development dysplasia of the hip and, more importantly, by identifying, helping to train and supporting the few Afghan orthopaedic surgeons who showed an interest in paediatric cases. For all his achievements during his orthopaedic career, including his work in Afghanistan, he was awarded the honorary fellowship of the British Orthopaedic Association in 2010. Outside of orthopaedics he read widely, followed the arts and music, especially ballet, and was a keen climber (latterly walker), skier and sailor. He also had a love for fast cars and was an avid follower of Formula One racing. He was endlessly generous in encouraging others to join in and enjoy these hobbies. His daughter Sarah remembers him as a modest and unassuming person: '…as children we had no real awareness of how successful he was in orthopaedics nor how competitive he was (although this became apparent when we were foolish enough to play squash with him when we were in our teens). His competitive side was driven by a need to do his best in all activities in which he participated rather than being *the* best... He was kind and compassionate - believed in treating others as you would like to be treated yourself. He rarely criticised or judged others - if people did things that seemed terrible he would always consider how he would have behaved in the same circumstances. He was in some respects unworldly and a little eccentric - he definitely was not concerned with material comforts or belongings… He seemed to live in a slightly different (and rather lovely) world doing the things he loved and "tolerating" the modern world of mobile phones, emails and computers. He was always supportive of us his children, whichever path we chose and with his grandchildren he attended pantomimes and theatre productions and genuinely enjoyed them. He never quite mastered the art of a conversation being a two-way dialogue with both parties contributing equally…. However this was only because his knowledge was so wide and diverse and he had so much to impart! In summary, he was a modest, kind, compassionate, generous, eccentric and supportive Dad - his approach to life was one we much admired and will continue to recall.' In his lifetime John Fixsen achieved so much in so many ways. He died on 11 August 2014, aged 79. He was survived by his ex-wife Judy and their three children. After his death his family found a quote from Marcus Aurelius written in his diary: 'A man's true delight is to do that which he was made for' - which John certainly did.
Resource Identifier RCS: E005969
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Klenerman, Leslie (1929 - 2015)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Jones
Publication Date 2015-09-14 2016-05-27
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E008000-E008999/E008000-E008099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/380228380228
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon
Details Leslie Klenerman was professor of orthopaedic and accident surgery at the University of Liverpool. He was born in Johannesburg on 1 May 1929. His parents, Aaron and Fanny Klenerman, were part of a Latvian and Lithuanian community which had emigrated to South Africa earlier in the century. His father and an aunt, Pauline, were doctors who had trained in the UK and returned to South Africa to practise. Another aunt, Fanny, ran a left wing bookshop in Johannesburg. Leslie studied medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, and qualified in 1951. At Wits he was influenced by the anthropologist Raymond Dart, and became a lecturer in Dart's department of anatomy. In 1956 he moved to the UK and began his specialty training to become an orthopaedic surgeon. He held posts at Oswestry, the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and at the Middlesex, and gained his FRCS in 1957. In 1967 he obtained his first consultant post, at Tottenham, where among other duties he looked after the local Spurs football team. In 1970 he moved on to the new Northwick Park Hospital and associated clinical research centre, recognising that the post gave him an opportunity to develop his research career. In 1987 he took up the long-established chair of orthopaedics at Liverpool, where his surgical practice, research and teaching were all allowed to flourish. In particular, he took on the running of the MCh (Orth) course, which attracted trainees from around the world, encouraging the development of a whole generation of surgeons who came under his mentorship. He cared for not just their professional and scientific development, but took an interest in many aspects of their lives, leaving a lasting legacy worldwide. He had a particular interest in the foot and ankle, helping to establish this sub-specialty both nationally and internationally. He wrote an early, influential book on the subject and was the founding editor of the *Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery*, the leading journal in the field. He was a founder member of the British Orthopaedic Foot Surgery Society, which became the British Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society, and was its secretary for many years. He was elected president of this society as well as the British Orthopaedic Research Society. He was a leading figure in the European Society of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, and was instrumental in the union of this group with the European Federation of Foot and Ankle Societies. The new organisation, the European Foot and Ankle Society, was formed in 1998 and Leslie also served as its president. Leslie also gave distinguished service to the *Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery*. In retirement, he asked if he could be of use at the Journal and was appointed as an associate editor. He remained in this role for many years, rewriting and editing countless manuscripts. His wide experience was of considerable value at meetings of the editorial board, where his quiet humour often enhanced a spirited discussion. Leslie enjoyed the Journal and his amiable presence made him a valued member of the editorial and production team. He was a dedicated, lifelong swimmer. In South Africa he won national championships at 110 and 220 yards freestyle and just missed being picked for the 1948 Olympics. In the UK he continued to swim every day; his last competitive event was the one-mile Great North Swim in 2012, when he 83. In 1954 he married Naomi Sacks, a fellow Wits student, whom he had met while on a visit to the caves where Raymond Dart was uncovering evidence of early hominins. When they retired, Leslie and Naomi moved first to the Ceiriog Valley in North Wales, and then on to Cambridge, where Leslie taught in the department of anatomy. Leslie Klenerman died on 20 July 2015. He was 86. Predeceased by Naomi, he was survived by two sons, David and Paul, who both inherited his love of science, medicine and sport, and four grandchildren. All his family have benefited from his love, encouragement and wisdom.
Resource Identifier RCS: E008045
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Hart, Alan John Lewington (1943 - 2016)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Jones
Publication Date 2016-07-26 2017-02-24
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009100-E009199
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381346381346
Occupation Urologist
Details Alan Hart was a consultant urologist at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, Llantrisant. He was born in Northern Rhodesia. His parents had migrated to central Africa supported by the Colonial Office; his English father was an agricultural officer and his Scottish mother was a teacher. He was the middle child of three and from an early age was outspoken and a 'character'. He returned to Scotland with his mother when he was six years old to attend Morrison's Academy in Crieff, and his mother taught in a primary school. Deciding on a career in medicine, he studied medicine at St Andrews University. He graduated in 1967. Alan developed his surgical interest, becoming an anatomy demonstrator at St Andrews and spending time at Addenbrooke's Hospital. He was a registrar at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh and then a senior registrar in urology at Glasgow's Western Infirmary. He was appointed as a consultant urologist at the old East Glamorgan Hospital in 1981. Alan established and developed urology at East Glamorgan and was fundamental in the development of the Welsh Urological Society. Single-handed, he provided a full urological service for the whole of Mid-Glamorgan Health Authority. Facilities were limited, but he worked very hard to develop services. He coped with a very high volume of work, for which his patients were very grateful. He developed an extremely efficient day case unit. Alan not only worked at bringing established treatments to the unit, he looked to the future and developed multidisciplinary working before it was established practice. He made the department work as a unit. This led to him being named Hospital Doctor of the Year in 2000. Alan had many outside interests. He was an avid supporter of sport, especially rugby, and watched Pontypridd Rugby team both at home and away. He would always want his beloved Scotland to win. Alan loved gardening and produced a lot of food from his allotment, giving much of it away. He enjoyed good food and was a wine expert. He also loved paintings and was an avid reader, particularly of history. Alan devoted much time and effort to community service. He was involved in a local Rotary Club, which supported good causes, and was a school governor. These were just a few of his good works. Alan married Judith in 1972. They had two sons to whom he was devoted. They have many fond memories of their father. Sadly, Alan suffered from ill health a few years after his retirement and later deteriorated. He died on 25 May 2016, aged 72. When well, Alan had boundless energy. Those who knew him have many stories of great times together. Alan was honest with you to the point of being blunt, but someone who you could completely trust and call a true friend.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009163
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Owen, Robert (1921 - 2018)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Jones
Publication Date 2018-11-20
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009500-E009599
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon
Details Bob Owen was a professor of orthopaedic surgery at Liverpool University and a consultant at the Royal Liverpool Hospital and the Royal Liverpool Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. He was born in Chwilog on the Lleyn peninsula, north Wales, the son of Griffith Owen, a farmer and butcher, and Laura Mary Owen née Hughes. He spoke only Welsh until the age of eight. He was educated at a local primary school and Pwllheli Grammar School, where he was head boy, and then studied medicine at Guy’s Hospital Medical School in London. After qualifying he spent three years in the Royal Air Force Medical Services (from 1946 to 1949), where he was a specialist surgeon and an acting wing commander. After his military service, he trained in orthopaedics, latterly in Liverpool, in which he was outstanding. During this time, he also held an ABC (American-British-Canadian) fellowship. He was subsequently appointed as a consultant surgeon at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, Oswestry and north Wales hospitals at Rhyl and Abergele. He gave sterling service to these institutions, including the introduction of the Charnley arthroplasty, complete with ‘greenhouse enclosure’ to the first centre (Abergele) outside Wrightington. This came about through his friendship with Charnley in the late 1960s: he taught him the operation and recognised that Bob had the skills and commitment to develop hip arthroplasty in north Wales. It was with some reluctance that in mid-career he moved to Liverpool as professor at the Royal Liverpool Hospital and Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. He served these hospitals with distinction, concentrating his clinical practice in children’s work at the latter, but maintaining a general practice, including hip and knee arthroplasty at the Royal Liverpool Hospital. He was also an enthusiastic supporter of and contributor to the Liverpool MCh orthopaedic course. He was an outstanding orthopaedic surgeon. Aside from his clinical and operative skills, which included complex spinal surgery, he had the wellbeing of patients and colleagues at heart. An example of his concern for patients was his role as the driving force behind the establishment of houses for relatives of those undergoing hospital treatment. The house at the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital has been named the ‘Robert Owen House’ in his honour. In relation to colleagues and friends, he was best described as ‘inclusive’. Apart from training and mentoring many young orthopaedic surgeons from around the world, the value of the whole surgical team was recognised through activities such an annual walk in Snowdonia, to which all members of the surgical team and their families were invited. Bob had open house invitations worldwide and over the years there were many reciprocal visits between him and his flock. As for his friends, they will always remember the golfing, hillwalking and dining occasions (‘Bob’s lunches’) which he organised. He was the author or co-author of 140 scientific papers, wrote chapters, editorials and reviews, co-edited three notable textbooks (*Scientific foundations of orthopaedic surgery and traumatology* London, William Heinemann Medical Books Ltd 1980; *Paediatric trauma* Tunbridge Wells, Castle House, 1988; and *Surgery of the spine: a combined orthopaedic and neurosurgical approach* Oxford, Blackwell Scientific, 1992) and wrote an autobiography, *From Criccieth to Kathmandu: the memoirs of an orthopaedic surgeon* (Y Lofa Cyf, 2015). He was a board member of *The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery* and his eponymous lectures included the Sir Robert Jones Memorial Lecture in 1986 and the Bradshaw lectureship at the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1990. He was an elected member of the council of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and founder chairman of its Welsh board, vice president of the British Orthopaedic Association and president of the British Scoliosis Society and the British Cervical Spine Society. He was particularly proud to be a founder member and second president of the Welsh Orthopaedic Society. Through World Orthopaedic Concern and personal relationships, he gave outstanding service to many developing countries worldwide through ‘hands-on’, representational and teaching visits. From 1991 to 1992 he held the Lipmann Kessel Travelling Professorship, promoting health links between the United Nations, World Health Organization and World Orthopaedic Concern and primary health works in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. In Wales, he was a trustee of or adviser to several charitable organisations helping disabled or ill children, deputy lieutenant for the County of Clwyd, medical ombudsman for Wales and a member of the Gorsedd of the Bards and the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion. He was a staunch supporter and president of the History of Medicine Society of Wales. In 1990 he was appointed OBE for services to medicine. If one adds to all of this his family and friends, travel, shooting, fishing, hillwalking and golf (after a fashion – his swing, to say the least, was optimistic), one can see how rich and fulfilling a life he had. He was blessed with a long and active retirement, during which he was enthusiastic and indefatigable in plans for further adventures, convivial occasions and keeping actively in touch with the many organisations he served. Robert Owen died on 7 March 2018 at the age of 97. Predeceased by his wife Margaret Irene née Brown (‘Meg’), he was survived by their two children, David and Gwyneth (‘Gilly’) and five grandchildren. A strong supporter of his Welsh heritage, he was an outstanding contributor to orthopaedic surgery who espoused ‘society’ in its broadest sense, to include family, friends and colleagues.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009522
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Watson, Neil Alexander (1944 - 2009)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David K C Cooper
Publication Date 2012-01-23 2013-09-06
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001800-E001899
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/374066374066
Occupation Artist Hand surgeon Orthopaedic surgeon
Details Neil Watson was a hand surgeon in Oxford and Milton Keynes, and later a successful artist. He was born on 13 February 1944 at the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford. Neil's father, John Stuart Ferra Watson, and paternal grandfather were both Guy's-trained doctors. As his father served in the Royal Army Medical Corps, Neil's parents were overseas for most of his childhood, and, after the age of five, he saw them during only one school holiday each year. The other holidays he would spend with his grandparents or with various great aunts in the UK. With the help of a British Army bursary, Neil was educated at St Edward's School in Oxford, which proved 'a marvellous experience' for him. Although he already had an interest in the arts, probably inherited from his 'extremely creative' mother Rosemary (née Underhill), St Edward's exposed him to art and music on a greater scale. He played the violin in the school orchestra and greatly enjoyed the chapel organ and choir. He described these formative years 'as if I was in paradise'. He also developed a love of rowing but, because of the extremely high standard at the school at the time, he had to be content with being a member of the second or third VIII. He originally planned a career in architecture but, through the influence of a biology teacher, he finally chose medicine. Although offered a place at St John's College, Cambridge, he chose to go straight to Guy's, a decision he later regretted as he 'missed out on the Cambridge experience'. First, however, he spent several months in Florence and Rome, developing his drawing and painting, and learning Italian. In 1962, Neil entered Guy's Hospital Medical School, and found the next five years 'immensely exciting'. Rowing became very important to him and, in the summer of 1963, he represented the boat club at Henley Royal Regatta. He was also an active member of the arts club and the theatre club, for which he designed sets. He bought 'beer and petrol' and even 'a fiercely fast car' by selling etchings and paintings. One of his pen and ink drawings of the hospital featured on the cover of *Guy's Hospital Gazette*. In his clinical years, he was greatly influenced by the senior orthopaedic surgeon, Tim Stamm, who he described as 'an absolutely phenomenal surgeon'. After graduating in 1967, he was appointed orthopaedic house surgeon at Guy's, during which period he married, and followed this by a series of house appointments in Truro in Cornwall. He then returned to Guy's on the junior surgical registrar rotation (when Sir Hedley Atkins was handing over to Lord McColl as professor of surgery). He found working with the urologists, F R Kilpatrick and Hugh Kinder, and the neurosurgeon, Murray Falconer (at the Maudsley), especially valuable. After two years as a registrar in Guildford (becoming an FRCS in 1971), he was appointed orthopaedic registrar at Oxford under Robert Duthie, one of the most influential orthopaedic surgeons in the UK. In 1977, a travelling fellowship from the Worshipful Company of Scientific Instrument Makers enabled him to spend time with several innovative hand and plastic surgeons in Melbourne, Australia, where he learned microsurgery and wrote several research papers. He returned to Oxford as a senior registrar. His first consultant position was a joint appointment between the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre and Banbury, where he acquired an operating microscope, and started carrying out peripheral nerve surgery and teaching microsurgery courses. Unfortunately, at Oxford, Duthie was of the opinion that 'we're all generalists here', and Neil's efforts to expand his work in nerve surgery met with resistance. Sadly, during this period, his marriage broke up, but he was able to maintain a close relationship with his three children. When the post of clinical reader in orthopaedics at Oxford became vacant, he was appointed and also elected to a fellowship at Green College. He specialised in surgery for rheumatoid arthritis, which he found particularly rewarding, but he was disappointed that his planned research projects were not fully achieved. After two or three years, a new hospital opened in Milton Keynes, and the opportunity of developing a new type of consultant-led service was so appealing that he accepted a position there and began to specialise in hand surgery. During these years at Oxford and Milton Keynes, he wrote about 50 scientific communications and three books on hand surgery. As a registrar, he had written *Practical management of musculo-skeletal emergencies* (Oxford, Blackwell Scientific, 1985), and as a consultant, *Hand injuries and infections* (London, Gower Medical, 1986). He then co-edited *Methods and concepts in hand surgery* (London, Butterworths, 1986). At a surgical conference, he met an American woman who ran a hand and rehabilitation centre in North Carolina. Neil soon made the momentous decision to relocate to the US, with the intention of obtaining a license to practise hand surgery there. However, the medical board of North Carolina made it so difficult for him that he made the even more momentous decision to abandon his surgical career and revert to his first love, drawing and painting. Even though he was thereafter relatively financially insecure, he never regretted the decision to begin his new career as a 'creative person'. For the next 20 or more years he painted, taught workshops in drawing and painting, and made several CDs of his own improvisational music. These endeavours went well, and he found he was earning $45,000 to $50,000 a year selling paintings in galleries. The highlight of his artistic career was when he held an exhibition of his work, 'Architecture observed', in Venice in 1996. For three months he exhibited 135 of his works, which were viewed by almost 10,000 people. One visitor was a Venetian writer, Renato Pestriniero, and together they published a book of Neil's paintings with commentaries by Pestriniero, *Seeking Venice* (Vianello Libri, 2001), which became available in Italian, French and English. Neil also found time to learn to fly, partly by using simulation, which gave him the idea of developing a simulator for microsurgical techniques. He received a grant of $250,000 from the US National Institutes of Health, with which he developed realistic layered replications of the rat femoral artery, vein and sciatic nerve. He became co-director of the Microsurgical Training Institute in Santa Barbara, California, where surgeons came from all over the world. When his second marriage was dissolved, he decided to move to the San Francisco bay area, where he continued painting and, for periods, was more active in teaching and in writing about art. He taught intermittently at Cal Poly and at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco (now the Academy of Art University). His painting evolved from being realistic and conventional to more abstract, eventually combining images with the written word, a form of art he termed 'diagraphica'. He brought out several CDs, including *The drawing spirit: developing the art of your drawing hand* (2003) and *Trigraphica: a drawing trilogy* (2007?), and a book *Drawing - developing a lively and expressive approach* (Neil Watson, 2007). He also rekindled his early interest in music. In late 2008 he became engaged again, but the development of a brain tumour curtailed this plan and, having returned to Oxford to be near two of his children, he died there on 4 October 2009 at the age of 65. He was survived by his three children, Ben, Anita and Hugh, and his two former wives.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001883
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Tay, Edmund Mai Hiong (1925 - 2014)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David K L Tay
Publication Date 2024-03-19
PNG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010600-E010699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/387935387935
Occupation Dental surgeon Specialist in prosthetic dentistry
Details Edmund Mai Hiong Tay was a professor of prosthetic dentistry and dean of the dental faculty at the National University of Singapore. He was born in Sapong, a small town about 100 miles from Jesselton, British North Borneo, the son of a Chinese planter, Tay Geok Chun and his wife, Mdm Yap Ngo Neo. His mother died when he was three after giving birth to his brother. His father remarried and had ten more children. His early childhood was mostly spent enjoying the wilderness, but at the age of 13 he was sent to Singapore to continue his education in English. At St Anthony’s Boys’ School, he met a kind and dedicated teacher, Leslie A Woodford, who took him on as his ward. His adolescence naturally revolved around the early scouting movement as Woodford, or ‘Black Bear’ as he was better known, went on to become the chief commissioner of the Boy Scouts Association, Singapore. ‘Wadaga’ (the swimmer) was Edmund’s scout name, and he was one of the first in peninsula Malaya to earn the king’s scout badge. The outdoor survival skills he honed through scouting proved useful during the Japanese Occupation, when he and his ‘adopted’ family were resettled in an agricultural commune in the jungle near Bahau, Malaya, specially set up for Eurasians and Chinese Catholics. Fuji-Go or ‘beautiful village’ turned out to be a malaria-infested swathe with soil that could not sustain farming. Sanitation was also poor and many succumbed to dysentery, malaria or malnutrition. It was estimated that some 500 settlers (about one in six) lost their lives there. It was there in God-forsaken Bahau, amidst unimaginable human suffering and death, that he first embraced Christianity. In many ways the war forged his character and the strong views he held about life. He understood, firsthand, what it was like to have no food in his belly, yet he harboured no lasting bitterness but instead was able to draw strength from the experience. When the war finally ended, he was treated as a prisoner of war and was flown back to Jesselton by the British forces. In 1947, his childhood dream of becoming a doctor appeared to be within reach when he secured one of the few places as a medical student at the King Edward VII College of Medicine, University of Malaya, where he met his future wife Anne Quah Quee Cheng. He topped his class in anatomy but, unfortunately, during his first year, his father passed away suddenly, and he had to go back to Borneo where, as the eldest son, he was expected to look after the family estate. As dentistry was a year shorter than medicine, he made the decision to switch his course of study so he could graduate a year earlier to support his family in Borneo. What appeared at first to be a great sacrifice turned out, in his own words, to be a blessing in disguise as he applied himself totally to his new profession. His serendipitous personification as ‘The acci-dental pioneer’ has been chronicled in *Imagination, openness & courage: the National University of Singapore at 100* (Singapore, National University of Singapore, 2006). Edmund had always been the gifted all-rounder; the high achiever with a never-say-die attitude. He was an outstanding sportsman during his undergraduate years, receiving commendations in field hockey, swimming and long-distance running. He was active in the University Students’ Union’s executive council and was also the president of the Catholic Students’ Society. Because he was consistently one of the top students in his cohort, he was hand-picked by R J S Tickle, professor of dental surgery and head of the department of dentistry, to join the dental department in October 1952. As it turned out, Edmund spent his entire career in academia. He began as a demonstrator earning a measly monthly salary of $400, eventually attained a full professorship in prosthetic dentistry in 1972 and retired in 1986 after 34 years of service to the University. He was elected dean of the dental faculty in September 1966, a position he held for 19 years. He was the longest serving dean in the history of the National University of Singapore and had the distinction of working under five different vice chancellors. As the founding dean, he visited dental faculties in UK, Denmark, Canada and USA, and incorporated their best practices when redesigning the dental curriculum, including the shortening of the undergraduate course to four years. He described his pioneering approach: ‘Dentistry in the post-war years was considered a very poor second choice to medicine. One reason for this was when you graduated as a medical person, you were addressed as “doctor” while dentists were merely “mister”. The title “Dr” carried a lot of weight in the community back then. Many unqualified dentists were also practising at the time, and this tarnished the image of the dental profession. When dentistry first started, we were a school within the King Edward VII College of Medicine. Later, we became a department within the medical faculty of University of Malaya in Singapore. Throughout this time, we were subservient to the medical faculty. My aim was for dentistry to get equal status as a faculty. If you are master of your own house, you can plan your development. It took us almost seven years agitating the senate to grant us faculty status. Ultimately, we got this in 1966.’ His professed goal as an educator was the ‘development of biologically oriented, technically capable and socially sensitive dental surgeons who are fully aware of their contribution to the total care of their patients… Dentists need to look beyond the molars!’ When the Academy of Medicine (Singapore) was first conceived, he and others in the profession lobbied successfully to put dental specialists on a par with their medical counterparts. He assumed leadership roles in many professional societies and was, notably, the founding chairman of the Chapter of Dental Surgeons (from 1978 to 1980) and third president of the Singapore Dental Association (in 1979). Aside from his academic achievements, my father was also notorious for his loud snoring and ‘enviable’ ability to fall asleep quickly in almost any situation. As he had maintained a slim and tall physique (from his college days as a long-distance runner), was neither a smoker nor a drinker, our medical experts failed to connect his symptoms of snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness to obstructive sleep apnoea. His early medical problems and ultimate demise were directly related to this latter condition, although its more serious cardiac and cerebrovascular sequalae were poorly recognised, at least in the early eighties. Appropriately, the National University of Singapore Edmund Tay Mai Hiong Endowed Fund was posthumously established in August 2015 to not only raise public and medical community awareness of dentistry's emergent role in sleep and airway issues, but to empower and recruit dentists as front-line professionals in the early detection and co-management of many sleep-related disorders, not only obstructive sleep apnoea. The endowment also sponsors an annual distinguished speaker programme and offers scholarships to suitable Singaporean dentists to pursue full-time university-based residency programmes in dental sleep medicine. We hope the creation of this endowment in his honour will recognise his past contributions and further his aspirations for his profession. He died on 22 June 2014 at the age of 88 and was survived by his widow, Anne Quah Quee Cheng, daughter Denise, son David, three grandchildren and six great grandchildren
Resource Identifier RCS: E010604
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Woolf, Neville (1930 - 2019)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Katz
Publication Date 2019-09-16 2019-11-05
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009600-E009699
Occupation Histopathologist
Details 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.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009651
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Fenton, Peter John (1935 - 2011)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David L Boase
Publication Date 2012-02-03 2013-02-14
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001900-E001999
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/374136374136
Occupation Ophthalmologist
Details Peter Fenton, known to his colleagues as 'PF', was a consultant ophthalmologist in Portsmouth. He was born in Cranleigh, Surrey, the son of Edward Norman Fenton, a wing commander in the RAF, and Joan Wilfrida Fenton née Brown. He was educated at Radley, and then went on to read medicine at St Thomas's Hospital Medical School, entering as a pre-clinical student. On qualifying, in 1959, he was appointed as a house surgeon to the eye department at St Thomas', under the supervision of Harold Ridley and John Winstanley. This early exposure convinced him that ophthalmology was to be his career. With Harold Ridley's support, PF was appointed to Moorfields Eye Hospital, which at that time was considered the gold standard for training in ophthalmology. While there he was greatly influenced by Lorimer Fison, the consultant in charge of the retinal detachment unit. On completion of his residency training, PF was appointed as a senior registrar. This was a joint post between Moorfields and St Thomas'. He became Lorimer Fison's chief assistant on the retinal detachment unit. By this time he was an accomplished retinal detachment surgeon whose expertise was widely acknowledged by his peers. At St Thomas' he was once again with Harold Ridley and John Winstanley, and the emphasis was on general ophthalmology with teaching responsibilities. Both Harold Ridley and Lorimer Fison urged PF to stay in London. A teaching hospital post with a Harley Street practice beckoned, but he felt the call of the country. In 1971 he was appointed to the eye department at Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth. This was an ideal post for PF; a four-consultant unit with training responsibilities, it provided the professional challenges of a major district general hospital, while at the same time being close to London. A big plus was that he and his family were able to live in the country yet close to the hospital. He had the perfect daily commute to work. A dextrous surgeon and shrewd clinician, PF practiced medicine to a very high ethical standard. His knowledge and experience were greatly valued by his colleagues and of course by innumerable patients who benefited from his skill and dedication to their care. His career spanned a period of enormous technological advancement in ophthalmic practice. He rose to the challenge and kept abreast with these developments. More importantly, he encouraged and facilitated change, allowing his junior colleagues free reign to modernise the eye services in Portsmouth. PF was an excellent trainer. His style of hands-off supervision allowed the trainees to grow in confidence and experience, with the knowledge that he would be there when required. Inexperienced senior house officers soon became competent surgeons under his tutelage. He used his out-patient clinics to teach the trainees, as well as visiting optometrists and medical students. Surprisingly for someone with a surgeon's temperament, PF developed an interest in psychosomatic eye diseases. He established a special clinic with a visiting consultant psychiatrist, Alexis Brook, who had a background in psychoanalysis and was funded by the Inman Trust. W S Inman had been a consultant ophthalmologist in Portsmouth many years before and had made his name in the field of psychosomatic eye diseases. PF enjoyed the cut and thrust of medical politics, serving as president of the Portsmouth division of the BMA from 1982 to 1983. He was also very active in hospital politics. His time as chairman of the medical executive committee coincided with the introduction of the Thatcher health reforms, which brought the purchaser-provider divide, fund holding and the drive for trust status by hospitals. This was time of huge change and tension. PF skilfully steered Portsmouth hospitals through these choppy waters. He retired in 1995. Country pursuits provided an antidote to the stresses of consultant practice. PF was a keen gardener, specialising in vegetables and sweet peas. He also kept bees. A stalwart supporter of the local hunt, he was rewarded for his pains by a blowout fracture of his orbit when coshed by a hunt saboteur. The Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers played a very important part in his life. He became a freeman in 1958 and served as master from 1997 to 1998. He relished the traditions, pomp and ceremony provided by the livery companies. Above all PF will be remembered for his kindness, generosity and good humour. He was survived by his wife Amanda (née Simonds), whom he married in 1963, his son, Nicholas, and daughter, Vanessa. PF died after a short illness on 9 December 2011, aged 76.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001953
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Rickwood, Anthony Michael Kent (1940 - 2015)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Lloyd
Publication Date 2016-02-19 2016-05-27
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009000-E009099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381251381251
Occupation Paediatric urologist
Details Tony Rickwood, paediatric urologist at Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, played a seminal role in establishing paediatric urology as a recognised specialty in the United Kingdom and was a founder member of the British Association of Paediatric Urologists in 1990. He was an internationally recognised authority on the paediatric neuropathic bladder. Tony was born in London, where his father was a chemical engineer with ICI. After the war, during which Tony was briefly evacuated to Durham, his family moved to Sheffield, where he spent his childhood and attended King Edward VII School. An outstanding pupil, he won an open scholarship to University College, Oxford, qualifying in medicine in 1965. After junior posts at the Radcliffe Infirmary and a demonstratorship in human anatomy, he returned to Sheffield for his general surgical training at the Royal Hospital. The rotation introduced him to urology, renal transplantation and paediatric surgery, and in 1974 he began specialist training in paediatric surgery at Sheffield Children's Hospital. In 1979 Tony was appointed to a newly created consultant post in spinal injuries and spina bifida at the Sheffield Children's Hospital and Lodge Moor spinal injuries unit, where he established an innovative urological service for young spina bifida patients. In 1983 he succeeded the eminent J Herbert (Herbie) Johnston as consultant paediatric urologist at the Alder Hey Children's Hospital, Liverpool, where he remained until his retirement in 2001. Despite a profound dislike of flying, before taking up his consultant appointment at the Alder Hey Hospital he made the journey to the United States to visit a number of major centres. On his return he became one of the first paediatric urologists in Europe to implant artificial urinary sphincters. He was also amongst the first to introduce urodynamics into paediatric practice. Tony's clinical practice, publications and teaching were founded on an unrivalled understanding of the neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of the lower urinary tract. Some of his publications on neuropathic bladder dysfunction in children remain amongst the most authoritative accounts of this condition ever written, and are respected for their objectivity and freedom from bias. He impressed this objective analytical approach on his trainees and was greatly respected as a teacher. His pre-eminent clinical expertise was in relation to the neuropathic bladder and vesico-ureteric reflux. He challenged the accepted operative approach and, based on logical evaluation of the evidence, was a proponent of non-operative management for most children with vesico-ureteric reflux and ureterocoele. Tony also published a number of influential studies on the impact of antenatal diagnosis on the management and medium term outcome of a range of urological conditions. His findings contributed to a shift in practice away from early (and often unnecessary) surgery in children with antenatally detected hydronephrosis, ureterocoele and multicystic dysplastic kidney. A strong advocate for the prepuce, Tony sought to reduce the large number of unnecessary 'medical' circumcisions being performed on children, predominately by adult general surgeons, by providing convincing evidence that circumcision rarely was justified for medical reasons before the age of five. His influence on paediatric surgical practice in respect of ureterocoele, vesico-ureteric reflux, antenatally detected hydronephrosis and circumcision across the United Kingdom and beyond saved thousands of children from needless operations. Tony was a highly intelligent, modest man who did not seek publicity or fame. As a speaker, and indeed generally, he was a man of few words and those he uttered were well chosen and relevant. He was in demand as a speaker and his international standing could have been even greater had his aversion to flying not discouraged him from travelling to venues he could not reach by train. Few will forget his lecture on the neuropathic bladder that he gave for many years on the British Association of Paediatric Urologists' Cambridge course, which portrayed his consummate expertise. Many of his publications in books and peer-reviewed journals are relevant to present day practice; joint editorship of *Essentials paediatric urology* (London, Martin Dunitz, 2002) and much of the writing within it allowed Tony to bequeath his experience to future generations of paediatric urologists. A passionate interest of Tony's was railways. Combined with his aversion to flying and the fact that he did not drive a car, this lead to an encyclopaedic knowledge of train timetables in the United Kingdom mainly, but also in countries around the world, many of which he had not even visited. His love of railways was reflected in his substantial personal contribution to the cost of reopening an important section of the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways. Tony knew the history of every mile of the railways of northern Wales and a day spent in his company travelling on these historic trains through the Welsh valleys was a rewarding experience. Another interest was Meccano, the metal model construction system, in which he also indulged with enthusiasm. In the hall of his home stands a full-size grandfather clock made entirely out of Meccano, powered by an electric automatic rewinding mechanism. Tony was a true gentleman who will be remembered for his individuality and sharp intellect. His modesty, economy with words and wry sense of humour are nicely captured in the biography he provided at the time of his retirement: 'BIOGRAPHY - AMK Rickwood: Born in Isleworth, Middlesex; raised in Sheffield; educated, after a fashion, at Oxford; surgically trained in Sheffield, predominantly; and, after sixteen years as Paediatric Urologist in Liverpool, getting on a bit. Any "expertise" possessed represents not a "special interest" but rather an exercise in making a virtue of necessity.' While a house surgeon at the Radcliffe Infirmary, Tony met Valerie Prew, a theatre sister, whom he married in 1968 in the chapel at University College. He was survived by Valerie, their four children, Sarah, Elizabeth, Alice, and Tom, and seven grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009068
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Lloyd, David Allden (1940 - 2024)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Rick Turnock
Publication Date 2024-06-06
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010600-E010699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/388136388136
Occupation Paediatric surgeon
Details David Allden Lloyd was a professor of paediatric surgery at the University of Liverpool and an honorary consultant paediatric surgeon at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. He was born on 11 May 1940 in Paulpietersburg, a small town in what was then the province of Natal, South Africa. His grandfather, John Allen Lloyd, and his father, Mervyn Allden Lloyd, both served as local doctors in his rural childhood home of Dundee, Natal, instilling in David not only a commitment to medicine, but also a deep sense of duty and of community, which stayed with him throughout his life. His mother was Violet Ethel Lloyd née Medway. In 1958 David went to England to study medicine and qualified at Cambridge and Barts. After pre-registration house officer posts at Barts and in Norwich – and possibly drawn by his Welsh family roots – he undertook a senior house officer post in Cardiff. It was here a lifelong passion for Welsh rugby was born during frequent trips to Cardiff Arms Park, with the soaring pre-match anthems and a mutual antipathy towards the English team bringing back memories of his homeland. In 1969, he returned to South Africa, working at the Baragwanath Hospital in Johannesburg, and with Christiaan Barnard at the Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town. He took his first registrar post in paediatric surgery at the Red Cross Memorial Children’s Hospital, also in Cape Town, where he met his future English wife Carol, who was working there as a nurse and midwife. He became a fellow of the College of Surgeons of South Africa in 1971. He briefly returned to England in 1974, completing a further 18 months in general surgery and passing his FRCS, before taking the post of senior surgeon in the department of general surgery at the Ladysmith Provincial Hospital and then, in 1977, undertaking a similar post in the department of paediatric surgery at the King Edward VIII Hospital in Durban. He wrote his MChir thesis in 1979 on the subject of colonic interposition following massive small bowel resection. He would have happily remained in South Africa for the rest of his professional life, but the deep societal divisions of the Apartheid era presented a constant challenge. When an invitation arrived from Mark Rowe to join him as an associate professor in the department of pediatric surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, he took the difficult decision to leave his beloved homeland, arriving in the USA with his young family in September 1982. He passed the FRCS (Canada) in 1986 and the FACS in 1988, prior to returning to England in 1989 to succeed Jimmy Lister as the departmental professor of paediatric surgery at the University of Liverpool, with an honorary post as a consultant paediatric surgeon at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. He built a successful research group; through his mentorship his research fellows, lecturers and senior lecturers have gone on to make significant contributions, with many going on to be appointed to prestigious paediatric surgical chairs. In the end he published over 100 peer-reviewed publications, with interests ranging from nutrition and metabolism in the surgical newborn, pulmonary pathophysiology in congenital diaphragmatic hernia, trauma prevention and management, the cellular basis of Hirschsprung’s disease and the surgical oncology of childhood. He was active within the Association of Professors of Surgery, the Surgical Research Society and the UK Children’s Cancer Study Group and had numerous appointments as a visiting professor. David was made an honorary member of both the American Academy of Pediatrics (section on surgery) and the American Pediatric Surgical Association in 1989, and of the Indian Association of Pediatric Surgeons in 1995, to whom he also delivered a guest lecture in his role as British Association of Paediatric Surgeons (BAPS) president. David embraced the full spectrum of professional life, whether in clinical management, education and training or in academic management, serving as chair of both the board of clinical studies and the faculty of medicine in Liverpool, and at Alder Hey as an associate medical director and a non-executive board director. He was both chairman and programme director of the specialist training and education committee for paediatric surgery, Northwest Consortium; and sat on the Specialty Advisory Committee for Paediatric Surgery. He was one of the first examiners for the new intercollegiate specialty examination in paediatric surgery. He successfully led the organisation of the 1999 BAPS congress in Liverpool. He served as president from 2001 to 2002 and was awarded the BAPS Denis Browne gold medal in 2005, immediately following his retirement in 2004. As BAPS president he set out two main goals; the first was to raise the profile of childhood trauma, both in its prevention and treatment, which resulted in the formation of the BAPS trauma committee; the second was to recognise the large international membership of BAPS, and to address their expectations and needs, particularly those from developing countries. This work continues through the BAPS international affairs committee, which organises the international forum meeting at the BAPS international congress, with the awarding of Greenwood fellowships and the Greenwood lecture. The latter were made possible by generous donations from Hugh Greenwood, a philanthropist from Liverpool, who via patient and gentle persuasion from David agreed to set up the Children’s Research Fund. An initial £10,000 donation was used to send a young surgeon from Uganda to Durban to work for a year. The success of this venture persuaded Mr Greenwood to underwrite many further international fellowships through BAPS, to a total of more than £150,000. In retirement, David continued his philanthropic international work through the Waterloo Partnership, which helps with practical aid to the community in Sierra Leone, and via trips to Gaza to help train young paediatric surgeons there. There is no doubt that David was a tough taskmaster, but this was driven by his constant striving for excellence in all he did. He would, however, always be prepared to listen to alternative points of view, which could at times lead to robust discussions at meetings and ward rounds. He never bore grudges, and any disagreements were soon forgotten. He made lifelong friendships, and often enjoyed a beer whilst watching rugby at Waterloo, his local club. He was an active rower for many years, was a keen birdwatcher (particularly when the opportunity arose to return to his native South Africa) and philatelist, holding a collection of thousands of carefully curated stamps from his childhood. Indeed, David never lost his deep-rooted love of his homeland, and would often reminisce about the Drakensberg mountains, where he had spent many hours walking and climbing, and at one stage even working with the local helicopter mountain rescue team in his younger days. He returned frequently on visits, and his eldest daughter, Megan, lives in Cape Town. Although a proud Liverpudlian for the last 35 years of life, the fact that he was never able to return to South Africa professionally was a source of some regret in later years. David enjoyed good health for most of his life but was diagnosed with a myelodysplastic syndrome in February 2024. He died peacefully at home on 2 May 2024 surrounded by his wife Carol, and his four children Megan, Kate, David (a paediatric cardiologist) and Christopher.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010635
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Mann, George Edgar (1923 - 2019)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Moffat
Publication Date 2019-08-05 2019-09-20
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009600-E009699
Occupation ENT surgeon
Details George Mann was an ear, nose and throat surgeon at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge between 1965 and 1983. George was born on 4 June 1923 in Cheltenham, the son of Edgar Mann and Winifred Mann née Ballinger, and was subsequently educated at Cheltenham Grammar School. Whilst still at school he suffered a complicated appendicitis at the age of 16, which made him decide to become a surgeon. He qualified in 1947 having graduated from Merton College, Oxford and completed his clinical studies at University College Hospital in London. He became a house surgeon at the North Middlesex Hospital in December 1947 and a house physician at Woolwich Memorial Hospital in July 1948. Having completed his National Service as a medic in the RAF in September 1950, he quickly decided on a career in ear, nose and throat surgery and became an ENT registrar to Geoffrey Barker at Cheltenham General Hospital until March 1952. He then moved to Oxford as a registrar under the tutelage of Gavin Livingstone at the Radcliffe Infirmary and subsequently Ronald Macbeth, attaining his English FRCS and Edinburgh FRCS in 1955. In December of that year he became a senior registrar to Austen Young and Robert Peasegood at Sheffield Royal Infirmary. He was appointed as a consultant ENT surgeon at Chesterfield Hospital in 1958 and practised within the generality of the specialty. In 1965, he moved to Cambridge following his appointment to Addenbrooke’s Hospital and received an honorary Cambridge MA on joining the consultant teaching staff as well as membership of Peterhouse College. Whilst both consultants at that time were generalists some sub-specialisation was developing and, as George’s senior colleague Kenneth Wilsden had an interest in neck surgery, it was not surprising that George further developed his interest in otology and microsurgical techniques and in particular, following the worldwide emergence of stapedectomy for otosclerosis, he began performing the operation in Cambridge. He set up a hearing assessment clinic for congenitally deaf children at Cherry Hinton Hall. He retired from Addenbrooke’s Hospital and from clinical practice in the same year at the age of 60 years. George loved to travel and he visited many countries beyond Europe, including Iceland, Namibia, the Galapagos Islands and as far as China. A trip to Egypt in 1977 sparked an interest in archaeology and he was able to develop this in his retirement. He studied Egyptian skulls stored in a basement in the archaeology department of Cambridge University, from which he was able to submit an MPhil thesis in 1984 on the torus auditivus (exostosis of the deep external auditory canal), which persuaded archaeologists that bony exostoses in the external ear canal were caused by swimming in the cold water of the Nile rather than by heredity. His expertise as a bone specialist archaeologist was utilised between 1983 and 1995, in particular for the Brochtorff Circle excavations on Gozo, Malta with Caroline Malone, Simon Stoddart and David Trump, and the work provided data for the human remains catalogue of the excavation report of 2009. Apart from archaeology, his hobbies included studies in the practise, theory and history of art. George Mann did not have the archetypal surgical persona, but was humble and reserved, with a quiet, often laconic, sense of humour. He was loyal and supportive and liked by all who met him in whatever sphere. In 1949, he married Ilse Metzger, with whom he had one son, Anthony, and a daughter, Margaret. In 1983, he divorced his first wife and subsequently married Sheila Bouchier. George Mann died on 7 April 2019 at the age of 95.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009635
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Poirier, Henry (1931 - 2014)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Nairn
Publication Date 2014-03-21 2014-06-27
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E005000-E005999/E005100-E005199
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/377351377351
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon
Details Henry Poirier was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex. The original family name of Birnbaum, meaning 'pear tree', was changed to the French equivalent - Poirier - by his grandfather, who shortly afterwards emigrated to Chile with his English wife, where he set up as a fur trader in Santiago. Henry's father, Arthur, relocated to London and, with Faye, Henry's mother, set up in business as clothiers. Henry was born in Forest Gate on 2 August 1931 and brought up in Wanstead, but during the war was evacuated first to Stansted in Essex and then Kidlington in Oxfordshire. Henry's post-war education was at Wanstead County High School, during which time he immersed himself in all manner of non-academic pursuits, including rugby, athletics, acting on stage, debating, painting and joining the air section of the Combined Cadet Force. He also joined and attended the Ilford Jewish Youth Club. His father tragically died when he was 15, and his uncle became his sponsor. His initial wish was to study architecture, but this was vetoed by the family, who felt it was not a secure profession. They were however prepared to fund his education in medicine. Notwithstanding his many diverse activities at school, he managed to achieve a scholarship to St Bartholomew's Hospital and thoroughly enjoyed his time as a medical student, pursuing all the activities he adopted at school, especially the stage, performing in plays and acting in and writing Christmas shows. He qualified MB BS in June 1954 and was appointed to prestigious house jobs at Bart's. He was house physician to Sir Ronald Bodley Scott, and house surgeon to Basil Hume and Alan Hunt. In August 1954 he was conscripted into the Army to carry out his National Service and was posted for two years to Malaya to the Military Hospital, where he had to deal with a substantial amount of trauma injuries, as there was still an emergency in the region. He also spent three months as the resident medical officer to the 1st Battalion of the Queen's Royal Regiment stationed in Singapore, and was promoted to the rank of major. After National Service, he joined the Territorial Army, commanding a field surgical team, committing him to a minimum of two weeks Army camp a year, which he continued well into his time as a consultant. He was awarded a Territorial Decoration with bar. In order to pursue a surgical career, he became an anatomy demonstrator at King's College, passing his primary FRCS at the first attempt, during which time he met his future wife Marian. They were married in August 1959. This was followed by a two-year general surgical registrar post back at Bart's, enabling him to obtain the final FRCS exam at the first attempt. In 1960 he was fortunate to be appointed as a registrar to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) at Stanmore and Great Portland Street, where he stayed until his consultant appointment at Harlow in January 1965. He wrote two peer-reviewed, cited articles on 'Epiphysial stapling and leg equalisation' (*J Bone Joint Surg* Br February 1968 50-B: 61-69) and Massive osteolysis of the humerus treated by resection and prosthetic replacement' (*J Bone Joint Surg* Br February 1968 50-B: 158-160). From the RNOH he was sent by Sir Herbert Seddon to work in France under Albert Trillat of Lyons for four months, one of Europe's leading knee surgeons. and this was to become his special interest. It also inspired in him a love of France and all things French. In January 1965 he joined Geoffrey Fisk at the new Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow at the very young age of 34. With Fisk he was instrumental in ensuring that registrars from Bart's spent six months at Harlow, in what became the prestigious Percivall Pott Club rotation. He set up a knee clinic at Harlow, joined international and European societies of knee surgeons, and became a founder member of the British Association for Surgery of the Knee. At this point in his career newly emerging procedures relating to the knee were being introduced, in particular arthroscopy, although it was just before the common use of the video stack, total knee replacement and extra articular stabilisation techniques for ruptured cruciate ligaments. Many procedures were performed to stave off the inevitable time when total knee replacement would be required, including tibial and femoral osteotomy, patellar advancement and realignment. Further papers, on the morbidity of arthroscopy and chondromalacia of the unstable patella, were published from his unit, and many presentations were made to learned societies. He was a popular and respected trainer of surgeons in the north Thames region and was appointed president of the Percivall Pott Club in 1991. He had invitations to lecture as visiting professor at Boston University and also lectured in Canada and Belgium. At various times he sat on and chaired hospital and regional committees, certainly pulling his weight in a medical advisory capacity and in administration. Outside of his professional achievements, he continued his love affair with the stage, joining the Bishop's Stortford Amateur Operatic Society and three other theatre groups, with whom he played many leading roles using his fine baritone voice to its full capacity. He continued to tread the boards both behind and in front of the stage in musicals and theatre until well after his retirement. He excelled at alpine skiing, having been taught as a teenager, and with his medical knowledge and skiing skills was invited to co-found the Uphill Ski Club, a charity that enabled disabled young people to enjoy the experience and freedom of skiing and moving over snow, an organisation which flourishes to this day. Apart from all these activities, he was a natural writer and wrote short stories, books, plays and poems, some of which were privately published. Not satisfied with these achievements, he was a prodigious artist, creating paintings and drawings, ranging from portraits to landscapes, many painted in his traditional house in France. He loved beautiful crafted artifacts and was a knowledgeable collector of oriental cloisonné, or finely decorated metalwork. He loved good food and became an accomplished cook with a critical appreciation of wines. Unfortunately, abdominal surgery in 1989 led to his early retirement in 1991, but allowed him to indulge his wide diversity of interests outside medicine. Sadly his final year or so of life was beset by illness relating to his previous surgery, which he bore with stoicism and without complaint. He was blessed with a 'twinkly' persona, without a trace of conceit or pomposity, and everyone with whom he came into contact loved and admired him. In short Henry Poirier was a true polymath, with amazingly wide ranging interests and multiple talents, who will leave a substantial gap in his community. He was survived by his wife Marian, three children, Nicole, Paul and David, and seven grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E005168
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Therkildsen, Lance Karl Hyde (1937 - 2021)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Nairn
Publication Date 2022-01-18 2022-04-19
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010000-E010099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/385317385317
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon Trauma surgeon
Details Lance Karl Hyde Therkildsen was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon in west Essex, based at Epping, Bishop’s Stortford and Harlow. He was born on 26 July 1937, the only son of Karl Therkildsen and Hilda Therkildsen née Hyde. He owed his name to a Danish grandfather, but never actually visited Denmark until his 80th birthday. His father was a horticulturist and plantsman who specialised in alpines and roses, setting up in Southport, where he opened a nursery. It was here that Lance was raised and also attended preparatory school. He won a place to study classics at Tonbridge School in Kent but, once established, opted instead to study sciences. At Tonbridge he developed an interest in choral music and joined the choir, which started a lifelong love of music. He was accepted by St Bartholomew’s Hospital to read medicine and thoroughly enjoyed his five years as a medical student, during which time he became a keen university oarsman, spending many hours rowing on the Thames. After qualifying in 1961, he had house appointments at the Metropolitan Hospital, which was the elective wing of St Bartholomew’s at the time. He then obtained his diploma of obstetrics and gynaecology, an unusual choice for an orthopaedic surgeon, but which probably kindled his interest in disorders of children, which later became his orthopaedic sub-specialty. He later became a casualty senior house officer at the West London Hospital, where he obtained his primary FRCS; more importantly, he met Valerie Bone, a nurse who later became his wife. They married in 1968. His surgical registrar appointments were at the Bromley Hospital and the Chelmsford and Essex Hospital, during which time he achieved his final fellowship. At Chelmsford he worked for John Moore and Michael Heywood-Waddington, two illustrious Essex orthopaedic surgeons who ignited his desire for a career in orthopaedics. His subsequent appointment at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital as an orthopaedic registrar led to a successful application to the newly formed Percival Pott orthopaedic higher surgical training rotation, into which he was absorbed. Members of this prestigious group were automatically promoted from registrars to senior registrars. The rotation then consisted of posts at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore, Great Ormond Street and St Bartholomew’s, from where the trainees after accreditation were expected to become consultants. After accreditation he was appointed in 1977 to the three hospitals that made up the West Essex District, based at Epping, Bishop’s Stortford and Harlow as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon with a special interest in children’s orthopaedics, and principal paediatric trainer in the district to the Pott rotation at Harlow. He ran the casualty service at St Margaret’s Hospital in Epping until a full-time accident and emergency consultant was appointed in February 1990. As a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon he frequently performed procedures that would now be done only in dedicated children’s hospitals, such as open reduction of developmental dysplasia of the hip and complex clubfoot correction. He was an excellent teacher of surgery with great patience in guiding and assisting his registrars from ‘the other side of the table’. He was involved in many regional, district and local committees and ran the Harlow Biennial Open Day meeting on four occasions over a six-year period to 1999. He was elected president of the Percival Pott Club for the year 2001 to 2002. As a person he was entirely devoid of ego; he was perpetually good-humoured and cheerful. He was blessed with a great sense of humour and fun, together with a tinge of endearing eccentricity, providing ammunition for many subsequent anecdotes. He and his wife Valerie were always wonderful hosts, entertaining colleagues and junior staff alike, all of whom regarded them as their friends. Throughout his life he derived most pleasure, outside surgery, from his family, his home and his love of choral music. Both his sons attended the King’s School, Ely as choral scholars, which they very much enjoyed. He died on 27 September 2021 and was survived by his wife Valerie, his sons Karl and Adrian, and four grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010055
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Penrose, Joscelyn Hugh (1915- 2019)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Penrose
Publication Date 2019-04-03
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009500-E009599
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon
Details Joscelyn (‘Jos’) Penrose was an orthopaedic surgeon for some 37 years, progressing from his first post at St Thomas’ Hospital, London, to his retirement as a senior consultant orthopaedic surgeon to the Coventry and Warwickshire group of hospitals. Born on 15 August 1915 in Banbury, Oxfordshire, to his mother, Nellie Penrose née Osler, Jos was the third of five children and the oldest boy. His father, Nevill Coghill Penrose, was a family GP for over 30 years, so it was logical that Jos would take up a medical career. After four years at Saint Ronan’s Preparatory School in West Worthing, he attended Stowe School in Buckinghamshire from 1929 to 1933 under the famous headmaster, J F Roxburgh. Jos described his academic career at Stowe as ‘not particularly brilliant’, although his skill with his hands became apparent when he built himself a punt for fishing in the school lakes. After Stowe, Jos attended Trinity College, Cambridge, from 1933 to 1936, achieving a BA and then a MB BChir and MRCS LRCP in 1939. War broke out almost as soon as Jos had started his first medical position as a clinical assistant/house surgeon at St Thomas’ Hospital, London. He was posted to Botleys Park Emergency Medical Service Hospital in Surrey, where he was part of the skeleton crew who set up the emergency wartime surgery unit with little or no resources. So Jos found himself making a lot of equipment, including an operating table built from scrap wood! While at Botleys Park, Jos met Katherine (‘Kay’) Forsyth, a physiotherapist from Cape Town and the daughter of a Scottish-born architect who had emigrated to South Africa. After knowing each other for a year or so, they were married in 1940 at the height of the Battle of Britain. Kay had come to the UK in 1939 to train as a physiotherapist, but when war broke out she was unable to go back to Cape Town and her parents were unable to visit her. In fact, Jos and Kay had been married and had three children before Kay’s parents met her husband in 1949. ‘Fortunately,’ Jos remembered, ‘I think I passed muster with my parents-in-law – not that they had much choice in the matter!’ After his medical service at Botleys Park, treating wounded servicemen and wounded civilians evacuated from the Blitz in London, Jos was called up in 1943 for service in the Royal Army Medical Corps. He was initially regimental medical officer to the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards with the rank of second lieutenant. He was then graded as an orthopaedic surgeon (with the rank of captain and later major) with postings including military hospitals in Stanley, Lincoln, Shrewsbury and York. In 1946, shortly after achieving his fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons, he was posted to the British Army of the Rhine in Hamburg, as the only orthopaedic specialist in the British sector. After he was demobilised in 1947, Jos’s career took him first to a position as postgraduate registrar at the Wingfield-Morris Orthopaedic Hospital, Oxford, which later became the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre. Later the same year he was appointed as a registrar and tutor in orthopaedics at Bristol Royal Infirmary. In 1950 he achieved the position of consultant orthopaedic surgeon to the Coventry and Warwickshire group of hospitals, which included the Warwickshire Orthopaedic Hospital and the Paybody Children’s Hospital. Jos remembered this as a very difficult time in Coventry. The hospital had been bombed during the devastating Coventry Blitz, and was reduced from a modern 450-bed hospital to 60 beds overnight. Makeshift arrangements had to be made, providing beds at various local hospitals and convalescent homes. This ‘temporary’ accommodation continued until the opening of the new Walsgrave Hospital on the outskirts of Coventry, over 20 years later. Jos Penrose’s publications included ‘The Monteggia fracture with posterior dislocation of the radial head’ (*J Bone Joint Surg Br.* 1951 Feb;33-B[1]:65-73) and ‘Neoplasms of bone’ (*Practitioner.* 1977 Feb;218[1304]:252-3. He contributed a chapter on injuries of the ankle and foot to *Clinical surgery: 12 fractures and dislocations* (Butterworths, 1966), and a summary of his paper on tarsal synostosis and the ball and socket joint, which he read at the September meeting of the British Orthopaedic Association in 1973, was published in the *Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery*. He was president of the Naughton Dunn Orthopaedic Club for a time during its early stages. Jos held his consultant post in Coventry until his retirement from the NHS in 1976. He continued some private and insurance work for a few years more, and was appointed to the Medical Appeal Tribunal in Birmingham, sitting on this until 1985. But his retirement was principally and enthusiastically devoted to his pastimes of fly fishing and gardening. Jos very much enjoyed the fact that he had been retired for six years longer than he had worked! His beloved wife, Katherine, died on Christmas Day 2011. He then remained in their marital home in Claverdon, Warwickshire, for a further seven years before moving to a care home in Oxford. Joscelyn Penrose died on 13 February 2019 at the age of 103. He was survived and greatly missed by his four children, David Penrose, Judith Carslake, Alison Whitelaw and Janet Penrose, seven grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren
Resource Identifier RCS: E009592
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Partridge, John Philip (1921 - 2013)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David R Harvey
Publication Date 2013-04-30 2014-02-07
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E003000-E003999/E003900-E003999
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/376118376118
Occupation General surgeon
Details John Partridge was a consultant surgeon at North Devon District Hospital, Barnstaple. He was born on 15 June 1921 in Weymouth, Dorset, the son of George James Partridge and his wife Gwendoline Partridge née Brewster Jones. George ('Jimmie') Partridge had served in the First World War as an officer in the 10th Sherwood Foresters, had been mentioned in despatches, and had been awarded the 1914-15 Star medal. He subsequently joined the Colonial Service and was based in Dar es Salaam, Tanganyika, for 20 years. He was awarded an OBE in 1937. John's mother, born in Suva, Fiji, in 1888, was a founder member of Tiverton Golf Club and was responsible for John's lifelong love of the game. Her father, John Francis Jones, was a Church of England clergyman and his grandson John had strong religious convictions in his formative years. In 1928 the family moved to Tiverton, principally as a result of the friendship between John's father and Gerry Hopblack, a housemaster at Blundell's School, a former fellow officer. Gerry was to become a major influence in John's early life. John was educated first at St Aubyn's Prep School, and then joined his brother David at Blundell's in 1934. John represented the school at both rugby and cricket, and continued his rugby career after winning a sports scholarship to St Mary's Hospital Medical School in 1939. John's medical school education was influenced by the Second World War; medical students were involved in fire-watching from a vantage point in Praed Street and, with an urgent need for doctors, the students followed a shortened medical curriculum. John qualified MRCS LRCP in 1943 and MB BS in 1944, and immediately joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve as a surgeon lieutenant. Despite being plagued by sea sickness, he served on many ships, some of which were subsequently lost, and was fortunate to escape unscathed. He was posted to Hong Kong at the end of the war in Europe, and was eventually demobilised in Australia. His first post war position was as a house surgeon in Northampton. This was followed in 1950 by a house surgeon/junior registrar appointment to D N Mathews at the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street. Strongly supported by his seniors, John was successful in obtaining a resident surgical officer post at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, passing his FRCS examination in 1951. John then distinguished himself as a surgical registrar at the Royal Northern Hospital, before returning to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and Bristol hospitals (Southmead) as a senior registrar from 1953 to 1956. His interest in paediatric surgery led to a special attachment to St Mark's Hospital via Great Ormond Street, to learn more about complex rectal surgery. He subsequently published a paper on this topic with his colleague M H Gough ('Congenital abnormalities of the anus and rectum' *Br J Surg*. 1961 Jul;49:37-50). It was as a young surgeon at Great Ormond Street that John met and, in May 1957, married a talented physician, Betty Burgess. Both enjoyed a vibrant social life, occupying married quarters at Great Ormond Street. They went on to have two sons - Robert and Phillip. In 1958 John was appointed by the South East Metropolitan Regional Hospital Board for two notional half-day sessions a week at the Children's Hospital, Sydenham, but he found himself with insufficient income to support his family. He was also concerned that possible further sessions would be in paediatric not general surgery. John was determined to be a general surgeon and was therefore pleased to accept the post of consultant general surgeon at the North Devon Infirmary in 1960, with assurances that a new district general hospital was to be built. John joined David Stirk, a fellow Blundellian and graduate of St Mary's, in effectively a one in two rota, supported by general practioner surgeons and anaesthetists. The early years posed many professional challenges, both in terms of establishing modern surgical practice and obtaining skilled anaesthetic backup for a wide range of surgical procedures. John was able to persuade his friend Basil Muire to relinquish his post in Exeter to found the department of anaesthesia at the North Devon Infirmary. Basil was joined by Noel Harley and shortly afterwards by Patrick Brighten. John's medical and nursing colleagues regarded him as 'easily approachable and a good teacher', 'a brilliant pair of hands' and 'always calm, highly competent, compassionate and caring'. His exceptional skill when operating on children was noted; pyloric stenosis, hypospadias, surgery for undescended testis and Spitz-Holter valve drainage of congenital hydrocephalus were all within his remit. When operating John was noted for his decorum, patience and politeness. He and his ward sister and staff had a great mutual respect for each other, creating a caring environment, benefiting both patients and staff. John's heavy out-patient workload, his willingness to readily respond to calls for domiciliary visits and provide colleagues with a timely and well-considered opinion, allowed him to create harmonious relationships between primary and secondary care. John chaired the north Devon division of the British Medical Association in 1971 and was president of the Surgical Club of South West England in 1980. John's career in north Devon continued uninterrupted until his retirement in 1984, apart from 'a call to duty' in 1966, when he formed part of the Great Ormond Street-based paediatric team seconded to the children's hospital in Saigon. With little professional support John spent 16 months in Vietnam, completing 75 cleft lip and palate reconstructions, in addition to numerous other surgical procedures, before returning home with his family, avoiding the Tet Offensive of January 1968. As captain of the Saunton Golf Club, John initiated an eponymous competition, the John Partridge Cup. In retirement he continued to carry his clubs into his late seventies, resisting attempts to introduce him to trolleys and buggies. John had a lifelong affection for yellow Labradors; five of his favoured breed accompanied him in unbroken succession from 1968 to 2006. John's family has sponsored the training of a guide dog puppy in his memory. 'J P', as he was affectionately known to colleagues, friends and family, made valued contributions throughout his long and distinguished professional lifetime, to medicine in general and surgery in particular. His pioneering efforts in modernising local surgical practice laid the foundation for further advances in subsequent years; the dedication and skill he showed in clinical practice was inspirational, and his kindness endeared him to all to whom he came into contact. John was a gifted surgeon, respected by his colleagues in primary and secondary care and much loved by his family and local community. A modest and unassuming demeanour, coupled with an outstanding ability to communicate with one and all and a healthy sense of humour, were the hallmarks of John's personality. J P had a strong sense of 'service before self' and an integrity and sense of personal responsibility which guided his professional and personal life. In later life, John bore illness with a quiet dignity and courage. He survived a stroke and subsequent fractured femur; a re-fracture some years later proved to be a bridge too far. He died on 16 March 2013, aged 91, and was survived by his wife Betty, sister Gwenneth and two sons Robert and Phillip. He will be greatly missed and always remembered.
Resource Identifier RCS: E003935
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Wherry, David Colwell (1926 - 2021)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David R Welling
Publication Date 2021-05-19 2021-08-16
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009900-E009999
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/384640384640
Occupation General surgeon Military surgeon
Details Colonel David C Wherry was a professor of surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), Bethesda, Maryland. He was born on 18 December 1926, in Pawnee City, Nebraska, the son of Kenneth Spicer Wherry and Marjorie Wherry née Colwell. His father was an important political figure in the Truman and Eisenhower eras, a US senator and minority leader in the US Senate. He was responsible for creating adequate family housing for the military while in Congress, the so-called ‘Wherry housing’. David Wherry obtained his undergraduate education from Doane College, the US Naval Academy and George Washington University, where he obtained his BA degree in 1948 and his MD in 1952. He did a surgery internship at George Washington Hospital from 1952 to 1953 and his residency at the Mount Alto Veterans Administration Hospital in Washington DC from 1953 to 1954 and 1956 to 1959. His residency was interrupted for two years by a tour of duty in the US Air Force at the 7559th USAF Hospital in Burtonwood, England. He finished his residency and began a private practice in Washington DC, with a part-time appointment also at the VA Hospital, serving as assistant chief of surgery until 1962. He began early to climb the academic ladder, achieving a number of titles and appointments at a variety of hospitals, including George Washington University and Georgetown University. In 1975, he joined the US Air Force Reserves Medical Corps, assigned to Malcolm Grow Medical Center, Andrews Air Force Base, Washington DC. In 1985, he began a long and fruitful association with the newly-created Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. In 1989, he retired from private practice and began working full-time at USUHS. In 1991, he was promoted to full professor of surgery there. Along the way, he was also named as clinical professor of surgery at both George Washington and Georgetown universities. He also was a special lecturer at the University of Nottingham, England from 1986. Wherry also served as a consultant to various American military services, and belonged to a number of prestigious organisations, including the American College of Surgeons and the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He was particularly pleased to have been chosen as a fellow of the Royal College. Wherry had a keen eye for new surgical techniques. A good example was the advent of the colonoscope. He was excited to learn about that instrument, and was very early in training to use it, and then to teach others to use it. He bought his own scope, demonstrating how convinced he was that endoscopy was the future of surgery. He also learned very early about the use of laparoscopy and determined where he could best learn about the operation, took the course, and then set up his own courses and taught hundreds of surgeons the technique. Another new technology was ultrasound. Wherry again found the best teachers to learn about ultrasound, and then went around the world, teaching its advantages to a large number of students. Altogether, as of May 2006, Wherry had taught 219 courses to 3,602 students around the world. Wherry married Phyllis Mae Morehead in 1947. He later married a beautiful and talented woman from the Philippines, Azucena (‘Ceny’), and she introduced him to that country. He began to promote an exchange with the Filipino government and their medical leaders, to bring USUHS students to Manila to study and train in the Philippine General Hospital, usually for about a month each year. And eventually, USUHS began accepting students from the Philippines to come to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for a month of training in the American system. USUHS also invited a number of medical doctors to go to Bethesda, and to train in their laboratories. Toward the end of his surgical career, Wherry was named as chairman of the admissions committee for the Uniformed Services University. This post, critical to the smooth functioning of the university, was led by him, smoothly, professionally and meaningfully. He relinquished his chair of that committee when he retired, on his 80th birthday. Wherry was a world traveller, having maintained an apartment in Manila for a number of years, and a home in Nottingham, where he often was seen with his English colleagues. He had close ties with surgeons from England, France, Finland, Germany, Korea and Japan. He was a consummate diplomat for the United States of America, wherever he went. David C Wherry passed away after a long and fruitful life on 7 March 2021, at age 94, in the Washington DC area. He was survived by his wife Ceny, by his son Kenneth D Wherry and two grandchildren. He was a true gentleman and conducted himself with poise and wisdom. He was a great mentor and teacher. It was a great privilege to have been by his side for many years.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009983
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Mulnier, Johann Joseph Heinrich (1933 - 2015)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Reader
Publication Date 2015-12-10 2017-02-24
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009000-E009099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381201381201
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon
Details Johann Joseph Heinrich Mulnier, known as 'Henri', was an orthopaedic surgeon at St Ann's and North Middlesex hospitals, London. He was born on the island of Mauritius and went by boat to study medicine in England. He started his studies at University College London in 1954 and then at University College Hospital, where he qualified in 1960. He was a registrar in orthopaedics at St Mary's Hospital, London, and then a senior registrar at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. He went on to be appointed as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon to the Haringey district in London. His interest in spinal surgery was fostered whilst training with Philip Newman and Ernest Kirwan. This led in the mid-eighties to his developing a technique of posterior interbody fusion. This was a modification of a technique developed by the American neurosurgeon, Ralph Cloward, using morcelised bone graft instead of tricortical bone wedges impacted into a thoroughly prepared disc space - a technique he considered safer. A review of his results during the mid-nineties found that patients who had the best outcomes were those who had leg pain combined with a degenerative intervertebral disc revealed on a preoperative MRI. This was presented at the British Orthopaedic Association annual congress in Torquay in 1993 and was abstracted in a supplement in the *Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery* (*Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery*; 1994, 76-B [suppl. 1]; 44). Although there was some controversy over the place of spinal surgery in low back pain, time showed that there was such a place, and that Henri's vision became a reality when such surgery was combined with careful selection and meticulous technique. He married Josephine Payne in 1958 and they had three children - Richard, Charlotte and Henrietta. Henri and Josephine were inseparable. She was his first assistant in his private practice, his constant companion when travelling and his able partner in all family matters. Henri was an accomplished violinist and has passed on his love of the instrument to Charlotte, who followed him into a medical career in anaesthetics. Henrietta also followed him into medicine as a specialist in diabetic care and research. His fascination with cars, DIY and engineering were bequeathed to Richard, who is an aeroengine designer. He was passionate about the French, their language, cuisine and culture and owned a series of properties in France, ending with a beautiful farmhouse in the Lot-et-Garonne. There he immersed himself in village life, hunting and viticulture. He retired to Surrey when he left London to restore a listed cottage. There he enjoyed gardening, house improvements and socialising. His special interest during these years was opera in all its forms, and he was regularly seen within the audience at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Henri Mulnier died on 31 July 2015, aged 82. He was a remarkable friend to all, particularly his colleagues, a true family man, and a distinguished surgeon who helped many patients through his long career and lived life to the full.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009018
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Roberts, Peter (1940 - 2017)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Rew
Publication Date 2017-04-21 2018-02-21
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009300-E009399
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381523381523
Occupation Military surgeon
Details Peter Roberts was professor of military surgery for the Army Medical Services. He was born in Manchester on 20 December 1940 at the height of the Manchester Blitz to George and Edith Roberts. Edith died when Peter was nine months old, and he was brought up by his aunt and uncle, Annie and Bob Roberts. He attended Manchester Central Grammar School, where he was head boy. Peter attended the London Hospital Medical College between 1960 and 1965. He did his surgical training around London, including posts as a resident surgical officer at St Mark's Hospital and as a senior registrar at Whipps Cross Hospital. He joined the Royal Army Medical Corps as a surgeon in 1969 and secured the FRCS in 1971. Peter left the Army for the NHS as a consultant surgeon at Whipps Cross Hospital for a further decade, before returning to full-time service with the RAMC. He progressed to the posts of professor of military surgery, consultant adviser in surgery to the directors general of the Army Medical Services, and adviser on war trauma research to the surgeons general and Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down. Peter Roberts was never far from the action when surgical teams were deployed overseas in support of service personnel on operations. He served with distinction as a surgeon and later as command surgeon in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, the Falklands, Bosnia, Kosovo, the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan. During his time as professor of military surgery, he introduced Quikclot, a haemostatic agent, to help reduce deaths from major haemorrhage, and directed the UK military's fledgling research into haemostatic agents. He was editor of the *The British Military Surgery Pocket Book* (British Army Publication, 2004). He was a founder member of the conflict and catastrophe forum of the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, where he taught and examined for the Society's diploma in the medical care of catastrophes. He was a founding convenor of the Royal College of Surgeons' definitive surgical trauma skills course in the late 1990's, teaching his last course in November 2016. He also taught on the military operational surgical training course for surgical teams, and the surgical trauma in the austere environment course at the Royal College of Surgeons. He was an honorary lecturer in surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Washington, USA. He was a McCombe lecturer at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, a Mitchiner medallist at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and a Mitchiner lecturer in the Defence Medical Services. In 2000, Peter was awarded the Michael E DeBakey International Military Surgeons' award for outstanding service to international military surgery. His operational work led to the award of MBE (military division) in 1983 and the CBE (military division) in 2003. He was a founder member of the charity Trauma Care. He served on the council of the Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland as the military representative and was president of the Military Surgical Society. The bald facts of Peter Roberts' career do not do justice to the extent of his avuncular influence and leadership of the specialist cohort of UK general surgeons in regular and reserve military service of his era. These surgeons and their anaesthetic and nursing colleagues collectively made a profound contribution to the modernisation of military surgical trauma care and to the evolution of the modern NHS trauma service from lessons learned through operations in the Gulf, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. Peter was often to be unexpectedly found in officers' messes and in less comfortable surroundings around the globe, dispensing wisdom, operational experience and anecdotes to his junior colleagues, and memorably with a cigarette to hand. This was to prove the instrument of his final undoing: he died on 11 March 2017 of metastatic lung cancer. He was 76. Peter's funeral and celebration of his life was held at the Royal Garrison Church of All Saints, Aldershot, with his extended family and many friends and former colleagues from his five decades of military medical service in respectful attendance.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009340
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Clunie, Gordon James Aitken (1932 - 2016)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Scott
Publication Date 2016-10-27
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009200-E009299
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381438381438
Occupation General surgeon
Details Gordon Clunie was a pre-eminent figure in the surgical life of Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. Born in Fiji, he received his primary school education in Suva and secondary schooling at first in Hamilton New Zealand and later in Edinburgh. He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, graduating in 1956 and trained in surgery in Edinburgh and Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. He was awarded Surgical Fellowships of the College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (1963) and England (1964). Sir Michael Woodruff was the leading surgical figure at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh at the time and Gordon joined his Department of Surgery as Senior Registrar and Lecturer in 1964. In 1963 the world's first successful kidney transplants took place from a cadaveric donor at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston. This success was due in large part to the new immunosuppressive drug combination of prednisone and azathioprine. At that time in Edinburgh Sir Michael Woodruff was developing a different immunosuppressive approach using anti lymphocyte serum. Gordon was in the right place at the right time to participate in these exciting developments. Gordon's next career move, in 1968, was to the University of Queensland's Department of Surgery at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane. He was appointed Reader with his prime responsibility to be the Director of the new Dialysis and Renal Transplant Unit. He developed an excellent clinical service and a productive research team publishing many new developments in kidney preservation prior to transplantation. In 1969 he was awarded the FRACS, a tribute to his high standing and leadership in Clinical and Academic Surgery. He was later appointed Professor of Surgery and Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Queensland. In 1978 Gordon was appointed the James Stewart Professor of Surgery by the University of Melbourne at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. At the hospital Gordon faced some resistance from established senior surgeons whose busy careers were a mix of part time public hospital practice at the Royal Melbourne and private practice elsewhere in the city. Gordon's priorities from the start of his appointment through to his retirement in 1995 were to develop a strong basic and clinical research program in his department, linking with the Ludwig Institute and major research institutes at the Royal Melbourne. He had a clear vision for the progressive development at the hospital. The redevelopment of Essendon Hospital as an elective surgical facility and the co-location of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre with the Royal Melbourne Hospital are examples of Gordon's successful advocacy. At the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Gordon was recognised as a leader in multiple aspects of College activities. He was a member of the Court of Examiners, Senior Examiner in General Surgery and Chairman of the Court for the final three years of his term. His reputation was such that he was invited to many South East Asian Universities and Surgical Colleges as External Examiner, a practice widely adopted to promote international recognition for their final undergraduate and fellowship examinations. Gordon was an elected member of the Council of the College 1994-2000 where he demonstrated a keen intellect and a great facility to listen to often tortuous contributions of colleagues before providing a concise summary and recommendation for the President. He was the Editor and then Editor in Chief of the *Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery* (1983-1996). In this role he soon transformed the journal to one with an enhanced international reputation. Having spent his early childhood years in Fiji it was not surprising that Gordon would be drawn towards contributing to surgical education and training for Fijian medical graduates as well as graduates in the other Pacific Islands and South East Asian countries. At this time the RACS was managing aid programs funded by the Australian and New Zealand Governments. Gordon was a member of the College's International Committee where he demonstrated a clear understanding of the needs and difficulties of delivering appropriate support to these countries with limited medical facilities. Gordon was appointed Project Director for the AusAID funded Fiji School of Medicine Post Graduate Training Project. This was a major undertaking to develop medical specialist training in Fiji for doctors from all the Pacific Island nations. It was an important development since most medical graduates previously sought specialist training in Australia or New Zealand where many chose to remain for the rest of their career. They were trained in the management of First World diseases and were not keen to return to their previous experience of limited diagnostic aids, treatment options and low salaries in their home countries. Providing high quality specialist training treating patients with the disease mix common in Fiji ensured most doctors were now comfortable to remain in the Pacific Islands. This project has been one of the lasting legacies of Gordon's commitment to International Aid, particularly as it was delivered in his country of birth. Gordon enjoyed his RACS activities as Examiner, Councillor, Editor and International Aid administrator. In recognition of these long term substantial contributions to the College he was elected a Member of the Court of Honour and was awarded the Sir Louis Barnett Medal for his "outstanding contributions to education, training and advancement of Surgery". He was also the inaugural recipient of the RACS Surgical Research Award. In his demanding role as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Surgery at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, he led a successful departmental clinical service, won funding for the departmental research activities and engaged in the committees of the Faculty of Medicine to continuously refresh the undergraduate curriculum and teaching. Gordon was very constructive in committee work and was soon recognised for his leadership abilities. At the University of Melbourne he was appointed Assistant Dean (1980-1985), Deputy Dean (1986-1995) and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences (1995-1997). His work for the University was recognised by the award of an MD Honoris Causa. In recognition of his excellent reputation as a clinician and academic with a wide experience of universities, specialist colleges and hospitals, Gordon in his later career was appointed to the Australian Medical Council (1995-1999) with a principal role in the inspection and accreditation of university medical schools and specialist colleges. He was a long term member of the Australian Cancer Network and the Victorian Anti-Cancer Council. Gordon enjoyed a full and meritorious career. In retirement his great pleasure was to enjoy home life with his wife Jess, daughters Louise and Pam and son David. His time with his grandchildren gave him the greatest joy of all.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009255
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Taylor, Thomas Kinman Fardon (1932 - 2016)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Sonnabend
Publication Date 2017-02-17
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009300-E009399
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381484381484
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon Trauma surgeon
Details Few if any have had as great an impact on Australian orthopaedic surgery as had Tom Taylor. 'TKFT' was born in Sydney in 1932, the son of Dr Charles and Mrs Dot Taylor of Bondi. In 1941, when invasion by the Japanese appeared possible, Tom's education (on a scholarship at Sydney Grammar School) was interrupted by a prolonged stay with family in Adelong. Tom subsequently studied medicine at the University of Sydney, graduating with honours in 1955 and also being awarded a University Blue for boxing. Following two years of residency at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Tom took himself to Edinburgh, where he spent a year demonstrating in anatomy and two years as an orthopaedic registrar in the Royal Infirmary and Princess Margaret Rose Hospital, working with J I P James. During that time he obtained fellowships of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of England and Edinburgh. In 1960 he moved to the Radcliffe Infirmary at Oxford. He held a Nuffield Dominions Fellowship in orthopaedic surgery at Oxford for four years, working with Professor J Trueta. He was awarded a DPhil (Oxon) for a thesis on "Some Aspects of Structure, Growth and Degeneration of the Intervertebral Disc", and gave a Hunterian Lecture on this topic to the Royal College of Surgeons. His work involved the then new technique of X-ray crystallography. In 1964 Tom took up an academic post at the University of Washington in Seattle, where he further developed a lifelong interest and an internationally recognised expertise in the burgeoning field of spinal surgery. In 1969 Tom was appointed as the Foundation Professor of Orthopaedic and Traumatic Surgery at the University of Sydney. His clinical appointments were at the Royal North Shore Hospital and at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children. In this role, Tom had a unique and profound effect on the development of orthopaedic surgery, research and training in Australia. He established the Raymond Purves Orthopaedic Research Laboratories at RNSH, and was an internationally recognised authority on spinal trauma and paediatric spinal pathology. He created the SpineCare Foundation, which cares for children with spinal cord disease or injury, and initiated the schools scoliosis testing program for adolescent girls. Together with the late Murray Maxwell, he was also largely responsible for setting up the AOA registrar training scheme in Sydney. Together with Peter Brooks, he established the Bone and Joint Foundation at the University of Sydney, and subsequently the Institute of Bone and Joint Research. Working extensively with Peter Ghosh, the director of the RPR Laboratories, Tom had a prolific research career, with over 180 peer-reviewed publications, mostly spine-related. These achievements were all the more remarkable given the prevailing largely empirical and often anecdotal approach to orthopaedic surgery. Tom helped to introduce 'evidence-based medicine' to Australian orthopaedics. He was a firm believer in 'classical education,' and amongst his many charitable commitments, he promoted and supported scholarships at his alma mater, Sydney Grammar School, for worthy students from needy families. Tom's commitment to the AOA was massive. He served as Editorial Secretary for four years, chaired the Federal Training Committee for a similar time, and was the Censor in Chief from 1985 to 1988. He sat on committees too numerous to mention, and was a member of the RACS Court of Examiners for many years. He served on numerous editorial boards, including the *Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (B)*, *Spine* and the *Journal of Spinal Disorders*. Tom was a very private person who demanded respect from all. His main clinical interests were in spinal deformity, particularly paediatric, and the treatment of spinal injuries. He was adored by his patients, particularly the children and their families. He treated all equally, with kindness and compassion. In the face of considerable resistance, Tom promoted surgical intervention (where appropriate) for the treatment of spinal injuries which had traditionally been treated non-operatively. Tom declined formal recognition as a matter of principle. A man of strong opinions, always willingly expressed, and a strong sense of fairness, he never shirked conflict with bureaucracy. In his trademark turned up coat collar he was a formidable presence. His registrar teaching sessions were legendary. The highest standards were demanded, and nobody could hide in the back row. The Friday morning x-ray sessions with his radiology colleague George Chapman were highlights of every registrar's learning experience. Tom nurtured the careers of many young surgeons. Numerous Australian and overseas orthopaedic fellows subspecialised in spinal surgery under Professor Taylor's supervision. He had a particularly strong bond with New Zealand orthopaedics. Tom's commitment to teaching extended far beyond the outpatient clinic and the operating room. Following revision of the Sydney medical curriculum, Tom despaired of the drop in the standard of anatomy knowledge and was a passionate and effective advocate for the return of detailed anatomy teaching to the Sydney University curriculum. After his 'retirement' in 2001, Tom continued to teach anatomy to registrars, as well as teaching orthopaedics to Rural School undergraduate students in Dubbo. Through a family bequest, the A M Taylor Fund, he promoted junior consultant overseas study fellowships, and more recently, overseas orthopaedic exposure for undergraduates, with the intention of encouraging the best into orthopaedics. In retirement Tom enjoyed the companionship of his friends at the Australia Club and the Royal Sydney Golf Club. His lighter side was reflected in his quirky book, *Crepuscular Golf*, an entertaining read for golfers and orthopods alike. (In keeping with Tom's generosity of spirit, 'all proceeds to charity.') He read widely and enjoyed fine food and golf. In recent years, Tom struggled with a severe and debilitating neuropathy. He never complained, and as with the rest of his life, simply 'got on with the task at hand.' Tom is survived by his daughter Faith, his son Michael and five grandchildren. Listing his career achievements does not begin to describe the wonderful complexity that was Tom Taylor. He was a giant of Australian orthopaedics, and has left an extraordinary legacy. The entire Australian community is the poorer for his passing.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009301
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Pickard, Robert Stephen (1961 - 2018)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Thomas
Publication Date 2018-11-20
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009500-E009599
Occupation Urological surgeon
Details Robert Pickard was professor of urology at Newcastle University. He was born on 23 June 1961 in Chessington, Surrey, the second of three sons. His father, Peter Pickard, was a laboratory administrator, and his mother, Margaret, was a nurse. The family lived in Leatherhead and Rob attended Kingston Grammar School. He went on to study medicine at the London Hospital Medical School, qualifying in 1984. After house jobs in Essex and basic surgical training in Stafford, Rob moved to Newcastle for his higher surgical training in 1989. He obtained his FRCS in 1989 and decided to specialise in urology. In 1995, after two years in research under the supervision of Philip Powell, he gained an MD (with commendation) from Newcastle University. Rob completed the Northern Deanery training scheme for urology in 1996, gained his FRCS (urology) and was appointed as a consultant urological surgeon at Freeman Hospital, specialising in reconstruction, the same year. Rob was always interested in service development and helped set up the urology spoke unit in Gateshead, transforming local services and mentoring nurse specialists. Over time he developed a regional service for urethroplasty, adolescent urology and complex reconstruction and became famous for his gentle and holistic approach to patient care. Rob went on to receive an honorary fellowship from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 2004. Rob was always passionate about research and it was no surprise that he embarked upon an academic career with the guidance of David Neal. He was appointed by Newcastle University as a senior lecturer in 2003 and subsequently became a professor of urology in 2009. Rob had a prolific academic record, amassing over 120 peer-reviewed publications, including prestigious high impact publications in *The Lancet* and the *BMJ*. He had a broad research interest spanning basic science through to clinical trials, systematic reviews, health service research and health economic evaluations. He developed a European profile as the chair of the European Association of Urology’s urological infections guidelines group. Where there was a lack of good evidence, he developed clinical trials, including OPEN, ANTIC, SUSPEND and CATHETER. He led the development and implementation of noninvasive urodynamic studies. His large, ongoing national portfolio of high impact studies changed practice and improved patient outcomes. He developed a first-class research infrastructure in Newcastle and mentored many young academics in the process. Rob was a key player in the inception of the British Association of Urological Surgeons’ (BAUS) section of academic urology. Under his guidance, the section’s national meeting became a beacon of excellence, showcasing British urological research. At BAUS 2016 he was awarded the silver cystoscope for his outstanding contribution to training. Working with the BAUS office of education, he helped develop and update the FRCS urology examination, leading the multiple-choice questions and extended matching questions writing group for a number of years. Rob was awarded the St Peter’s medal in 2017 by BAUS at their annual meeting, a prestigious award that acknowledges a notable contribution to British urology. The BAUS medals committee were unanimous in selecting Rob for the award to recognise his outstanding achievements. Outside medicine, he was an avid reader of classic and contemporary literature. His other passions were cryptic crosswords, map-reading and walking, but most importantly family life with his wife Caroline (née Hett), their daughter Rebecca and son Keir (and Bella, the family Labrador). Rob was generally quite frugal and loved travelling everywhere on his Brompton bike, and one of his few indulgences was his collection of Liberty ties. Rob walked the length of the country with Caroline, completing the last leg to Dunnet Head in May 2017. Rob died peacefully at home with his family on 24 July 2018 at the age of 57. He had been diagnosed with a brain tumour in October 2015. Throughout his treatment, he never complained and accepted his condition in his typical calm and gentle manner, showing more concern for others than himself. Rob was a very talented surgeon with a passion for patient care. Through his clinical and academic work, he drove forward clinical knowledge and improved the lives of all those patients and doctors fortunate to have been under his care or tuition. He will be sorely missed, not only in Newcastle but far beyond.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009538
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Kettler, Christopher John Rossiter (1939 - 2019)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Tidy
Publication Date 2023-07-03
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010200-E010299
Occupation Orthodontist
Details Chris Kettler’s defining achievement was his contribution to the formation of the British Orthodontic Society, but he is remembered for so much more. A specialist practitioner, he was Secretary of the British Orthodontic Society (BOS) three times, he was also an active British Dental Association member, an expert witness for Dental Protection, and among many other voluntary roles, Secretary to the Bedford-based Great Ouse Orthodontic Study group. He worked selflessly for orthodontics in innumerable ways. His mastery of the Begg appliance was legendary and his ability to demonstrate it fondly remembered by colleagues he taught as a postgraduate clinical lecturer at the Eastman. He had the potential to become a consultant but he opted instead to open his own practice limited to orthodontics in Bedford. The new NHS orthodontic contract of April 2006 was based largely on the Bedfordshire Pilot evolved by Chris with Sue Gregory, although he always denied responsibility for the Unit of Orthodontic Activity! He was awarded the MBE in 2011 for services to orthodontics. Chris was Secretary of the British Association of Orthodontists, and the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics, and the first Secretary of the newly formed BOS in 1994. Prior to this, he had the key role of Secretary of the unification working group, a committee of orthodontists set up to merge five orthodontic organisations into one. The formation of the BOS finally came about after 15 years of hard graft by Chris and colleagues. Most specialist organisations are limited to specialists, but not the BOS. Chris passionately believed that everyone practising orthodontics should be part of the Society. He was equally determined to recognise the role of dental care professionals. He was instrumental in the establishment of the role of the Orthodontic Therapist (OT), serving on the GDC Working Group for the OT Curriculum. He served for a time as President of the Orthodontic National Group for Orthodontic Nurses and Therapists. He was keen for the BOS to be influential in European affairs and for many years attended meetings of European societies. Latterly, he was an invaluable member of the BOS Archive and Museum Committee. Chris liked to avoid the limelight and work behind the scenes but his enormous contribution to the specialty ensures he rightly takes his place as a luminary in the history of UK orthodontics. Ever proud of his family, he is survived by three sons and several grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010266
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Makey, Arthur Robertson (1922 - 2018)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Toase
Publication Date 2018-05-18 2020-07-22
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009400-E009499
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381860381860
Occupation Cardiothoracic surgeon General surgeon
Details Arthur Robertson Makey was a consultant general and cardiothoracic surgeon at Charing Cross Hospital, London. He was born on 3 June 1922 in Dover, Kent, the son of Arthur Frank Makey, a corn chandler and seedman, and Lily Makey née Findlay, a tailoress. He was educated at Dover Grammar School and then gained Kent County and Kitchener scholarships to study medicine at King’s College, London and Charing Cross Hospital Medical School. He qualified in 1945. After pre-registration house posts, he joined the RAF as a medical officer in Bombay and Karachi. Following his demobilisation, he returned to London and continued his surgical training at the Charing Cross and Brompton hospitals. At the Brompton he worked with Bill Cleland, the pioneer of open-heart surgery. In 1955, he was appointed to the consultant staff of Charing Cross Hospital and subsequently also held posts at Colindale and the RAF Hospital at Midhurst, with the honorary rank of air commodore. He was an enthusiastic teacher. He was an examiner in surgery for the University of London from 1964 to 1976 and a member of the court of examiners at the Royal College of Surgeons from 1974 to 1980 (chairman in 1980). Arthur was a meticulous, modest and cool-headed surgeon. He was unusual in that despite his cardiothoracic work he continued to take on a general surgical commitment, however it was the lung work that he liked the best. After medicine, his main passion was golf, which he approached in his usual meticulous and academic way. He became a member of the Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club, becoming captain in 1995. He was known in the club as ‘the professor’. In 1947, he married Patricia Mary Cummings, a nurse, in Bombay. They had three children – David Arthur (a surgeon in the USA), Margaret Anne and John Andrew – and six grandchildren, three of whom have followed him into medicine. Arthur Makey died from Alzheimer’s disease on 25 January 2018. He was 95.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009456
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Masterton, John Potter (1928 - 2015)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Watters
Publication Date 2016-01-20
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009000-E009099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381212381212
Occupation General surgeon
Details John Masterton epitomised the term "canny Scot" and also adopted the Aussie characteristic of giving everyone "a fair go". The Royal Australasian College of surgeons has indeed been fortunate that John chose to spend the last 52 years of his working life since 1963 here in Melbourne. The College would say 52 years because John never stopped working and contributing to the College. Most of his contributions were pro-bono. This year he continued to chair the Rowan Nicks Committee, and was an active member of the International Committee and represented it on the RACS Foundation Board. He attended our Annual Scientific Congress in Perth and participated in both the International and Surgical History programs. To those sections he gave many fine papers over the years to the benefit and enjoyment of so many colleagues. He may have practised in Melbourne but his influence was widespread. He convened 10 RACS Annual Scientific Congresses from 1992, each attended by over 1000 surgeons with many prominent international and national guest speakers. He chaired the Rowan Nicks Committee from 2002, a committee that included, until Rowan's death, its named benefactor, and who John loyally supported and kept informed. Much was achieved by the Rowan Nicks scholars on return to their home countries. This was clearly demonstrated in a paper, published last year on an evaluation of the program. John argued and advocated strongly for a Rowan Nicks lecture, introduced in 2012, and that the Rowan Nicks lecturer should be a Rowan Nicks scholar whenever possible. This has been achieved in the last two years and John would have been proud to hear the inaugural 1991-92 scholar, (now Professor) Godfrey Muguti from Zimbabwe, give his lecture in Brisbane next May. Since 1991, over 60 international scholars from more than 20 countries have been awarded a Rowan Nicks Scholarship or Fellowship to undertake clinical attachments in hospitals across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and India. John took a personal interest in every scholarship recipient, not only during their scholarship attachment but after their return to their home countries. He spoke personally with the host supervisor of each scholar to convey the individual's objectives and personal and cultural needs. He implemented a system to appoint a mentor to each scholar, independent of the College and the supervisor, to broaden their support network in the host country. His academic career was built on a solid surgical foundation but also on publications relating to Arctic expeditions and survival in cold climates based on the British North Greenland Expedition of 1952-54. He then worked with Hugh Dudley whose appointment to the Foundation chair at Monash University resulted in John coming to Melbourne in 1963. Later he published widely on general and gastrointestinal surgery and then on the management of burns. During his career he worked for some of the great names in surgery, and contributed in many ways as a loyal, supportive deputy to their prowess - Hugh Dudley and ESR Hughes are two of the best examples. John was also loyal to those he worked with and to those he trained. He was renowned for his patient and nurturing teaching style with medical students and surgical trainees at the Alfred and Cabrini Hospitals. His expertise in the treatment and management of burns at the Alfred Hospital was the stimulus to establish the Victorian Burns Unit, and he subsequently became its first Director, a position he held for 28 years. Originally a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, he was awarded the RACS Fellowship in 1970. He was honoured earlier this year with the Sir Louis Barnett medal, one of the College's highest awards. In 1991 he was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for contributions to burns management and the Australian National Antarctic Expeditions. John was a devoted husband to his wife Angela, and father to their four children, Neil, Fiona, Claire and Andrew. He won the Herald Sun's Father of the Year award in 1999. I was privileged to have known and worked with John Masterton on College activities. I shared not only his Scottish heritage, but also his love of surgical history and passion for international development. I am sorry we will not enjoy his presence in person but I believe through his life, its achievements, his enduring spirit, and our abiding memories he will share in College life long into the future.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009029
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Henderson, John Aloysius (1932 - 2025)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Watters
Publication Date 2025-04-09
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010700-E010799
Occupation General surgeon
Details John Aloysius Henderson was a visiting medical officer at Geelong Hospital, Victoria, Australia. He was born in Gundagai, New South Wales on 26 August 1932. His love of flying may have begun when, in his mother’s arms, he was the youngest ever passenger, at the time, to be flown by Charles Kingsford Smith, after whom Sydney Airport is named. He later learnt to fly and owned his own plane. He was educated at St Joseph’s Convent School, Quirindi, New South Wales from 1937 to 1943 and credited the Sisters of St Joseph for his love of copperplate handwriting. Although he won a bursary to Armadale Catholic College, his parents sent him to St Patrick’s College in East Melbourne for year seven, where he lived with his grandparents. They encouraged him to practise piano for an hour every evening, developing considerable expertise, which he retained and developed during his life. For his final four years of school, he boarded at St Ignatius’ College, Riverview, Sydney. He matriculated with the school prize for music and honours in history. He entered Newman College at the University of Melbourne for his six years of medical studies, graduating in 1955. He also took up middle distance running, gaining a blue in athletics in his final year, with his best time for 800m (880 yards) being 1:56min (only 8.3 seconds behind the winning time at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics). He also represented the university at table tennis. Following graduation he was an intern at St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne (in 1956), then a senior resident medical officer in Geelong (in 1957), the Royal Women’s Hospital (in 1958) and the Royal Children’s Hospital (in 1959). From 1961 to 1966 he was in general practice, including working for two years (from 1963 to 1965) as a medical officer to the Repatriation Artificial Limb and Appliance Centre in South Melbourne, before taking the opportunity to train as a surgeon, at the Alfred (in 1966), St Vincent’s, Melbourne (in 1967) and Mont Park (from 1968 to 1969) hospitals. In 1970 he travelled to the United Kingdom as a ship’s surgeon. In the UK he held surgical registrar positions and undertook courses to prepare for his fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He passed the primary in 1971 and his final FRCS in May 1972. He also passed his fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons later that year, before returning to the UK to complete a trinity of fellowships with the fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (in 1973). Whilst at St Margaret’s Hospital, Epping (in February 1973), he filmed an original operation for carpal instability performed by the orthopaedic surgeon Geoffrey Fisk. Decades later John’s detailed logbook of his photographs provided the critical evidence that Fisk had performed the operation years before those whose descriptions later claimed pre-eminence. Returning to Australia, he was appointed to the Geelong Hospital, Victoria, in 1973, where he worked as a visiting medical officer until his retirement in 2000. He also operated at the St John of God Hospital in Geelong from 1976 to 2000. He ran a medicolegal practice from 1980 to 2021, writing his reports in stylish copperplate handwriting and always in black ink. His somewhat flamboyant but perfect penmanship was, and is, somewhat unusual for a doctor. He always took a great interest in people and their history, so found that many patients whom he examined expressed their gratitude that ‘finally someone had just listened to them’. From 1981, John began to create photographic records of the annual meetings of the Provincial Surgeons of Australia. He generously provided, at his own expense, spare copies of his photographs for delegates to enjoy and archive at the following year’s meetings. From 1996, at the request of Royal Australasian College of Surgeon’s councillor Peter King, he compiled photographic records of the RACS annual scientific congress, a service that extended for more than 25 years. Other RACS events such as the bi-annual Cowlishaw symposia were also photographed. In 2006, he received a certificate of outstanding service from RACS for his contributions to the history of the college. His photographs were archived in albums and later digitally on CD/DVD and are now stored in the RACS archives. In 2016, he was awarded the RACS medal for ‘his meritorious contribution in the development of a permanent photographic record of the events of the college’. John Henderson was a remarkable individual and surgeon. The word polymath also comes to mind, because over the course of his 92 years, he succeeded in such a wide range of fields. Unlike some polymaths he was also a good bloke, respectful and kind to those he met. His wife Pam described him as ‘a true gentleman, a gentle man and loyal, somewhat eccentric, yet self-effacing, even shy, preferring to hide behind the camera which was his tool to record every possible event!’ John died on 5 March 2025. He was survived by Pam (née Currigan), his wife of 55 years, four children (Mary, David, Jane and Michael) and eight grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010743
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Hughes, Leslie Ernest (1932 - 2011)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Webster
Publication Date 2011-12-09 2013-10-04
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001600-E001699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373882373882
Occupation General surgeon
Details Leslie Hughes was professor of surgery at the University of Wales College of Medicine. He was born in Parramatta in New South Wales, Australia, on 12 August 1932, the fifth of eight children of Charles Joseph Hughes and Vera Dorothy Hughes née Raines. His father was a tailor and his mother had been a secretary. His paternal ancestor, Joseph Ferdinand Hughes, a coal merchant from Wednesbury, travelled to Australia in 1877, leaving Plymouth aboard the *Corona* with his three sons as paying passengers. His mother's family had arrived in less auspicious circumstances, having been transported from London in 1821. Leslie Hughes was educated at Parramatta High School and Sydney University. He initially studied agricultural science as his intention was to become a farmer; however his older brother Walter, a medical student who was also later to become a surgeon, persuaded him that a career in medicine was a better option. After a surgical registrar post at Concorde Hospital, Sydney, he moved to the UK. He initially worked at Derby City Hospital and then West Middlesex Hospital, training in surgery. In 1962 he was appointed as a cancer research fellow at King's College Hospital. In 1964 he returned to Australia, to the University of Queensland, as a reader in surgery. As well as his clinical work, he was involved in the Queensland melanoma project. Between 1969 and 1970 he was the Eleanor Roosevelt cancer research fellow at the Roswell Park Memorial Institute in Buffalo, USA. He returned to Brisbane, but was soon appointed professor of surgery in Cardiff. He was a sound clinician in the wards and clinics, often demonstrating an enviable knowledge of areas outside his immediate expertise. In the operating theatre his technique was meticulous and, although he was sometimes, unfairly, perceived as slow, when the occasion demanded it he could be very swift indeed. His lasting contribution to clinical surgery was his decision to study relatively neglected Cinderella subjects such as hidradenitis suppurativa, benign breast disease, incisional hernia and diverticular disease. Out of these studies came a deeper understanding of the pathophysiology of these conditions, leading to rational treatment strategies for them. Although much of his research was clinically based he ran an effective laboratory investigating the nature of the inflammatory response and the immunobiology of cancer. He contributed to the wider debate in the medical school, where his carefully measured opinion was greatly valued. This was reflected in his appointment as vice provost. He was actively involved in the running and delivery of the undergraduate curriculum in surgery and was much sought after as an external examiner for other universities. However, it was as a trainer of young surgeons that he really excelled. His insistence on excellence in the wards, clinics and operating theatre enabled many trainees to develop their full potential. He was equally determined to promote excellence in research, and this is demonstrated by the fact that 18 or so of his trainees went on to become professors of surgery in various countries around the world. Although he could appear rather austere at first, he was an entertaining and knowledgeable companion. He was intensely supportive of those under his aegis, even providing avenues to alternative careers for those whose surgical careers had stalled. Apart from his work in Cardiff, he contributed to the national scene. He was at various times president of the Surgical Research Society, the British Association of Surgical Oncology, the Welsh Surgical Society and the History of Medicine Society of Wales, and on the editorial board of the *British Journal of Surgery*. At the Royal College of Surgeons he was an examiner for the primary, in pathology and for the second part of the FRCS. In 1987 he gave a Hunterian lecture entitled 'Changing trends in management of malignant melanoma'. Outside work, his abiding interest was his family, whose achievements he would relate with quiet pride. He married a fellow medical graduate, Marion Castle, in 1954. They had four children - Bronwyn, a dermatologist married to a urological surgeon (Phillip Britton), Gillian, Graeme and Stephen, who predeceased him - and five grandchildren. He was closely involved in his local Baptist Church, where he sang in the choir. His deep Christian faith informed much of what he did. He had a great love of music, particularly choral music and was at home at the Welsh National Opera, St David's Hall and listening to male voice choirs. He maintained a pleasant garden and was particularly fond of growing vegetables, and passing on his skills and knowledge to his children. In retirement, while his health allowed, he travelled widely. He would spend two to three months each year in Sydney, where he retained an apartment, spending time with family and exploring new places in the country. Not only did he travel for holidays, he was also often invited to lecture overseas by many of the surgeons he had trained or with whom he collaborated. He continued to be interested in developments in medicine and expanded his knowledge of medical history, writing illuminating pieces for journals. He extensively researched his family tree. His final years were dogged by a debilitating disease that he bore with great dignity and fortitude inspired by his deep Christian faith. He died peacefully at Winchester on 3 March 2011 aged 78.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001699
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Salaman, John Redcliffe (1937 - 2018)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Webster
Publication Date 2018-05-18 2019-04-03
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009400-E009499
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381852381852
Occupation General surgeon Transplant surgeon
Details John Redcliffe Salaman was a general surgeon and professor of transplant surgery in Cardiff. The first transplant in Cardiff had been done by David Crosby in 1967. By 1970 it was clear that a dedicated transplant surgeon with an academic interest was required and John Salaman was appointed to this post. As well as being a transplant surgeon, he formed a general surgical firm with David Crosby and Hilary Wade. He later formed a general firm with Malcolm Wheeler, but continued for many years as the sole transplant surgeon as he gradually built up the unit. He moved up the academic ladder, being promoted from senior lecturer, to reader and then, in 1983, to professor of transplant surgery. He continued throughout his career to pursue a general surgical interest and remained on the general on-call rota. Not content with a heavy clinical load in general and transplantation surgery, he continued to run a research programme. Although he published clinical papers related to his general surgical practice, the main thrust of his research was into the immunosuppressive regimes used to prevent rejection. He was born in Wenden, Essex on 14 October 1937. The second of four children, his father was Arthur Gabriel Salaman, a GP in Stanstead, Essex. His mother was Nancy Adelaide Salaman née Samuel, a psychologist, and the daughter of Herbert Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel, who was Home Secretary in 1916 and again from 1931 to 1932. His paternal grandfather, Redcliffe Salaman, was medically qualified, a distinguished scientist and a fellow of the Royal Society. John Salaman was educated at Bedales School near Petersfield, Clare College, Cambridge and the London Hospital Medical School. In 1961, while still a student, he married a fellow medical student, Patricia Burkett, who later became a consultant clinical oncologist. After graduation in 1963, he became a house surgeon to John Blandy and Douglas Eadie. He then returned to Cambridge as an anatomy demonstrator. His surgical training was based in Cambridge, where he gained the FRCS (in 1967) during a surgical training rotation. His mentor was Roy Calne, recently appointed to the chair of surgery and a pioneer in transplant surgery in Britain. John became involved in transplant research and assisted at the first liver transplant in the UK. He returned to the London as a lecturer in the academic department of surgery before his appointment to Cardiff in 1970. His work in transplantation was nationally regarded and was reflected by his appointment as chairman of the British Transplantation Society, chairman of the Transplant Training Advisory Committee and treasurer of the International Transplantation Society. He also took a full role in local organisations and, among other appointments, was chairman of the division of surgery in Cardiff, clinical director of surgical services and medical director, University Hospital of Wales/Cardiff Royal Infirmary executive board. A diagnosis of leukaemia precipitated his retirement in 1994, but he continued to be active in retirement. He took on a number of roles in the community, including director of the management board of Lightship 2000, secretary and president of Cardiff North Probus Club, secretary of the Rhiwbina Bowls Club and president of the Welsh Kidney Patients’ Association. He continued to be active despite considerable physical disability caused by complications of his treatment for leukaemia and remained good company to the end. In retirement, he developed the woodworking skills that had begun at school and created many elegant pieces. He also kept a yacht in Cardiff with which he explored the Severn Estuary, along with longer trips to Ireland and Brittany. Of all his publications, he was proudest of one in a yachting magazine. In retirement, he turned his attention to canals and had many happy times on his narrowboat. A devoted family man whose deep Christian faith informed his private life and his work, John played a full role in his local Methodist church, where he was chief steward to the local Methodist council. A lasting tribute to his woodworking may be found in his church, where the church furniture is a testament to his skills. John died on 16 February 2018 in Cardiff at the age of 80. He was survived by his widow Pat, their four children – Robert (a consultant surgeon in Blackburn), Janet, Mary and Paul – and seven grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009448
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Seal, Philip Victor (1940 - 2013)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Williams
Publication Date 2013-04-30 2013-06-12
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E003000-E003999/E003900-E003999
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/376119376119
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon
Details Philip Victor Seal, known as 'Vic' to family, friends and colleagues, was a popular and highly respected orthopaedic surgeon in Hereford. He was born in Brighton, Sussex, from humble stock. His father, Eric Joseph Seal, was a carpenter, killed in action in 1945. His mother, Emily Nellie Seal née Ellyatt, came from a family of bakers. Vic was educated at grammar schools in Brighton and Harrogate. He was an outstanding scholar: having won the school chemistry prize, he went up to Manchester College of Science and Technology to study chemical engineering, but was drawn to a career in medicine. He moved to Manchester University Medical School, where he graduated in 1964. He won the Public Welfare Foundation prize in his final year. He held junior posts in Bristol and Bournemouth before he joined the orthopaedic registrar training programme at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, Oswestry. His interests within orthopaedics were developed under the guidance of D Lloyd-Griffiths, Gerald Slee, Brian Thomas and Brian O'Connor. In addition, his trauma skills were advanced during time spent with P S London at the Birmingham Accident Hospital. At the latter end of his specialist training he spent a year working with A R Hodgson at the paediatric spinal surgery unit in Hong Kong and was particularly interested in the early diagnosis and treatment of idiopathic scoliosis. On Brian Thomas' retirement in 1975, Vic was appointed as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon in Hereford and Oswestry. In Hereford his orthopaedic interests were diverse and general. He ran clinics for children's orthopaedics and for spinal disorders, and was later instrumental in the development of knee arthroscopy and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. In this he was a pioneer in the use of Gore-Tex synthetic ligaments, performing over 100 procedures with outstanding results. In Oswestry he joined the spinal disorders team, but in 1990 he resigned his position at Oswestry to continue full-time in Hereford. Vic was keenly involved in medical management at Hereford and was chairman of the district management board for a number of years. He was outspoken in his opinions about developments in the Health Service, both locally and nationally, and was unstinting in his efforts to maintain the highest standards of care for Hereford patients, often against a background of inadequate resources. Away from work, Vic's interests were many and varied. As well as being a great family man, he enjoyed tennis, squash, skiing, golf and gardening. He was an accomplished pianist and post-retirement his musical talents extended enthusiastically into learning to play the church organ, eventually helping out at services in some Herefordshire churches. Unfortunately, just prior to his retirement in 2002, Vic developed prostate carcinoma which, after successful initial treatment, left his great energies undiminished until the condition became more widespread. He died on 12 January 2013 at the age of 72. He was survived by his wife Lee, his children Philipa and Kate, and two grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E003936
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Morrison, Malcolm Cameron Tatham (1928 - 2024)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by David Williamson
Publication Date 2024-07-03
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010600-E010699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/388210388210
Occupation Trauma surgeon Orthopaedic surgeon
Details Malcolm Morrison was a consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon at the Princess Margaret Hospital, Swindon. He was born in Brighton on 28 May 1928. His father, William James Morrison, died when he was five, and his mother, Lucy Eleanor Morrison née Tatham, moved frequently as she tried to support Malcolm, his older sister and younger brother. He attended Bournemouth School for Boys, and then went on to study medicine at St Thomas’s Hospital Medical School. His mother died just after he started, but fortunately he was given a bursary to enable him to continue his studies. He qualified in 1951. His love of anatomy classes influenced him towards surgery and a period of working in trauma at Birmingham Accident Hospital cemented his career path. He carried out his National Service between 1952 and 1954, as a medical officer in north Africa and Malta. After training at Rowley Bristow Hospital, Salisbury General, the Middlesex Hospital, St George’s, Southampton and St Thomas’, he was appointed as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon in Swindon in 1967. He worked alongside Ian Young, Eric Denman and Patrick Monahan until his retirement in 1991. As was common for orthopaedic surgeons of that era, Malcolm treated patients with any orthopaedic condition, although spine and hip surgery were his preferred sub-specialties. At St Thomas’ he was influenced by the ‘father of manipulative medicine’, James Cyriax, which led to Malcolm developing a special interest in manipulation of the neck and lumbar spine. Even after retiring, he continued to treat staff at the hospital. He used ward rounds as an opportunity to teach the junior doctors and would emphasise the importance of the clinical history and careful examination. He could be a very exacting teacher. ‘Morrison, Swindon’ was a familiar introduction to a statement or question raised at many a meeting, followed by Malcolm making a very pertinent point, often returning the audience to the basics of the field being discussed or, in the case of meetings at the local hospital, some small-print error or even discovery by Malcolm of ways that ‘management’ was going to ‘put one over on the doctors’. Malcolm had a penchant for reading all material produced for a meeting and finding issues with which he disagreed. Whilst working, Malcolm was heavily involved in the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association and he retained an interest in medical politics in retirement, continuing to attend meetings where he would give strong opinions and lament what he saw as the demise of the profession. In his early years as a consultant, he regularly played cricket and subsequently golf. When he retired, the orthopaedic department organised a golf day to which previous registrars he had trained were invited. Over 40 took part and it was so popular that it became an annual event with Malcolm presenting ‘the Morrison Cup’ to the winning golfer each year. He continued to play into his early 90s. He was also a lover of art, participating in National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies (NADFAS) trips, and he enjoyed attending Girdlestone Orthopaedic Society meetings as he was a trainer of Oxford-based registrars. Malcolm had a very active mind right to the end, writing his ‘final notes’ for distribution at his funeral. In 1957 he married Ann Elizabeth Budd. They divorced in 1989. Malcolm died on 16 May 2024 at the age of 95. He was survived by his daughter, Phrynette, and his son, Ashley.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010642
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Bloch, Bernard (1922 - 2012)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Deborah Greene
Publication Date 2012-06-28 2014-06-13
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E002000-E002999/E002500-E002599
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/374721374721
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon
Details Bernard Bloch, a Sydney-based surgeon, was a pioneer in the development of international standards for surgical implants. He was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, on 7 November 1922, the son of Israel Bloch, a businessman, and Greta Grueschlovsky, who fled Lithuania to start a new life in the Orange Free State. Bernard was educated at St Andrew's School in Bloemfontein and studied medicine at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, graduating in 1945. He had an older brother, Arthur, who was killed in the North Africa campaign during the Second World War, and a younger sister, Irma. Bernard also served in the South African Army during the war. Following his demobilisation, he went to London, where he was a resident medical officer at the Royal Cancer Hospital in 1946, then dominion registrar at Guy's Hospital from 1946 to 1947. In May 1948, Bernard married June Sugden, a British nurse. They both volunteered for service during Israel's War of Independence, before travelling back to Johannesburg, where Bernard was a casualty/fracture surgeon and a lecturer in anatomy. In 1949, they moved back to London and Bernard spent four years in various registrar positions, gaining his FRCS in 1952. In 1953, the Blochs moved to Sydney, Australia, where Bernard was appointed to Balmain and Sydney hospitals. He enjoyed a thriving practice for the next 20 years. In 1973 he left Australia, working first as a research fellow in experimental orthopaedic surgery in Davos, Switzerland, and then as a guest professor at the University of Louvain, Belgium. From 1976 to 1977, he was a locum consultant in the UK and in Holland. In 1978 the Blochs returned to Sydney, Bernard to consultant practice and Sydney Hospital. In 1989 they moved to Israel and subsequent retirement. As a research fellow at the University of New South Wales, Bernard carried out original work on biomaterials and epoxy glues. Working groups were established in metallurgy, with Lou Keys, and mechanical engineering, with Noel Svensson. Bernard developed techniques for the bonding of long fractures by plastic adhesives and investigated the use of metal implants and alloys. He also analysed hip and knee replacements in 22 Sydney hospitals, from 1969 to 1979. He wrote seven books, including *Plastics in surgery* (Springfield, Illinois, 1967, second edition 1972) and *Amputations and artificial limbs* (co-authored with George Swan, Sydney, Department of Orthopaedics and Prosthetics, Sydney Hospital, 1974). He also visited New Guinea in 1966 for a six-week tour, and reported on hospital conditions and orthopaedic services. Bernard's most significant work lay in the field of surgical implants, where he advocated the establishment of standards. Bernard was foundation chairman of the Standards Association of Australia's committee on surgical implants, and of the International Organization for Standardization's technical committee on implants for surgery, from 1972 to 1986. His contributions were recognised in Australia by the Australian Orthopaedic Association executive, and at international level. P G Laing, in his article 'World standards for surgical implants, an American perspective' (*Biomaterials*. 1994 May;15[6]:403-7) wrote: 'Dr Bernard Bloch of Australia was the leader in the early effort and other countries eagerly joined in his work.' Bernard Bloch died on 1 January 2012, aged 89. He was a man of inquiring mind and great energy, and will be remembered professionally for his ability to involve surgeons and scientists in productive collaborations. He was survived by his wife June, three daughters, Gila, Margot and Deborah (another daughter, Pnina, predeceased him in 2003), 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E002538
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Wardle, Derek Basil James (1924 - 1997)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Deborah Wardle
Publication Date 2017-04-21 2017-05-17
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009300-E009399
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381527381527
Occupation General practitioner General surgeon Vascular surgeon
Details Derek Wardle was a general surgeon and general practitioner in New South Wales, Australia. He was born in Herefordshire to Harold Wardle and Elsie Wardle née Clarkeson. As a boy, he loved working on local farms, developing a love of agricultural work that played out later in his life in Australia, when he purchased a small property at Torryburn, East Gresford, in the Hunter Valley. Here he raised Hereford cattle, as a link to his childhood. He had an older sister, Margaret, who married French pilot, Rene Jonchier, and lived with their three daughters in French colonies and Paris. Derek was a keen sportsman, excelling at rowing, cricket and football during his university years. He studied at Cambridge and then King's College Hospital Medical School. Derek married Jacqueline Payne in London 1948 and, against his parents' wishes, he converted to Catholicism at Jacqueline's request. They courted through the end phases of their medical training. A family tale is told of them in a training session on eyes. Students were asked to turn the eyelid of the person next to them. Derek turned to Jacqueline, folded her eyelid back, and that, as they say, was that. They worked in the mid 1950's at the Royal Infirmary in Cardiff, Wales. From there they made the decision to move to Australia, following some colleagues and friends, the Coulthards and the Withercoms. Derek flew to Australia in 1957 to set up a home and work. Originally, he considered working in Kalgoorlie, but decided on a practice in the western suburbs of Newcastle, New South Wales. They had by then four children; Penelope, Timothy, Rebecca and Deborah, who was born after Derek had flown to Australia. Jacqueline followed with the four children, on an eight-week boat trip through the Suez Canal to Australia. The family lived initially in Wallsend, then set up home on ten acres at Cardiff, New South Wales. They had two more children, Nicholas and Felicity. The family took annual holidays to Narrabri Pony Camp for over 30 years, where Derek was the camp doctor, patching up children after falls from their horses. Derek worked at the Mater Hospital and Wallsend Hospital, and in general practice in both Glendale and in Wallsend. Derek and Jacqueline often worked together in general practice. When Derek completed his studies to become a surgeon, he established a surgery in Watt Street, Newcastle. He specialised in vascular surgery and, through private research, developed a successful alternative to general anaesthetic and vein stripping. The method of vein compression with bandages in the treatment of varicose veins was a day procedure, which involved injecting saline for small, spider veins and tetradecyl sulphate diluted into larger veins. He also did some vein stripping and was a pioneer with sclerotherapy when it started. Patients with bandaged legs were required to walk regularly to ensure circulatory rehabilitation. He was a respected senior surgeon in Newcastle, New South Wales and much-loved by his patients for his compassion and generosity. He was a doctor who often surpassed the constrictions of medico-legal or political correctness. Derek was appointed as an anatomy teacher at the newly-established medical school at Newcastle University in the 1980's. His kind rapport with students made him an excellent and popular teacher. Derek practised surgery until his late sixties. Derek and Jacqueline retired to Kilaben Bay, on Lake Macquarie and remained strongly involved in the Catholic parish at Toronto. In retirement Derek had more time for his much-loved fishing on Lake Macquarie and growing vegetables. He also practised woodturning and amateur furniture making. Each of the children had a garden bench made for them, along with numerous bowls, cigarette trays and three-legged stools, which became known as the 'child-killers', for all the tumbles that the grandchildren took from them. Derek was a loving and engaged father and grandfather. His passions, including Australian history, reading, the bush, fishing and amateur construction, have been passed on. He built sheds, stables and a tree house, among his many practical endeavours on the 10-acre block. He kept a cow and, for some years, a pig, an expression of his childhood love of farming. Jacqueline died in April 1997, and his six children knew that he would not last long after the death of the love of his life. Derek was a man of strong integrity and had a great sense of humour. He died from peripheral arterial disease and septicaemia, following a stubbed toe. 'At least the smoking didn't get me', was one of his parting quips. He and the children refused lower-leg amputation. Derek Wardle died on 28 August 2007. He was 82. He lived a full life, fostered principles of love in his family, and held the respect and admiration of friends and colleagues.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009344
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Mukherji, Santanu ( - 2010)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Dee Mukherji
Publication Date 2012-10-17 2014-05-02
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E003000-E003999/E003000-E003099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/375221375221
Occupation General practitioner
Details Santanu Mukherji was a general practitioner in Yorkshire, with a special interest in cardiology. He was born in Calcutta. His father, Captain Maniklal Mukherji, was a founder member of the Indian Radiological Association, and physician to and friend of the poet Rabindranath Tagore, a winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature. Santanu was educated at St Xavier's College, Calcutta, and the Nilratan Sircar Medical College (formally the Campbell Medical School). He went to Britain for postgraduate studies, and gained his FRCS and FRCS Edinburgh in the same year, 1968. He was appreciated by his fellow doctors. Derek J Rowlands, a consultant cardiologist at Manchester Royal Infirmary, records how he was 'a delightful, stimulating and inspirational colleague'. He was survived by his wife Dee, his son and two daughters, and one granddaughter. One of his daughters entered the medical profession.
Resource Identifier RCS: E003038
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Rajender Kumar, Peringottukurissi Velayudhan (1935 - 2021)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Deepak Rajenderkumar Divya Mathews
Publication Date 2021-11-19
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010000-E010099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/385172385172
Occupation ENT surgeon Medical audiologist
Details P V Rajender Kumar was a distinguished ENT surgeon, medical audiologist and academician whose contributions to the field of audiology and otolaryngology had a lasting impact in India and internationally. His career spanned several decades, during which he played a pivotal role in research, teaching and clinical advancements in the diagnosis and treatment of hearing disorders. Born on 21 September 1935, the son of Dr P K Velayudhan, a general practitioner, and A K Saradha, a housewife, he pursued his medical education at Madras University, earning his MB BS, followed by a diploma in otorhinolaryngology and a masters degree in surgery (ENT). His dedication to the study of hearing disorders led him to obtain a PhD in audiology from Madras University, further solidifying his expertise in the field. He was also a Member of the National Academy of Medical Sciences. His academic journey culminated in being awarded fellowships of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow and the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Throughout his career, he held numerous academic and clinical positions. He served as the professor of medical audiology and head of the Institute of Speech and Hearing in Madras, where he was instrumental in establishing the institution as a premier centre for audiological research and training. His tenure at various government medical colleges, including Madras Medical College and Madurai Medical College, saw him mentor countless students who went on to make significant contributions to ENT and audiology. Rajender Kumar’s research focused extensively on audiological assessment, hearing loss prevention, and speech pathology. He was the principal investigator on numerous government-funded projects, including studies on noise pollution and its effects on hearing, the genetic and environmental causes of deafness, and the prevalence of hearing loss in rural populations. His work led to improved policies and interventions for the hearing impaired in India. Internationally recognised for his expertise, he collaborated with the World Health Organization as a short-term consultant in the Western Pacific region and Southeast Asia. He was instrumental in organising hearing conservation workshops and training programmes in countries such as the Maldives, Vietnam, Laos and China. His contributions earned him commendations from global health bodies, highlighting his role in the prevention and management of deafness. A dedicated educator, Rajender Kumar served as an examiner and board member for several universities across India. He played a crucial role in shaping medical audiology curricula and was actively involved in professional organisations, serving as president of the Indian Speech and Hearing Association and the Association of Otolaryngologists of India, among others. His contributions were widely recognised, and he received numerous awards, including the Clubwala Jadhav Award for Rehabilitation of the Disabled (in 1986), the Bharat Award for services to speech and hearing development (in 1996), and the Best Doctor Award for Physically Handicapped Services from the Government of Tamil Nadu (in 2000). Beyond his professional achievements, he was deeply committed to humanitarian work. He organised numerous hearing assessment and rehabilitation camps across Tamil Nadu, providing free medical services to thousands of patients. His involvement with organisations such as the Commonwealth Society for the Deaf and the Rehabilitation Council of India further demonstrated his dedication to improving the lives of the hearing impaired. Married to Swarnalatha Rajender Kumar, a gynaecologist, P V Rajender Kumar died on 25 May 2021 at the age of 85. His legacy in audiology, otolaryngology and medical education remains unparalleled. His pioneering work in hearing loss prevention, his dedication to teaching and his commitment to service have left an indelible mark on the medical community. He was survived by his family, colleagues and the many students he mentored, who continue to carry forward his passion and mission in the field of ENT and audiology.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010032
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Bliss, Brian Peter (1933 - 2023)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Denis Wilkins
Publication Date 2023-08-15
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010400-E010499
Occupation General surgeon Vascular surgeon
Details Brian Bliss was a consultant vascular and general surgeon for Plymouth Hospitals. He was born on 21 June 1933 in Ilford, Essex, the son of Albert Reginald Bliss, a post office engineer, and Doris Alexandra Bliss née Young, a telephonist. As a child Brian’s life was dominated by the Blitz and two periods of evacuation. He attended All Saints Church School, passed the 11+ and went on to Selhurst Grammar School for Boys. During those early years he recalled much bullying, but grew in confidence and his troublesome asthma improved such that by the sixth form he was doing well academically, playing rugby, involved in drama, and active in the school’s Air Training Corps. He achieved a place at Charing Cross Medical School during a time when there were 100 applicants for each place and was one of 48 who qualified in 1956. Many of his peers were ex-forces and much older. He recalled later that 21 of his year went on to become consultants, three of whom became professors and one director of medical services at Eli Lilly – a distinguished group. Living on a state scholarship in post war London meant that he was impecunious. Sundry jobs working in and around Covent Garden helped him make ends meet. During his clinical attachments as a surgical dresser, he was ‘allocated’ his first patients, learned how to take blood, put up drips, assist in theatres and administer straightforward ‘gas and air’ anaesthetics – not unusual in those days. He completed his pre-registration house officer jobs at Harrow Hospital. Here he met Jeanne Shearman, who had recently qualified in nursing and was working in theatres. Romance blossomed, dating commenced, but there was very little free time. He recalled their first date was at Kew, then mainly on Sundays at Clifton Hall or Ruislip. They married in 1958, which marked the start of a long, happy and devoted partnership. As was common practice, house officers were the receiving officers for casualties overnight, treating, admitting, referring or summoning assistance. He stayed at Charing Cross and followed the conventional pathway of the time, competing successfully for six- or 12-month senior house officer appointments and building experience in the generality of surgery. Spells of locum GP work to make ends meet was par for the course. In parallel, he studied and taught physiology and worked at the Mildmay Mission Hospital in the East End. During 1958, Helen Roseveare, the well-known missionary doctor was on furlough there from her Congo assignment and made a great impression on him. He passed his primary fellowship in London at the first attempt. He was appointed as a surgical registrar at Charing Cross and recalled the broad clinical experience, which included paediatrics, cardiothoracics and orthopaedics. Final FRCS examination passed, he moved on to a senior registrar post and became interested in the newly emerging specialty of vascular surgery, particularly the development of vein and prosthetic grafts. Brian’s next appointment was as a senior lecturer in surgery in the professorial surgical unit under Anthony (‘Tony’) Harding Rains. He progressed to reader in surgery. His employment contract being with the University of London, the remuneration was extremely modest for the needs of a growing family, but he loved academic surgery and thrived. During this period, he completed his MS thesis on resistance to blood flow. He also investigated new grafts and the role of lipids in vascular disease. He was much in demand as an excellent and very patient teacher. On one occasion, when his legendary patience was being tested, came the exasperated cri de coeur: ‘By gosh, you are the thickest bunch of students I have ever come across’. Years later, he was reminded of the episode by of one of the group, whom he had just appointed as a consultant colleague. Progression to a chair might have been expected, but after nine years in post this was not to be. Although a successful well-published academic, Brian was first and foremost a clinician and by now well established as one of the new breed of general surgeons with a major vascular interest. He was one of the early members of the Vascular Surgical Society and, being the first vascular surgeon in the department, undoubtedly set Charing Cross on its course to become a major international vascular centre. In 1976 Brian was head hunted by Michael Reece and appointed by Plymouth Hospitals to develop a vascular service. There were no specialty vascular services south of Bristol at the time. Some patients were referred, but most simply suffered, underwent amputation or died from what even then was regarded as treatable vascular disease. The family relocated and settled in Saltash close by the river Tamar. There were five NHS hospitals, Freedom Fields, Greenbank, Scott Hospital, Mount Gould and Devonport, plus the Royal Naval Hospital Stonehouse. Brian described clinical practice as incredibly busy. Elective operating lists were conducted on four days a week and frequently ran on into the evening. Introducing a new specialty required exceptional effort and commitment until the case for extra resources became irresistible. Brian fulfilled his commitment to an onerous general surgical emergency rota of 1:5, while in addition providing 1:1 cover for vascular emergencies. It is doubtful whether Jeanne or the family saw much of him during those days. His efforts proved the point and in 1979 he was able to appoint a colleague. It was not deemed appropriate in those days for university hospitals, in this case Bristol, to rotate trainees far away from the centre and none were placed in Plymouth or Truro. Consequently, junior staff in Plymouth were mostly recruited from overseas. They gained excellent clinical teaching and experience and, as a consequence, Brian forged many international friendships and links which endured long after he retired. His achievement of a merit award, rarely awarded outside of the teaching hospitals at the time, was a mark of the regard in which he was held. The first phase of Derriford Hospital opened in 1982. Resisting the allure of the attractive new facilities, Brian elected to stay at the slightly run down Greenbank Hospital in the city centre to join with his new colleague and fulfil the aim of an integrated vascular unit. Many staff, including his long-term ward sister Deidre Giles and secretary Alison, chose to stay with him. Under his leadership a unit was built which published, attracted trainees and thrived. Innovations included joint ward rounds, inter-hospital vascular meetings, joint audits, vascular multidisciplinary team/angiogram reviews, a research assistant and the first steps towards a vascular laboratory. In the four-year period between 1997 and 2001 the unit treated 395 patients with aortic aneurysm and over 200 with limb threatening circulation blockages. Brian was elected to the prestigious Peripheral Vascular Club and hosted several of its meetings in Plymouth. The Plymouth unit contributed regularly to the proceedings of the Vascular Surgical Society and published many papers. One of Brian’s registrars, Alun Davies, was later appointed professor of vascular surgery at his alma mater, Charing Cross Hospital. Brian was elected by his colleagues to the influential position of hospital medical staff chairman during the Thatcher years of NHS reform, which followed the Griffiths Report in 1983. It was a poisoned challis and one which he handled with his usual fairness, trust and humour, although he admitted being bruised by the personal nature of attacks by some colleagues as he did his best to steer a course through uncharted waters. In the early 1980s, his wife Jeanne had developed rheumatoid arthritis and during subsequent years became increasingly disabled. They were a devoted couple. Colleagues and friends rarely heard a word of complaint about the difficult hand they had been dealt. Possibly influenced by Jeanne’s illness and increasing dependence, he retired from Derriford Hospital in 1993 at the age of 60. The foundations of a thriving vascular unit which now serves Plymouth and large tracts of Devon and Cornwall can be traced back to Brian’s vision and energy. The family were devout Christians and Brian was an elder of Saltash Baptist Church, to which he devoted much time and support. He was also an expert and avid gardener. Jeanne predeceased him in 2018. On 14 April 2023, after a long and tedious illness which he bore with his usual stoicism, Brian died from cancer of the bile duct. He was 89. He and Jeanne had three children, Tim, Andrew and Christine, and five grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010424
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Eustace, Peter (1936 - 2014)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Denise Curtin
Publication Date 2016-03-24 2016-04-22
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009000-E009099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381276381276
Occupation Ophthalmic surgeon
Details Professor Peter Eustace was a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon with a special interest in Neuro-ophthalmology. He studied Medicine in University College Galway where he met his beloved wife Margaret. His post graduate training was undertaken in Birmingham in general practice initially and subsequently in Ophthalmology. He was appointed to the Mater Hospital and Richmond Hospitals Dublin in 1975. His energy was boundless and his enthusiasm was infectious. He had great interest in-patient care and was readily available to colleagues and trainees in particular, who he enjoyed teaching and mentoring. Peter took a keen interest in their examinations and surgical training, developed many research projects and encouraged the trainees to present at national and international meetings. It is fitting that he was appointed as Professor of Ophthalmology to University College Dublin and the Mater Hospital Dublin in 1982. He developed the Mater Eye department with a number of Consultant appointments each with a sub-specialty interest, forging strong links with Temple Street and the Beaumont Hospitals. Peter co-authored of *Neuro-ophthalmology* which was published in 1998. He established the first EBO diploma examination in Milan in 1995 to enable recognition of European training as he strongly supported the European Board of Ophthalmology and the harmonisation of training in Europe. The Peter Eustace medal for excellence in education is awarded annually since 2011 during the EBO exam in Paris. He was a co-founder of the British Isles Neuro-ophthalmology (BINOC) club with Bruce Noble in1984. All attendees were required to present a paper. Peter organised the third meeting in Ireland which was the first of several meetings held in this country. Peter was always at the centre of the discussions and is remembered for his gentle wit and great scholarship. BINOC meets annually and is attended by distinguished neuro-ophthalmologists from the US and Europe and has brought great fellowship and support to all attendees. Peter was President of the Irish College of Ophthalmology in 1993-95. He was a champion golfer and a member of Dun Laoghaire golf club all his life and he enjoyed sailing. A keen supporter of the arts, when he retired he spent many months in Connemara painting and writing poetry. He is sadly missed by his wife Margaret their children Ashling, Stephen, Nick, Joanne and Hilary, his many grandchildren, friends and colleagues. All who knew him benefited from his intelligence and his commitment. A leading figure in Ophthalmology, he enriched countless lives with his advice and support whilst his dedication to patient care was exemplary.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009093
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Ebert, Paul Allen (1932 - 2009)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Denton A Cooley
Publication Date 2014-02-24 2014-03-28
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E005000-E005999/E005000-E005099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/377206377206
Occupation Cardiothoracic surgeon Thoracic surgeon
Details Paul Allen Ebert was an American thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon. He is best known for his contributions to the repair of complex cardiac anomalies in infants and for his directorship of the American College of Surgeons. He is also remembered as a researcher, educator and athlete. Paul Ebert was born in Columbus, Ohio, on 11 August 1932. He attended Ohio State University in Columbus, where he became a widely recognised student athlete, excelling at both baseball and basketball. He was recruited to play professional baseball for the New York Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates, but declined their offers in order to pursue a medical career. After earning his medical degree from Ohio State University in 1958, Ebert completed his surgery internship and residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital under the direction of Alfred Blalock. Ebert spent two years as a senior assistant surgeon at the National Heart Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, and then went on to become a professor of surgery at Duke University Medical Center. Later he served as chairman of the department of surgery at Cornell University Medical College (from 1971 to 1975) in New York City and then as chairman of the department of surgery at the University of California San Francisco Medical Center (UCSF) (from 1975 to 1986). While at UCSF, he contributed many advances to the field of cardiovascular surgery, specifically pertaining to the primary surgical repair of complex cardiac anomalies in infants. In particular, he introduced clinical methods that greatly enhanced the survival of patients with truncus arteriosus and that enabled neonates with transposition of the great arteries to undergo the arterial switch operation. In 1986, Ebert left clinical practice to become executive director of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. With him at the helm, the ACS expanded its member services, established an extensive managed-care educational programme, and maintained a strong lobby in Congress on behalf of patient choice. He also organised the construction of a new building to serve as a permanent home for the college. This building also houses the administrative offices of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons, the Society for Vascular Surgery, the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, and other professional organisations. Ebert was a member of many surgical societies and served as president of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery, the Society of University Surgeons and the Western Thoracic Surgical Association, among others. He was also a member of the Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars and was vice chair of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery (from 1987 to 1989). He wrote or co-authored 198 peer-reviewed scientific articles. He was also a popular and gifted surgical educator. In retirement, Ebert enjoyed golfing with the Senior Cardiovascular Surgical Society, a small group of surgical educators from major US medical institutions who met to play golf and exchange surgical experiences. In 1989, he received the Theodore Roosevelt award, the National Collegiate Athletic Association's highest honour, which is given to varsity athletes who have achieved high recognition in their adult lives. On 20 April 2009, Paul Ebert died of a heart attack sustained while playing golf. He was 76. He was survived by Louise Joyce (née Parks), his wife of 55 years, and by their three children (Leslie, Mike and Julie) and five grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E005023
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Doherty, Una Bernadette (1963 - 2023)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Derrick Willmot
Publication Date 2023-10-06
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010400-E010499
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/387349387349
Occupation Dental surgeon Orthodontist
Details Una Doherty was a dental surgeon and specialist orthodontist in Sheffield. She was born on 2 October 1963 in the Creggan, Derry, the sixth of nine children. Her father Patrick Doherty’s employment, he was a project manager in the construction industry, brought the family to Cheshire in August 1970. Her mother was Susan Doherty née Browne. Una qualified as a dental surgery assistant in 1985 at Liverpool Dental Hospital, at the same time as studying for her A levels. She was accepted on the dental degree course at Liverpool University, commencing September 1986, however, she was already determined to follow her lifelong passion, orthodontics. In the summer holidays she observed and assisted Warren Jones, a consultant at Warrington Hospital, with the intention of making that her career. She was awarded her BDS in December 1990 and she stayed on at the dental school as a junior house officer. She then spent 18 months as a resident house officer at Worcester Royal Infirmary, under maxillofacial consultant Tony Sears. Living on site, she performed a one-in-two days on-call, and she would find herself travelling to district hospitals in Droitwich, Redditch and Malvern in the middle of the night. After Worcester, she worked in the community in Hanley, in the Potteries, before returning to Liverpool for an oral surgery post. All this time she was studying for her FDS parts one and two, which she obtained in 1995. She was then accepted as a registrar on the MOrth training programme at Liverpool. She was an orthodontic registrar to Stephen Rudge, who described her as a tremendous clinician who was caring, conscientious and had a great rapport with patients. She obtained her MOrth and specialist registration in 1999 and worked as an associate with several orthodontists, before, in 2003, becoming principal of her own practice in Sheffield. Her practice was on Glossop Road, Sheffield, and was subsequently based in a Georgian town house on that road, which had been a dental practice for over a century. She was involved in all the details of a refurbishment, which reflected her own strong sense of style, colour and aesthetics. It was a time of change in NHS primary dental care, with the new contract bringing in the ‘UOA’ (units of orthodontic activity) and the introduction of the ‘IOTN’ (index of orthodontic treatment need) scale. The practice was well-situated to expand into private treatments, both children and adults, and she became a successful Invisalign provider. Una was very much a hands-on principal and was enthusiastically involved in all aspects of running the practice. The success of the orthodontic clinic derived as much from her personality as from the excellent results she achieved. Una was pleasant, reassuring, attentive and ready to answer any question. Patients would often send in friends and other family members for treatment. Una’s good nature brought loyal, hard-working support staff, who she would encourage to take extra qualifications to advance their careers. She travelled internationally, Buenos Aires and Tokyo were particular favourites, and she raised money for the dental charity Dentaid on a 2007 trek up Mount Sinai. Closer to home, she enjoyed visiting the ancient houses of Derbyshire, and sponsored the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. She always dressed in her own distinctive style, enjoyed concerts, good food and dining out, and, during lockdown, she finally perfected her favourite, Irish soda bread. It was orthodontics that was her great motivation and, even when she was unwell, Una continued to treat patients. This, and her positive, optimistic nature, helped her through the often-challenging treatments. Her passing, still seeming so young and full of energy for life, affected all who knew her. She will be deeply missed and ever remembered by former patients, family, friends, colleagues, and especially her husband Alan Caton.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010468
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Sebastian, Sir Cuthbert Montraville (1921 - 2017)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Desmond Fosbery
Publication Date 2017-04-21 2017-07-12
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009300-E009399
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381524381524
Occupation Diplomat General surgeon Medical Officer Obstetrician and gynaecologist Politician
Details Sir Cuthbert Montraville Sebastian was governor general of Saint Christopher and Nevis. He was born in the Caribbean, on the island of Saint Kitts (as the island of Saint Christopher is commonly known), on 22 October 1921. His father, Joseph Matthew Sebastian, founded the labour movement on Saint Kitts and also established the first national newspaper. His mother was Inez Veronica Sebastian née Hodge. On completing his secondary schooling, young Cuthbert, affectionately known as 'Cutie' to his family and friends, was apprenticed to the Cunningham Hospital on Saint Kitts as a learner-dispenser. Under the tutelage of variously appointed British Colonial Administration surgeons and physicians during the 1930's, he completed his early years at that institution, becoming a trained dispenser and surgeon's assistant. His duties also included being mortuary attendant and autopsy assistant. At times he was instructed by the surgeon to 'just carry-on' for a case of 'simple appendicitis' and so on, for which the chloroform anaesthetic would be administered by the matron. During the Second World War, Sebastian enlisted in the Royal Air Force and was undergoing training in Canada as a rear-gunner at the time of the cessation of hostilities in 1945. Upon returning home, he continued his studies and won an entrance scholarship to Mount Allison University in Canada, where he obtained a BSc degree in 1953. This achievement led to his gaining a place at Dalhousie University Medical School in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and in 1958 he gained his Canadian medical degree. After his pre-registration year, he returned home to work in the Government Health Service as a medical officer, and was appointed variously to each of the islands of Saint Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla in turn. During this period, there would usually be only one doctor on an island with a population of under 10,000. In 1962, he went to Britain and spent the next four years training in surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology at Dundee Royal Infirmary. His colleagues there included Malcolm 'Callum' Macnaughton and Narendra 'Naren' Patel, both of whom became presidents of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Returning to St Kitts in 1966, Sebastian was appointed as medical superintendent and obstetrician gynaecologist to the Cunningham Hospital, the same institution where some 30 years earlier he had started his apprenticeship at 'a shilling per day in lieu of rations'. When the Cunningham Hospital was closed in 1967, he took the same positions at the newly commissioned 164-bed Joseph N France General Hospital. Between 1970 and 1980 he served whenever necessary as surgeon and also as chief medical officer, in addition to his other hospital duties. It was in 1973 that I first met and worked with Sebastian when I was appointed as a surgeon specialist. Being the only two surgeons in the country, and with no junior staff, we worked closely together, often conferring over major cases and joining each other across the table in the only operating theatre at the hospital. In 1978, he was instrumental in obtaining the necessary funding and authorisation to establish and construct a twin operating theatre suite at the hospital, a project which moved swiftly to completion with his invaluable support and enthusiasm. This was aided no doubt in part by our joint appointment as attending surgeon to the then premier, Robert L Bradshaw. In December 1995 Sebastian retired from medical practice and, on 1 January 1996, was appointed governor general of the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, and Her Majesty's representative. In the same New Year's honours, Her Majesty conferred upon him the rank of Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George. Also in his retirement, Sir Cuthbert became instrumental in organising the Caribbean's first established telemedicine service, between Saint Kitts and the Dalhousie Medical School in Nova Scotia, such was his continuing enthusiasm for technological advances in his chosen profession. In March 2001 Sir Cuthbert was awarded an honorary fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons at a joint meeting of the Royal College of Surgeons and the University of the West Indies in Barbados, and in 2002 received an honorary fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. I held Sir Cuthbert Sebastian's professional and personal achievements in the highest regard. It was my pleasure to have him as a colleague and friend for over 40 years - one of the worthy 'old school surgeons'. Sir Cuthbert Sebastian died on 25 March 2017. He was 95. He was survived by his three sons and three daughters.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009341
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Anandarajan, Somasundaram (1926 - 2012)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Dharman Anandarajan
Publication Date 2020-10-19 2022-03-18
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009800-E009899
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/383869383869
Occupation Ophthalmic surgeon
Details Somasundaram Anandarajan was a consultant ophthalmic surgeon in Sri Lanka. He was born in Kayts, a small village in northern Ceylon on 31 May 1926. Although he initially wanted to become an historian, being the only child of a blind mother inspired him to a pursue a career in medicine. He studied at the University of Ceylon and qualified in 1952. He was then appointed as a house surgeon and worked at government hospitals throughout Ceylon, including at Jaffna and Galle. In 1960 he moved with his wife Rajapoopathy and children to England and earned a diploma in ophthalmology in 1961. He worked with Edgar Frederick King at Moorfields Eye Hospital and passed his FRCS in 1966. His desire to serve his home country brought him and his family back to Ceylon in 1967, where he set up an eye practice. He spent the following decades as a leading consultant eye surgeon in Sri Lanka and set up monthly free eye clinics throughout the island to help the poor. Following his wife’s death in 1999, he created the Rajapoopathy Memorial Glaucoma Centre, with the goal of raising awareness about glaucoma and setting up free eye clinics across Sri Lanka. He had a passion for reading and writing. He published numerous articles in the *Ceylon Medical Journal* and was the author of many books published through the Rajapoopathy Memorial Glaucoma Centre, including on ophthalmic neurology, the macula and retinal pigment epithelium, the optic nerve and the history of ophthalmology. Somasundaram Anandarajan died on 11 May 2012 and was survived by his three children – Asokan, Valli and Murugan.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009802
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Broadfoot, James (1920 - 2012)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Diana Broadfoot
Publication Date 2013-02-20 2013-06-26
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E003000-E003999/E003500-E003599
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/375776375776
Occupation Urologist
Details James Broadfoot was a urologist in Sydney, Australia. He was born in Townsville, Queensland, on 17 March 1920, the eldest son of James and Emily Broadfoot, who had left the UK to settle in Australia. He spent his early years in Townsville, and then, at the age of five, moved with his family to Sydney, New South Wales. He went to Lindfield Public School (which was later attended by his four children and three of his grandchildren) and then North Sydney Boys High School. During these formative years he participated in rugby, swimming and pursed his passion for amateur radio. James attended Sydney University Medical School and graduated in 1943. He undertook his junior residency at Lismore Base Hospital in rural New South Wales and his senior residency at Royal North Shore Hospital. In 1946 he spent a year in the Merchant Navy as a ship's surgeon aboard *The Erin*, a refrigerated ship of 7,500 tons under control of the Royal Navy which supplied fresh produce to various naval vessels. Upon completion of his naval adventures, he returned to Royal North Shore Hospital as a surgical registrar. During this time he was exposed to the various surgical specialties and had to make a difficult choice between obstetrics/gynaecology and urology. He chose urology. In March 1949 he married Elizabeth Helen Nalder and they travelled to the UK, where he undertook further specialist training. He worked at St Peter's and St Paul's and Hillingdon hospitals whilst undertaking his studies at the Royal College of Surgeons. In 1950 he sat for the primary exams of the English and Edinburgh colleges, eventually gaining his fellowship of both. In 1952 he returned to Australia and settled in Lindfield, a northern suburb of Sydney. He was appointed as a junior honorary urologist at Royal North Shore Hospital in 1953 and commenced practice in Macquarie Street, Sydney. He was also appointed to Hornsby Hospital as a junior honorary urologist in 1954. James had a special way of teaching, and spent over 20 years teaching and tutoring senior medical students at Royal North Shore Hospital. In recognition of his contributions to teaching senior medical students, he was elected a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 1972. He retired in 1979 and was appointed emeritus consultant urologist at Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Hospital in recognition of his years of service. Outside medicine, James was a keen golfer, as well as an avid fan of Fats Waller. He took great delight in listening to his large collection of Fats Waller recordings and took up learning to play the piano in his fifties in the hope that he would one day be able to play the music of his idol. James was survived by his wife Helen, his children James, Jane, Matthew and Diana, and his seven grandchildren (Amani, Saneia, Deborah, Robert, Anthea, Richard and Edwina) and four great grandchildren (Rhys, Josie, Hamish and Harvey). As his daughter, I had the good fortune to work alongside many of his medical and nursing colleagues after his retirement, and I was always immensely proud to hear how well he was regarded, as a surgeon and as a gentleman.
Resource Identifier RCS: E003593
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Sharp, Malcolm (1933 - 2014)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Dodi Sharp
Publication Date 2014-10-17 2016-11-03
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E006000-E006999/E006100-E006199
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/378331378331
Occupation ENT surgeon Head and neck surgeon
Details Malcolm Sharp was a consultant ENT surgeon with a special interest in head and neck surgery at St Helier Hospital, Carshalton, St George's Hospital, Tooting and the Royal Marsden Hospital, London. Following a visit to the United States to Duke University, North Carolina and Penn University, Philadelphia, he introduced, for the first time in UK, day surgery at St Helier Hospital for a range of ENT operations, including tonsillectomy. He was born on 30 June 1933 at Queen Charlotte's Hospital, London, the second child of Abraham Sharp (known as 'Arthur'), who managed a shoe shop, and Deborah Sharp née Zack. Having started in primary school in Stamford Hill, London, he, with the onset of the Second World War, was evacuated with his older sister, Sybil, to Yaxley near Cambridge. Later he won a scholarship to Westminster City School. Trained at University College Medical School, where he successfully produced a Christmas show entitled 'The fallopians', he qualified in 1956 and was appointed as a house physician in Newcastle, before returning to University College Hospital as a house surgeon. Malcolm Sharp then gained experience in general surgery and orthopaedics. He was influenced by Peter London at the Birmingham Accident Hospital and by Norman Tanner at Charing Cross Hospital. With this strong background in general surgery and orthopaedics, Malcolm Sharp decided that his anatomical surgical field should be the head and neck. To this end he was trained at the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital, Gray's Inn Road and was influenced by Donald Harrison. Malcolm Sharp was first and foremost a clinician; he chaired his district management team and took part in teaching medical students from St George's Hospital. He enjoyed travel, particularly within Europe and the USA, was a sociable, humorous man who loved the company of family and friends, and was a keen and knowledgeable gardener. He liked music, in particular opera, and was an enthusiastic painter and photographer. In June 1966 he married Deborah ('Dodi') Bierer, who later became a consultant anaesthetist at St Helier Hospital, Sutton Hospital and the Nelson Hospital in Wimbledon. She lived in Israel for 17 years and served as a sergeant in the Israeli army for two years, before going to the UK to read medicine at the Charing Cross Medical School, qualifying in 1964. She represented the fifth generation of doctors in her family. They had three children - Amanda, co-founder of the Frieze Art fair, Julia, a specialist in European Union/competition laws and Gideon, a corporate city lawyer. There are eight grandchildren. Malcolm Sharp died from hepatocellular cancer on 13 July 2014. He was 81.
Resource Identifier RCS: E006148
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Knight, Michael James (1939 - 2011)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Donal Shanahan
Publication Date 2011-11-03 2012-02-01
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001400-E001499
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373671373671
Occupation Biliary surgeon Hepato-pancreato-biliary surgeon
Details Michael James Knight was a biliary surgeon at St James' Hospital, Balham, and St George's Hospital. He was born on 29 August 1939 in Canning Town, London, the son of Charles Knight, a builder, and Ellen Elizabeth Knight née Murphy, a cook. He and his brother Richard were the first of the family to go to university, Mike studying medicine at St George's Hospital Medical School, his brother obtaining a PhD in chemistry. On telling their father that they were both doctors, he questioned when they were going to stop 'playing at university' and get a proper job. During the war years, Knight was evacuated to Somerset, forming a life-long bond with the county and subsequently purchasing a family holiday home there. He qualified in 1963 and, after his houseman year, worked at the Royal Hampshire Hospital, Winchester, before returning to St George's Hospital as a surgical registrar. It was during this period that he worked for Lord Rodney Smith, who became his mentor and guide during the rest of his professional life. Some of Mike's more colourful behaviour can be attributed to the influence of Smith, including his legendary behaviour in the operating theatre and his affection for hospital managers. His research took him to America, where he was a fellow to Washington University, St Louis, and, after his return, was appointed as a senior surgical registrar at St George's Hospital. His research culminated in his Hunterian Professorship in 1975. In 1978 he was appointed as a consultant surgeon to St James' Hospital, Balham, and as an honorary senior lecturer in St George's Hospital Medical School. He established himself as a biliary surgeon and his skill, loyalty and discretion soon led to him heading up a world-renowned tertiary referral centre for bile duct strictures. In 1988 St James' Hospital was amalgamated with St George's. At this stage Mike set up and ran the ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography) centre there. His skill with the endoscope further enhanced his reputation as a master biliary surgeon. Outside the hospital, he was a member of the Court of Examiners for the Royal College of Surgeons of England and a member of the board of trustees to the Pancreatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, of which he was made president in 1987. He was a very private man and those who knew this side of him were fully aware that he was a devoted family man. He married Phyllis ('Phyl'), a nurse, in 1981. The warmth and generosity of spirit shown by both Mike and Phyl to all those invited into their home were evident. Many evenings ended with Mike playing the piano, music being another of his passions. The last few years of his professional life were dogged with ill health, but before retiring in 2005 he managed to maintain the ERCP service in St George's Hospital, for which he had become famous and continue his ongoing campaign with hospital managers. He was survived by his wife Phyl and his children William and Ellie, who, to his immense pride, have followed him into medicine.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001488
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Sidey, James Donald (1916 - 2014)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Donald Beard
Publication Date 2019-12-16
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009600-E009699
Occupation General surgeon
Details It has been difficult to write about Donald Sidey owing to his country of birth, his age and his family, most of whom have either died or disappeared. I will to do my best to record some of the significant parts of his surgical life, particularly in Adelaide where he was involved in the rapid and important transition period in surgical management and teaching and the performance of some operations no longer performed. He was brought up in Exmouth, England. Following his schooling he entered the Medical School at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington and graduated in about 1940. He was appointed a House Surgeon at that hospital and then volunteered for the RAF and served in the UK and Europe. On return to the UK he commenced his surgical studies and obtained the FRCS (England) in about 1950 – the period of the start of the NHS to which many surgeons disagreed and people like Ivor Lewis left to work in Rhyl, North Wales where he carried out his wonderful ‘surgical dictums’ such as What is it? Where is it? Does it account for the patients symptoms? Why did the patient go to his doctor? Why did the doctor send him to me? Only then could you operate! With the flood of surgeons returning from the war consultant surgical appointments were difficult to obtain. Sidey was fortunate – armed by his recent FRCS (England). It was about this time that Bob Magarey, (late Sir Rupert – President AMA) was given the job of recruiting a Surgical Superintendent for the Royal Adelaide Hospital. None was available in Adelaide. Each of five surgical clinics was run by a Senior Honorary Surgeon, Assistant Surgeon and a Clinical Assistant who did mostly outpatients. There was one Surgical Registrar (in training) for the whole hospital. He rotated for emergency and night work with the Gynaecology Registrar and the Outpatient Registrar and casualty was run by Dr Douglas Carmen. If anything serious was admitted, the Honorary Surgeon would come into examine the patient and possibly operate. If they became sick or were on leave, Donald would “fill in”. Incidentally, Bob Magarey had just returned from army service as the Senior Medical Officer of the Kokoda Track where he was tremendous. Donald Sidey was appointed as the Surgical Superintendent, with the roles of teacher, assistant to the house surgeons and students and organiser of the whole of the surgical management of the hospital. I well recall his excellent work although an Englishman was a bit “hard to take” for some of the brash young house surgeons who had never been out of Australia. But gradually Sidey produced a better order and this was greatly enhanced by the arrival of the first Professor of Surgery, Richard Jepson whose arrival was ‘a breath of spring’. There followed the appointment of two Senior Surgical Registrars - Mervyn Smith and Ronald Hunter who had just returned from the U.K. with excellent qualifications and experience. A Surgical Superintendent was no longer required and Sidey was able to resign and enter private practice as a good general surgeon and also do some further clinical research on the various ‘nerve entrapment syndromes’, only the carpal tunnel surviving. He retired at 70 and lived in a coach house in “Doctors’ Row”, Hutt Street, Adelaide. Unfortunately he lost his second wife and more sadly, from muscular dystrophy, his very good surgical son Peter. And so the transition period was over and the Royal Adelaide Hospital had developed into a first class world recognised hospital about to enter the final phase of a completely new purpose-built establishment. Donald Sidey lived on to 98. It was always a great pleasure to stop and talk to him on all manner of subjects. I would best describe him as “a Gentleman Surgeon”.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009673
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Neil-Dwyer, Glenn (1938 - 2020)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Dorothy Lang
Publication Date 2021-02-10 2021-07-02
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009900-E009999
Occupation Neurosurgeon
Details 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 support the war effort. From May 1947, Glenn attended Kingsmead Preparatory School, Hoylake, Wirral, whilst his father completed his commission in the RAF in Liverpool and flew Mosquito planes whilst attached to RAF Detling, Kent. In 1951, whilst his parents were in Nigeria and Niger doing missionary work, Glenn moved to Ruthin School, North Wales. He became head boy in 1955 and captain of both rugby and cricket first teams. He qualified MB BS in 1963 from St Mary’s Medical School in London. He remains the only person to captain St Mary’s Medical School rugby first team in consecutive years (1961 to 1963), winning the United Hospitals Cup in 1963. He went on to play for London Welsh. The press tipped him to play for England, but he never did. General surgery training followed: he gained his fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1967 and of England a year later. He completed his MS thesis in 1974 on ‘The metabolic effects of subarachnoid haemorrhage’ while undergoing neurosurgical training in Cambridge and Southampton, a lifelong interest that led to many scientific papers and presentations at international meetings. He was appointed as an Arris and Gale lecturer to the Royal College of Surgeons in 1983. He returned to Jamaica in 1974 for his first consultant post at the Cornwall Regional and University College hospitals. However, his neurosurgical ambitions for Jamaica were frustrated, at a very difficult time politically and socially, by the lack of resources and infrastructure. He moved back to the UK to begin practice at the Brook Neurosurgical Unit in London (1975 to 1987). In 1987, he returned to the Wessex Neurological Centre in Southampton to join the existing three-man team that served the growing population of Wessex. He combined a busy clinical practice with an active academic career and an ever-expanding list of national and international administrative roles. Neurosurgery had been established in Southampton in 1967. The unit excelled at training future neurosurgeons and a strong academic unit was being developed. However, its physical infrastructure needed redevelopment and expansion. Glenn was the bridge with the administration that facilitated the restructuring. He established many productive collaborations, both academic and clinical. He introduced complex and demanding surgical approaches to the skull base that required team working with ENT, plastic and maxillofacial surgery. Dedication to a busy clinical practice was complimented by an active research career that embraced meticulous audit and clinical trials. He published more than 100 papers broadly focusing on neurosurgical techniques, outcome and quality of life after neurosurgical intervention. He was at the forefront of the movement that recognised the impact of overly ambitious skull base surgery, not only on the patient but also on the family and carers. He continued to contribute papers, book chapters and read papers at academic meetings up until retirement. Glenn was held in the highest regard by his trainees. His philosophy was that trainees had to be responsible for their own training – he rarely dictated solutions to their problems. Wise, patient and focused discussion usually allowed the trainee to find an answer. He emphasised how important it was to become your own man or woman and to be the best you could possibly be. In every aspect of his life, Glenn served as a role model for those aspiring to a career in neurosurgery. He led by example – a successful career would require fairness and honesty, service and sacrifice, effort and diligence, decency and respect – values he manifested in abundance. In sport and in medicine he was able to strike a balance between competition and community, exemplified by his commitment to building organisations that would work with and for others for common benefit and the sheer pleasure that ensued, knowing that service is its own reward. In the operating theatre, always a difficult arena in which to train, he was supportive and intuitive. His dedication to teaching, training, the intercollegiate examination and the UK-wide development of safe neurosurgical services led to productive service for many years on the councils and committees of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons (SBNS) and the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS). Glenn’s dispassionate, evidence-based analysis was invaluable in the movement to develop and rationalise neurosurgical services nationwide through Safe neurosurgery 2000 and Safe neurosurgery 2002, and the Neurosurgical workforce plan. He appreciated the need for early engagement with politicians and planners, and learned their language. He was president of the SBNS from 1998 to 2000, a consultant adviser in neurosurgery to the Army (from 1992 to 2006) and a member of the council and cases committee of the Medical Defence Union (1998-2008). He was subsequently awarded the EANS medal of honour and the SBNS medal in recognition of his outstanding contribution to neurosurgery. Glenn married Sue, an ophthalmologist and his beloved wife of over 50 years, in 1966. Three sons were to follow – Jason, Dominic and Leo. Glenn was a proud and loving father. His love and commitment to medicine did not distract him from taking part and encouraging his sons in his favourite sports – principally rugby, squash and cricket. In addition to rugby, he played cricket at county level and was particularly proud to be an MCC member and wear the unmistakable tie. Retirement in 2002 allowed Glenn to spend more time with family and friends. He loved his frequent long walks in the New Forest, golf at Brockenhurst Manor Golf Club and frequent visits to the theatre and cinema. Perhaps his greatest passion was opera. He rarely missed a production at Covent Garden, unless Wagner was playing. It is something of a surprise that he didn’t persist with Wagner. They shared a somewhat similar philosophy – that of careful synthesis of component parts to produce, in the composer’s case, a total work of art and, in Glenn’s, a comprehensive approach to the design, delivery and organisation of neurosurgical services in the UK. The house in Bank near Lyndhurst was a beautiful, welcoming family home frequently visited by family and friends. Glenn sadly lost Sue in March 2020 after a long struggle with Parkinson’s disease. Glenn’s terminal illness was relatively brief. He died peacefully at home on 30 November 2020 with his three sons at his bedside. He was 82.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009932
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Ball, Pamela Margaret (1926 - 2019)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Douglas Murray
Publication Date 2020-03-19 2020-12-18
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009700-E009799
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/383049383049
Occupation Plastic surgeon General surgeon Anaesthetist General practitioner
Details Pamela Ball was a surgeon at Kidderminster General Hospital and at the West Midlands regional plastic surgery centre at Wordsley Hospital. She was born Pamela Margaret Moody on 28 November 1926 in Half Way Tree, a neighbourhood of Kingston, Jamaica. Her mother was Vera Holme Moody née Manley, sister of Norman Washington Manley, statesman, lawyer and Jamaican prime minister. Her father, Ludlow Murcott Moody, a government bacteriologist and then a general practitioner, had trained at King’s College in London and, in 1919, became the first Jamaican to gain the membership of the Royal College of Physicians. Her paternal uncles included Harold Moody, also a physician, who in 1931 set up and led the first black civil rights group in the UK – the League of Coloured Peoples, and Ronald Moody, an eminent sculptor. She qualified in medicine from Birmingham University in 1950. She was a house surgeon to Jimmy Leather at Birmingham General Hospital, and then held posts in casualty and orthopaedics. She gained her FRCS in 1954. She was a resident surgical officer at Kidderminster General Hospital and a clinical assistant in plastic surgery at the West Midlands regionals plastic surgery centre, where she was a busy and efficient surgeon of great experience who did many local anaesthetic lists. However, her medical talents were not confined to surgery as she gave general anaesthetics to obstetric and plastic surgery patients, as well as being a well-respected part-time general practitioner in a large Kidderminster practice. Pamela also did sessions in the accident and emergency department at Kidderminster General Hospital from 1970 to 1985. She married John Ball, an eminent general practitioner and medical politician, in 1957 and by 1960 had given birth to three children – Margaret, David and Jonathan. She played the viola to a high standard and enjoyed playing chamber music. She obtained a first-class honours degree and then a masters’ degree in mathematics from the Open University whilst working in general practice and at Wordsley Hospital. She looked after a well-stocked and exotic garden, and spent many hours salmon fishing in the Scottish Angus Glens. Latterly she did much charity work for Kidderminster General Hospital and was president of the League of Hospital Friends. She was awarded an MBE in 2019. Predeceased by her husband, she died of bone cancer on 16 September 2019.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009714
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Monaco, Anthony P (1932 - 2022)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Douglas W Hanto
Publication Date 2022-12-09
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010100-E010199
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/386257386257
Occupation Transplant surgeon
Details Anthony Peter Monaco was a legendary and pioneering transplant surgeon and basic scientist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and the distinguished Peter Medawar professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School. He was also president of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (from 1985 to 1986) and of the Transplantation Society (International) (from 1986 to 1988). He contributed to major advances in clinical transplantation, organ donation and procurement, and basic transplant immunology for over five decades. He was born on 12 March 1932, the son of Donato Monaco, who was originally from Italy, and Rose Monaco née Consalvi, and grew up in Philadelphia. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1952 and from Harvard Medical School in 1956, where he was a national scholar and received the Henry Asbury Christian award. Following medical school, he was an intern and resident at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and then a research fellow in immunology and the American Cancer Society clinical fellow at Harvard Medical School (from 1956 to 1963). In 1963 he took a position at MGH as an assistant in surgery and instructor of surgery at Harvard Medical School. In 1967 Monaco became an associate visiting surgeon, fifth (Harvard) surgical service, Boston City Hospital, and chief of the transplantation division, Sears surgical research laboratory of Harvard Medical School, Boston City Hospital. He moved to the New England Deaconess Hospital in 1974, where he served as chief of the division of organ transplantation from 1975 to 1995 and, after the merger of the Beth Israel and New England Deaconess hospitals, served as chief of the division of organ transplantation at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) from 1997 to 2001. He also served as president of the medical staff and member of the board of trustees of the New England Deaconess Hospital. During this time, he also established the kidney transplant program at Rhode Island Hospital (RIH) and was also director of transplant services at RIH from 1997 to 2009. Monaco served as the chairman of the New England Organ Bank (NEOB), the first organ procurement organisation in the United States, from 1973 to 1976 and from 1981 to 1985. This was in recognition of his numerous contributions to the pioneering efforts to organise, standardise and expand deceased donor organ donation in New England as a founding trustee of the NEOB. Monaco became an assistant professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School in 1967, associate professor of surgery in 1969 and professor of surgery in 1977. In 1995 he was appointed the Peter Medawar professor of surgery. He was also a member of the board of academic advisers, Harvard Medical School (from 1974 to 1983). Monaco was a busy clinician performing kidney transplants, donor nephrectomies, dialysis access and general surgical procedures in transplant patients throughout his career. He was recognised for his expert technical ability, superior clinical knowledge and judgment, and ability and success in teaching and mentoring several generations of medical students, surgical residents, transplant fellows, faculty and research investigators. He had an abiding interest in and dedication to studying clinical problems in the laboratory with the intention of applying them clinically. He was admired and beloved by all his students, colleagues and staff. Many of his former students are current leaders in clinical transplantation and transplant immunology. He retired from clinical surgery in 2007 but continued to be an active member of the transplant institute at BIDMC until his death. It is impossible to adequately summarise in a short paragraph Monaco’s many original contributions in experimental and clinical transplantation that were focused in three primary areas. First, he did innovative work demonstrating the lymphocyte depleting and immunosuppressive properties of extremely potent polyclonal antilymphocyte antibodies (ALS) for experimental and clinical use. Studies by Monaco and his colleagues proved the effectiveness of ALS in prolonging large animal vascularised solid organ allograft survival. They were critically important for two reasons; they provided a scientific basis to develop a human ALS for clinical use and they introduced the concept of biological induction therapy – that ALS treatment might enhance the effectiveness of immunosuppressive drugs and/or decrease the dose required for maintenance immunosuppression. Monaco and his colleagues were among the first investigators to examine the effects of anti-human ALS in man. His sequential studies in mice, dogs and humans provided a solid experimental basis and strong impetus to develop polyclonal ALS for use in human clinical transplantation. Second, he demonstrated the unique tolerogenicity of donor bone marrow to induce specific recipient hyporesponsiveness. Monaco noted that mice given ALS, particularly after adult thymectomy, exhibited tissue and peripheral lymphopenia and associated immune incompetence similar to that seen in neonatal animals (mice) in whom Medawar and colleagues had induced immunological tolerance to skin allografts by intravenous donor lymphoid cell injections. These studies were the first to demonstrate that donor bone marrow specifically enhanced survival of vascularised whole organ allografts in recipients treated with depleting antibodies – clearly foreshadowing the tolerance strategies used in clinical tolerance protocols. Third, Monaco and his colleagues developed several new tolerance strategies using depleting polyclonal antilymphocyte antibodies, donor bone marrow and clinical immunosuppression that were effective in large and small animal models and were based on their pioneering laboratory work including the identification of a tolerogenic fraction of active bone marrow cells consistent with that of a natural suppression or regulatory cell. He performed the first kidney/bone marrow transplant in a patient in the mid-1970s. These areas of research continue to have substantial impact on experimental and clinical transplantation. Polyclonal antilymphocyte antibodies are regularly used in transplantation biology studies requiring reliable methodology to induce transient immune suppression. Some 50 years after their immunosuppressive effect in humans was identified, polyclonal antibodies are the most commonly used clinical biological immunosuppressive agent for induction, to achieve steroid sparing, to counteract high immunological risk and to facilitate immunosuppressive drug minimisation strategies. The unique tolerogenic ability of donor bone marrow to induce permanent tolerance in association with transient chimerism in protocols involving lymphocyte depletion and short-term clinical immunosuppression has been confirmed clinically. Monaco was the editor of *Transplantation* from 1969 to 2001 and served on the editorial boards of several other academic journals including *Transplantation Proceedings* and *Transplantation Science*. He received many awards throughout his illustrious career including the Lederle Medical Faculty award of Harvard University (in 1968); the Sir Peter Medawar prize of the Transplantation Society (in 1998), the Felix Rapaport prize of Baskent University in Turkey (in 2000) and the Roche Pioneer award of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (in 2002). He became an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1996. Monaco, however, was more proud of his family than any of his many clinical and research accomplishments. His wife of 58 years, Mary Louise ‘Mary Lou’ (née Oudens) died in 2018. He treasured time at the family’s Vermont ski home, where he and Mary Lou skied into their eighties, and welcomed family and friends for decades. He always valued his time with his children and grandchildren above all else, never missing their ski dates, little league or soccer games, or other school and extracurricular activities. He always saw the good in everyone and encouraged his children and grandchildren to do the same. He never expected his children and grandchildren to follow in his footsteps, but to find a profession or vocation that they loved and would complete their lives and make the world a better, safer, happier place. Monaco died on 22 August 2022 at the age of 90 in Boston, Massachusetts and was survived by his sons Peter, Mark and Christopher, his daughter Lisa and four grandchildren. He is remembered by those who worked with him over the years as a superb surgeon, thoughtful scientific innovator, and a kind and collaborative leader and mentor in the field of transplantation. He was a friend and colleague to many. His legacy will live on through the patients he cared for, the clinicians and scientists he trained, the scientific advances that continue to have an impact on patient care, and through the scientific work that continues because of the foundations that his work provided.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010188
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Hulme, Allan (1917 - 2008)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by E C Hulme
Publication Date 2010-10-13
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001000-E001099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373213373213
Occupation Neurosurgeon
Details Allan Hulme was chief of neurosurgery at Frenchay Hospital, Bristol. He was born in June 1917 in Seaton Carew, but spent his childhood in Stockport, Lancashire. He was educated at Manchester Grammar School, where he was in receipt of a scholarship. In 1935, he won an exhibition to St John’s College, Cambridge, to read agricultural science. A year after going to Cambridge, he decided that his true vocation lay in medicine, and the university and college authorities allowed him to switch courses. In 1939, he graduated BA in medicine. Allan Hulme returned to Manchester, to pursue his medical training at the Manchester Royal Infirmary as a house surgeon under the tutelage of Sir Geoffrey Jefferson, newly appointed professor of neurosurgery at the University of Manchester, a mentor for whom he developed the utmost regard and admiration. In 1942, Allan Hulme gained his BChir. He also married Christine Annie Pepper, whom he had met in Cambridge whilst she was nursing at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. Their marriage lasted for 59 years. In 1942, Allan Hulme joined the Royal Army Medical Corps, serving first in East Africa (Nigeria), then being transferred to India, and finally Burma. While in India, his interest in neurosurgery was kindled by having to deal with combat-related traumatic head injuries. During this highly formative period, he was strongly influenced by a second mentor, Gordon Paul, a surgeon from Bristol, who informed him of the possibility of obtaining a position in Bristol after the war finished. After his demobilisation in 1946, Allan returned briefly to Manchester, but influenced by this advice, applied for and obtained a post in neurosurgery at Frenchay Hospital in Bristol. This had been developed as an Emergency Medical Services hospital, housed in a series of single-story brick buildings, by the US forces during the Second World War, and it was during this period that neurosurgery was established. After the war, when the hospital was handed back to the newly-formed NHS, Frenchay became the south-western regional centre for the specialty of neurosurgery. In 1947, shortly after starting work at Frenchay, Allan obtained his FRCS. At the time of his appointment, the chief of neurosurgery was George Alexander, another strong influence. He was acknowledged in an important paper which Allan Hulme published in 1960 on the surgical approach to thoracic intervertebral disc protrusions, which is still being cited more than 40 years later (*J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry*. 1960 May;23:133-7). Allan was promoted to senior registrar then full consultant by the early 1960s. The third consultant was Douglas Phillips. Work in the unit was arduous and demanding, with long and frequently unsocial hours. He showed paramount devotion to the welfare of his patients, often making the journey from his home in Long Ashton in the western suburbs of Bristol, even when not on duty, to check on the progress of patients in person. Because of his wide geographical coverage of the Frenchay neurosurgical unit, he also held regular clinics in Taunton and Exeter. On the retirement of Douglas Phillips in the late 1960s, Allan became chief of neurosurgery. Arising from his surgical work, he developed a strong interest in the mechanisms of control of intracranial pressure. He initiated and undertook pioneering research into this with colleagues at the Burden Neurological Institute, particularly Ray Cooper. They studied the control of intracranial pressure during anaesthesia, after traumatic head injury, and before and after surgery for intracranial space-occupying lesions. These studies involved the implantation of miniaturised subdural pressure transducers into the skull, along with other intracranial monitoring devices such as oxygen electrodes and thermistors to monitor local blood flow. Allan retired from his post as chief of neurosurgery in 1979, and retired to Balquhidder in Perthshire, where he passed a long, productive and happy retirement amongst his beloved Scottish hills, which he loved to paint and photograph to the very end of his life. He died on 29 December 2008 and was survived by his three children, Edward, Martin and Catherine.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001030
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Smith, Bernard Geoffrey Norman (1938 - 2016)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by E Kidd
Publication Date 2023-07-06
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010300-E010399
Occupation Specialist in conservative dentistry Prosthodontist
Details Bernard Smith died on 2 November 2016 following a brave fight with pancreatic cancer. Bernard qualified at University College Hospital Dental School in 1963 and worked in general dental practice as an associate and later principal and owner. Encouraged by Professor Pickard he went to America to study prosthodontics for two years as a postgraduate at the University of Michigan, subsequently returning to full time academic appointments in London in 1968. He held academic appointments at The London, The Royal Dental Hospital, and Guy’s, UMDS. Until retirement in 2003 he was very active clinically, providing a wide range of restorative treatments and supervising postgraduate students. In 1991 he became Professor of Conservative Dentistry, Head of Department at Guy’s Hospital (UMDS) and concurrently fought and won his battle with lymphoma. He established the MSc in Conservative Dentistry at The Royal in 1976. He examined undergraduates and postgraduates at universities worldwide and all the UK Royal Colleges. He was at various times President of the British Society of Restorative Dentistry, the International College of Prosthodontists, Honorary Consultant in Restorative Dentistry to the British Army, board member of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the RCS England, Chair of the UK Specialist Advisory Committee in Restorative Dentistry, and Member of the Board of Directors of Dental Protection Ltd. He championed the NHS Consultants in Restorative Dentistry. Bernard’s research concerned tooth wear, publishing numerous papers and authoring several textbooks. Bernard was a man of great integrity; if he considered something was wrong wild horses would not make him budge. He was a big man in ethic as well as in stature and he would not be pushed around. He was an inspirational teacher with a great interest in curricula. Bernard was a wise council and many have been influenced by his advice. As a head of department he was present, available, caring and very hard working. He would sometimes advise a change in career direction and many have benefited from his suggestions. Marrying Susan (1962), an RDH trained dentist, was his own best decision. Their homes in London and Anglesey were shaped by his passion for building. Their hospitality was legendary, both being outstanding cooks. He was immensely proud of his children, Matthew and Louise, and son-in-law Neil. He adored his grandchildren, Zoe and Ruby. His family and many friends will miss him terribly, but will be thankful for all this remarkable man gave us.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010307
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Onyeaso, Onyemara Nduche (1931 - 1979)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by E Olumbumni Olapade-Olaola
Publication Date 2009-02-10 2014-06-27
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E000000-E000999/E000500-E000599
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/372768372768
Occupation General surgeon
Details Onyemara Nduche 'Dick' Onyeaso was chief consultant surgeon at Aba General Hospital, Nigeria. He was born on 7 July 1931 in Enugu, Nigeria, the son of Samuel Onyeaso, a clerk, and Minah Onyeaso, a housewife. He was educated at St Peter's Primary School, Enugu, the Methodist College, Uzuakoli, and Dennis Memorial Grammar School, Onitsha. He learnt his basic medical sciences at the University of Ibadan Medical School, which was then affiliated to the University of London, and went on to do his clinical studies at Westminster Hospital Medical School, London, where he won the class prize in midwifery and graduated MB BS on 16 November 1958. He completed his internship at University College Hospital, Ibadan, and thereafter returned to England, where he trained in general surgery and passed his FRCS in 1964. He was a senior registrar in cardiothoracic surgery at Bethnal Green Hospital in 1971, but thereafter his interest in cardiothoracic surgery waned. He worked variously in England, Switzerland and Nigeria, and as personal physician to the family of the president of Gabon, Omar Bongo, until 1974, when he returned to Nigeria to be the chief consultant surgeon at the General Hospital, Aba. He started his private practice in 1976. Outside medicine, he loved swimming and lawn tennis, and was fluent in French. Dick was a family man. He married Ibobo Antoinette Allgoa in 1971. They had four children - Nduche, Chinwe, Nkechi and Obinna. Nduche and Nkechi are physicians in the USA, Obinna is a physician in Nigerian, while Chinwe is a banker in Nigeria. Dick Onyeaso became sick in 1979 and was diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma. He died on 24 September 1979 in Westminster Hospital, London, aged 48.
Resource Identifier RCS: E000585
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Manchester, Sir William Maxwell (1913 - 2001)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Earle Brown
Publication Date 2016-02-19 2017-10-19
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009000-E009099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381249381249
Occupation Plastic surgeon Plastic and reconstructive surgeon
Details Sir William Manchester was the Sir William Stevenson professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. He was born in Waimate, south Canterbury, New Zealand, the son of James Manchester and Martha Manchester née Brown. He received his early education at a local school and then as a boarder at Taimaru Boys' High School. He was admitted to Otago medical school, where he was a gifted undergraduate, gaining distinctions in most of his exams and being awarded many prestigious prizes and scholarships. He passed his primary FRCS as an undergraduate in 1934, being examined by Gordon Gordon-Taylor. After graduation in 1937, he spent a year as a junior lecturer in the anatomy department before starting his clinical training as a house surgeon at New Plymouth Hospital. He enlisted in the Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps in February 1940 and was posted as a medical officer to the 22nd New Zealand Infantry Battalion. He was persuaded to train in plastic surgery under the supervision of Sir Harold Gillies. He spent time at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead with Archibald McIndoe and at Hill End Hospital, St Albans with Rainsford Mowlem and John Barron. It is interesting to note that, having travelled from New Zealand to England, his specialist training in plastic surgery was by given New Zealand-born surgeons. He was posted to Egypt, where he started his first plastic surgical unit in the New Zealand Military Hospital at Helwan, Cairo. After two years, he was posted to the military plastic surgical unit at Burwood Hospital, Christchurch, later commanding this unit with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He later converted this military unit to a civilian establishment. In 1948, he returned to Britain for further postgraduate study and obtained his FRCS in December 1949. His was the successful application for the position of plastic surgeon at Middlemore Hospital, Auckland, where he established a plastic surgical unit in December 1951, and remained in charge until his retirement from public hospital practice in 1979. During this time, he supervised the training of at least 50 aspiring plastic surgeons. He obtained international recognition for his expertise and innovation in treating children with cleft lip and palate, and his special skill in mandibular reconstruction using large free bone grafts. Sir William was a popular visiting professor to many internationally renowned plastic surgical units, appreciated for his lucid and well-illustrated lectures, delivered with passion and humour. He was a member of the New Zealand committee of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, becoming its chairman in 1970 and served as an examiner for the Australasian college. He was an honorary member of many international plastic surgical societies and in 1969 he was elected to the James IV Association of Surgeons. Sir William was appointed foundation professor of plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Auckland in 1976. In 1967, he was appointed general secretary of the International Confederation of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, a post he held for four years and he then continued on the executive committee for many years. During his tenure as general secretary, he revised the by-laws and was instrumental in ensuring that all members of the national plastic surgical societies were properly trained and qualified plastic surgeons. This led to the formal training programmes that now exist in all countries represented by the International Confederation. He was awarded a CBE for services to plastic and reconstructive surgery in 1972, and was made a KBE in 1987. Sir William died on 25 December 2001 at the age of 88. He was a passionate New Zealander, who will be remembered for his surgical expertise, advancement of the art and science of cleft lip and palate surgery, and for his far-sighted administrative contributions to New Zealand, Australian and global plastic surgery.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009066
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Bassey, Okon Odokwo (1937 - 2024)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Ekaete (Bassey) Fujah
Publication Date 2024-09-04
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010600-E010699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/388249388249
Occupation Cardiothoracic surgeon
Details Okon Odokwo Bassey was head of the cardiothoracic unit and a professor at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. He was born on 29 June 1937 in the village of Uya Oron in the Oron Local Government Area of what is now Akwa-Ibom State in Nigeria. His father, Chief Odokwo Bassey, was a farmer and his mother, Madam Ikwo (Ekpo) Odokwo Bassey, was a trader. He was the first of her three surviving children. There was no elementary school in Uya Oron at the time and so, in 1944, he went to elementary school in another village, Okuko, a five km walk from Uya Oron. At that time, to be allowed to start elementary school a child’s hand had to be able to reach over their head and touch the ear on the other side (at about age six). Bassey had a half sister Mma Mary U Bassey, who he was very attached to. She was one year older than he was and when she started elementary school in Okuko, he insisted on going to school with her even though he had not yet ‘come of age’. When he was about nine years old, he moved to another elementary school, Eyo Abasi Central School, Oron, where he lived with one of the teachers close to the school and finished in 1949. In 1950, he was admitted into the Methodist Boys High School, Oron, on a scholarship from the Okobo-Oron Local Government. Here he obtained a grade one in the West African School Certificate examinations in 1955. Between 1956 and 1957, he attended the Hope Waddell Training Institution in Calabar. Again, he enjoyed a scholarship from the Okobo-Oron Local Government and won a prize in 1956 for the best student in the Cambridge Overseas Higher School Certificate that year. In 1958 he gained admission to study medicine at the University of Ibadan, then part of the University of London. He was awarded a scholarship by the Federal Government of Nigeria for his studies and graduated in 1963, three years after his father died. He started his medical career at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Nigeria, as a house officer. In 1966, he went to the UK to train in surgery on a scholarship from the Federal Government of Nigeria. Prior to his departure, he married his fiancée, Eno Anwana Mba, on 8 January 1966 at the Hoare’s Memorial Methodist Church in Yaba, Lagos. Immediately after the wedding, she returned to continue her studies at the University of Ibadan, while he proceeded to London. There were already tensions in parts of Nigeria and, exactly one week after their wedding, there was a military coup, which would trigger the events that led to the Nigerian Civil War. Once Eno graduated, armed with her French degree, she was able to join him in England later that year. From June to December 1966, he was a senior house officer in surgery at the Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital, Aylesbury. From January to June 1967, he was a senior house officer on the cardiothoracic unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham. He passed the final exams and was awarded the fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1967. His first child, a daughter, Ekaete (Iquo), had been born at the Paddington General Hospital in London, 20 days earlier. From December 1967 to March 1968, he was a locum registrar in surgery at the Prince of Wales Hospital, London, Peace Memorial Hospital, Watford, and Royal Free Hospital (annexe), London. He opted to return to Nigeria immediately afterwards although there was a war raging back home. On his return to the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, he was appointed as a second-year registrar. From January to May 1969, he served as a surgeon in the Nigerian Army Medical Corps with a rank of field major at the Delta Clinic in Port Harcourt, which was the base hospital for the third division of the Nigerian Army during the Nigerian Civil War. In 1972, after the war, he was awarded the Smith and Nephew fellowship to study cardiothoracic surgery, first at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham. From thousands of Commonwealth scholars who had applied, he was one of only 12 to be selected for the award. From June to December 1972, he studied cardiothoracic surgery at the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street. He had commenced a series of studies of the lower oesophageal sphincter to explain why it was rare for adult Nigerians to have hiatus hernia and gastro-oesophageal reflux. This programme of studies (which took place in Nigeria, Birmingham and London) was approved by the University of London for the award of the master of surgery degree in May 1975. Ian McColl of Guy’s Hospital Medical School, London was his supervisor. From 1973, he was a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos and headed the cardiothoracic unit there from 1976 to 1978. In October 1977 he became a professor of surgery; he had just turned 40 and was the youngest professor at the college at the time. At the end of 1978, he voluntarily retired from the University of Lagos to go fully into private medical practice; at Emmanuel Memorial Specialist Hospital in Lagos (from 1979 to 1982) and then as a joint owner of the 50-bed Oban Medical Centre in Calabar, Nigeria (from 1983 to 2001). In 2001, he joined the college of medical sciences of the University of Calabar, heading the cardiothoracic unit. He was a member of the education committee of the faculty of surgery of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria and remained involved in the examination of candidates into his eighties. He served on at least three university governing councils at various times. Music was always a big part of his life, and, at the time of his death, he was the grand patron of the choir of the Wesley Methodist Cathedral in Calabar. In 2005 he was made a Knight of John Wesley, a Methodist honour. He was an avid tennis player and only stopped when he snapped his Achilles tendon while playing. He was very passionate about the Oron community and funded or contributed generously to the education and healthcare of countless relations and other people from within and outside the community. Titles he was awarded by the community culminated in the title of ‘Ikpoto Oro’, the highest title that can be conferred on an individual by the people of Oron in Akwa-Ibom State. He was a very well-loved husband, father and grandfather, teacher and mentor, brother, friend and colleague, with a fantastic sense of humour, impeccable sense of style and a love for modern technology. He continued to work at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital until January 2024, when he started to slow down. He fell ill in February 2024 and died of lung disease on 14 June 2024. He was survived by his wife of 58 years, lawyer, career educationist and teacher Eno Okon Bassey, six children Ekaete (Bassey) Fujah, an architect, Eme Bassey Ezeliora, a marketing consultant, Odokwo Bassey, a business research consultant, Nene Aderohunmu, an accountant and banker, Bassey O Bassey, an aviation infrastructure program manager and Utibe Bassey, an adviser, speaker and writer, and 13 grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010646
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Holmes, Brian (1932 - 2015)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Stephen Dixon
Publication Date 2023-07-06
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010300-E010399
Occupation Orthodontist
Details Brian Holmes died peacefully on 24 March 2015 after stoically enduring Parkinsonism in his later years. Brian was born in Alvaston, Derby, where his father owned a successful butcher’s business. He went to Bemrose School in Derby, before studying dentistry at Guy’s Hospital, London, qualifying BDS in 1955. As a student, Brian played tennis, was a runner and a very useful fast bowler. National Service followed, when he was posted to Hildesheim (West Germany) where he first met Mary, a teacher with the British Armed Forces. They married in 1958. After National Service, Brian worked in the school dental service in London. He spent his registrar years at the Charles Clifford Dental Hospital in Sheffield and then, with his friend and colleague John Muir, shared a senior registrar rotation between Bournemouth and the Royal Dental Hospital. In 1969, he was appointed consultant orthodontist to a large area in North Lincolnshire – initially covering Grimsby, Scunthorpe and Louth. Brian was a man of strong principles and integrity, utterly committed to the NHS and to service to his patients. With long waits to see him, he declined to cancel his clinic when Princess Diana visited Grimsby in 1983 to open the new district hospital. Quietly unassuming and never seeking publicity, Brian’s aim was to ‘get the job done’. He understood and completely empathised with the problems of his colleagues in general dental practice, which earned him their widespread respect. Many were very grateful for the experience gained as clinical assistants in his department, where they appreciated not only his understated (and often quirky) sense of humour, but also his very real and lasting enthusiasm for orthodontics. Brian was immensely touched by the large number of his colleagues – past and present – who attended his retirement 'do' in Grimsby in 1997. He continued to support his successor by working as an unpaid, honorary consultant for another ten years. All this is more remarkable because, at home, he cared for Mary, who suffered early onset dementia from 1982 until her death in 1996. He had a strong Christian faith and studied scripture deeply. He was sometime church warden and church organist in the village outside Grimsby, where he lived for 45 years. Brian was a keen gardener and a lifelong supporter of Derby County and Derbyshire County Cricket. He leaves two children: Stephen (a GP) and Elizabeth, and two grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010318
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Campbell, Allan Gordon (1916 - 2011)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Elizabeth Thompson
Publication Date 2013-06-12 2015-06-05
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E004000-E004999/E004000-E004099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/376264376264
Occupation General practitioner General surgeon
Details Allan Gordon Campbell, known as 'AG', was born on May 4, 1916, in Adelaide, the first child of Iris (née Fisher) and Gordon Campbell. His sister, Judith, was born in 1920. Schooled at St Peter's College, Allan entered the University of Adelaide Medical School at 16. At university, he excelled at sprinting, as had his father. By remarkable coincidence both held the junior and senior State Sprint Championships and Inter-University 100 yards championship 30 years apart. After graduating in 1938, Allan became Resident Medical Officer at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH). His registrar, Dr Ina Fox, three years his senior, later became his wife. In 1940, he became an RMO at the Adelaide Children's Hospital. His grandfather, Dr Allan Campbell, who was married to Florence Ann (sister of Sir Samuel Way, Lieutenant-Governor and Chief Justice), founded the hospital in 1876. Allan joined the Royal Australian Naval Reserve as Surgeon Lieutenant in 1939. During World War II, he served on the destroyer HMAS *Vendetta*. In 1941 following evacuation from Greece, Allan, then 25, was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for service and bravery. While on leave, he married Dr Ina Fox in 1942 at St Peter's College Chapel. After discharge, in 1945, Allan returned to Adelaide to join a general practice at Hindmarsh. He then began surgical training at the RAH. He gained Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 1949 and Master of Surgery in 1950. At that time, to practice in Australian public hospitals, Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons, England, was required. Allan attended Hammersmith Hospital, London, then Warrington General Hospital, Lancashire. He was admitted as a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1951. On return to Adelaide in 1953 Allan was appointed Honorary Assistant Surgeon at the RAH, becoming Honorary Surgeon in 1963. His vision - broader than usual at the time - included the surgery of trauma and lead to the mentorship of a succession of younger sub-specialty surgeons. Upon abolition of the honorary system in 1970, he became a Senior Visiting Surgeon in 1971. Throughout this time he held teaching appointments in Surgery and Surgical Anatomy at the University of Adelaide Medical School, was a member of the Curriculum Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, the Foreign Practitioners Assessment Committee, the Advisory Committees to the University of Adelaide, RAH and Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and was Visiting Specialist in General Surgery to the Department of Repatriation. In 1976 following establishment of Flinders Medical Centre, Professor Jim Watts offered Allan, then 60, the position of Senior Visiting Surgeon which he accepted. In those days, it was unusual for a Senior Surgeon to move from an established position to new territory, but Allan's sense of adventure, wisdom, practicality and humility ensured the move was successful. He retired from FMC in 1981, aged 65. For years, Allan conducted his private practice from the Botanic Chambers opposite the RAH. He also visited Angaston and Mount Gambier Hospitals. Allan was a mentor and role model to several generations of surgeons and offered wise counsel in difficult clinical and management scenarios. He was a life member of the AMA. Although a keen golfer, Allan chose rose-growing as his hobby, so he could be on call and near the family. It also provided opportunities to meet people outside of medicine. He was an adept horticulturalist. At its peak, his home garden boasted around 800 rose bushes, as well as camellias, orchids, hydrangeas and fruit trees. Allan was involved with the Rose Society for 50 years. He was president in South Australia from 1974 to 1976, and nationally in 1975 and 1981. He was a judge at Rose Society Shows and a delegate to meetings of the World Federation of Rose Societies. For service to the Rose in Australia, he received the T A Stewart Memorial Award in 1976 and the Australian Rose Award in 1981. Allan established rose gardens at various hospitals, including the RAH in 1976. A commemorative plaque was later placed its North Terrace end. Allan was a national representative on the Board of the National Rose Trial Garden at the Botanic Gardens. He established a rose garden at Pineview Retirement Village and his monthly notes on Rose Care were published in a book "Pineview Roses - A Rose Lover's Handy Guide", proceeds of which go to the Women's and Children's Hospital. Allan and Ina were active members of their local church, St Chad's, Fullarton, for 50 years. Allan served on the Parish Council and was the Synod Representative for years. He was a generous financial supporter of the Parish. Allan and Ina held many open days of their garden in Fisher Street to raise funds for the Parish. Allan and Ina celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1992. Allan was devastated when Ina died suddenly in 1998. Allan died on June 29, 2011, aged 95. He is survived by his two daughters, Anne and Elizabeth and two grandchildren, Alexandra and Andrew. He is remembered as a hard-working, conscientious, talented, generous and humble gentleman who maintained dignity and humour until the very end.
Resource Identifier RCS: E004081
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Scobie, Donald John ( - 2015)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Emma Scobie
Publication Date 2015-09-14 2016-03-09
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E008000-E008999/E008000-E008099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/380233380233
Occupation General surgeon
Details Donald John Scobie was a consultant surgeon in Oban, Scotland from 1986 to 2012. He qualified at Glasgow University Medical School in 1973 and had an extensive and varied general surgical training, initially in the west of Scotland and thereafter in specialist units further afield. He particularly valued posts at the Birmingham Accident Hospital and in Liverpool as a senior registrar where, in the 1980s, he gained wide experience in urology, vascular and transplant surgery. This experience was all utilised when he was appointed as a consultant surgeon to the West Highland Hospital in Oban - initially single handed - where he transformed the range and complexity of surgical services offered to the local population. He was an exceptionally skilled surgeon and accurate diagnostician, and the range of surgery he offered, performed to a very high standard and with few complications, was very unusual in a hospital of this size; it obviated the need for many patients to travel to Glasgow for major surgery. He frequently worked very long hours, which were not always universally appreciated by his nursing and medical colleagues, but usually tolerated with good humour as it was clear he had the patients' interests at heart. He recognised he was fortunate in the particularly high standard of nursing in the West Highland Hospital and then in the Lorn and Islands District General Hospital (LIDGH) (the current hospital in Oban, the result of an amalgamation of several smaller hospitals in the area), without which his working life would have been much harder. Universally known as 'Mr Scobie' - the staff and he would have been uncomfortable with 'Donald' - the vast majority of the hospital staff with whom he worked for many years, particularly nursing, clerical and radiography, held him with great affection and respect, despite his variable timekeeping and occasional irascibility; this did not usually last long, and he would absorb the local news from staff whilst appearing not to be too interested, along with any new jokes, which he could never remember in their entirety. Very careful with money - both his own and the NHS's - he was quite unmaterialistic; the hospital car park was latterly host to a succession of ageing cars in various states of serviceability. These long working hours incorporated regular clinics in Lochgilphead, Campbeltown, Mull and Islay, where he enjoyed meeting patients; he also endeavoured to foster good working relationships with the GPs in these areas as well as in north Argyll, which he regarded as important for patient care, and endeavoured to be available to give advice over the phone. As he developed and expanded the service, due to Mr Scobie's reputation many people from these areas opted to go to Oban for their surgery rather than Glasgow. He was also held in high regard by the consultants in the specialist units in Glasgow and Edinburgh to whom he referred cases. Teaching, albeit somewhat unstructured, was an important part of his work - many junior doctors gained unusually wide experience with him, particularly if they had a sense of humour. Regular medical student attachments from Dundee and Glasgow universities were also established. He was ahead of his time in many respects; due to his extensive reading to keep up to date and previous surgical experience, he knew for many years prior to the opening of the LIDGH that, despite the already good and safe services, the radiology and anaesthetic departments would require development and expansion, and it gave him particular satisfaction that this happened whilst he was still in post. He also encouraged the development of nurse practitioners with whom he worked closely. There had been longstanding mutual respect and support between the surgical service and the consultant physicians in Oban, which was maintained at the LIDGH. Medical politics and management did not interest him; his contributions however, primarily at a local level, significantly shaped the surgical service at the LIDGH. Despite onerous clinical commitments, including being on-call every second weekend for many years, he found time for charitable fundraising via a trust fund overseen by local solicitors; he initiated a scanner appeal, which raised enough money to buy Oban's first ultrasound machine. The fundraising continued and, in large part due to the generosity of the North British Hotels Trust, funds were secured for the purchase of the CT scanner currently in use at the LIDGH and now regarded as a basic requirement in most hospitals. He had many interests outside medicine, including classical music, literature, art, climbing, sailing, skiing and cycling, which he had too little time to enjoy whilst working, and sadly also in retirement. Much to many people's surprise, however, he did become more IT literate after he left the LIDGH. Although he did not enjoy west coast winters and looked forward to holidays in sunshine, he took great enjoyment from being on his croft in Benderloch, where he was surrounded by the nature and the wildlife in which he took such an interest. Donald Scobie died on 18 June 2015 after much too short a retirement. Survived by his widow Emma and his brothers, David, Ian and Alistair, he will be remembered as an excellent, dedicated surgeon with great humanity, to whom many people in Argyll owe their lives.
Resource Identifier RCS: E008050
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Kehinde, Elijah Oladunni (1953 - 2018)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Emmanuel O Fashakin
Publication Date 2019-02-05 2019-03-06
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009500-E009599
Occupation Urological surgeon
Details Elijah Oladunni Kehinde was a professor of surgery and a consultant urological surgeon at Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan. He was born in Ogbomoso, Nigeria, on 13 November 1953, the son of Solomon Kehinde-Bankole and Deborah Anke Kehinde-Bankole, both devout Baptists, after his mother had suffered stillbirths in all of her earlier pregnancies, then very common in Nigeria. Elijah started his primary education at the Baptist School, Oja Titun, Ogbomoso, but was sent to his uncle at Ilorin to complete his primary education at the First Baptist Primary School, because the Ogbomoso school terminated at the fourth grade. He had his secondary education at the Government Secondary School, Ilorin, where he distinguished himself, graduating with distinction in grade one. He was awarded a government scholarship to the Federal Government College, Sokoto, for his Higher School Certificate, where he also excelled. He was then admitted to Nigeria's premier university, the University of Ibadan, where he graduated from the medical school in 1979. He then proceeded to the compulsory one-year National Youth Service in Afuze, in what was then Bendel State. His professional career started as a house officer at University College Hospital, Ibadan. It was at this time that he developed his interest in urological surgery. After National Service, he was employed as a senior house officer at Obafemi Awolowo Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, but because there was no urologist at the hospital, he was allowed to do his clinical training in urology at his *alma mater*, University College Hospital, Ibadan. Elijah showed great determination and dedication, working about two hours’ drive away from home. He later got a scholarship to pursue a diploma in urology at the University of London in 1987, which he completed in the same year. He was a registrar at the Institute of Urology, London from 1987 to 1988. In May 1990, he became a fellow of the Medical College of Surgeons of Nigeria, specialising in urology. Later that year, in October, he became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons. In July 1998, he earned his doctor of medicine degree by thesis from the University of Leicester. Elijah's distinguished medical career took him from Nigeria to the UK, and later to Oman and Kuwait, and then to Kazakhstan. He was appointed as a full professor of surgery at the faculty of medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait, where he was a consultant urological surgeon. He served in this position for eight years, before leaving for Kazakhstan, where he was appointed as a professor of surgery and was asked to pioneer a world class medical school and cancer research centre. As a seasoned researcher, educator, urological surgeon and consultant, Elijah won many academic awards, scholarships and distinctions. In April 2004, he won an award for the best clinical sciences research at the Health Sciences Poster Conference, the first of many awards given to him by Kuwait University. In 2005, he was the recipient of an award for the best basic sciences research at the university and in 2006, he was given a prestigious award as a distinguished researcher. Elijah won dozens of research grants, including a grant (from 1991 to 1993) from the University of Leicester for research into prostate cancer. He also won a grant (from 1993 to 1994) from Bayer UK Limited, also for work on prostate cancer. He had over 85 publications in both local and international academic journals, and wrote chapters in several books. He was an expert reviewer, associate editor and editor of many leading journals in urology and medical sciences. He was a regular attendee and featured speaker at the annual meeting of the American Urological Association (and similar conferences in Europe, Asia and Latin America). It was on his way to the American Urological Association conference in June 2015 that he revealed that the lymphocytic leukaemia, which had afflicted him for several years, was finally in remission as a result of the intensive chemotherapy he received in Kuwait. While excelling in teaching, research and in clinical skills, Elijah was said to thoroughly enjoy learning the language of his host country Kazakhstan. He practiced the Kazakh language with his students before every class. He could laugh at his own attempts to pronounce words correctly, and he learned from everyone he met. Elijah was also an active contributor to his church fellowship study groups, where he was well known for his courtesy to everyone. Elijah died in a mysterious fire in his flat in a high rise building in Astana on 14 July 2017, thought to originate from faulty electrical wiring. Dying in the same fire were his gynaecologist wife Olufunmilola, a medical student daughter, Mojoyinoluwa, and another daughter, Omolayo. He was 63. He was survived by two daughters, Oluwayemisi and Olaoluwakitan, from his first marriage. His funeral took place at Ori-Oke Baptist Church in Ogbomoso on 20 October 2017, the same church he had attended as a child and where he had been married. In the eulogy, the president of Nazarbayev University, Shigeo Katsu expressed how the university grieved the ‘…loss of this wonderful man, who was an international scholar, an inspiring teacher, a highly regarded researcher, a skilled surgeon, a generous mentor, a deeply spiritual man and a loyal friend.’ Elijah was described as a caring, honest and sympathetic man, whose sharp intelligence inspired the students and faculty. In spite of his extraordinary academic accomplishments, he was described as a modest man, who preferred to acknowledge the successes of his colleagues, students, collaborators and friends. The president said that although Elijah was at Nazarbayev University for only one year, he had a strong and unique impact on the university. Elijah shared the university’s dream of creating a world class medical research university in Astana. The Nazarbayev University community will remember him through the newly-established Nazarbayev University Award for Academic Integrity, which will be named in his honour. Elijah’s unique blend of intellectual brilliance, modesty and humour will also live on in his colleagues, students, collaborators and many friends all over the world.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009571
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Langley, Douglas Arthur (1917 - 2002)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Enid Taylor
Publication Date 2009-03-27
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E000000-E000999/E000600-E000699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/372792372792
Occupation Ophthalmic surgeon
Details Douglas Arthur Langley was a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at the Royal Northern and Whittington hospitals in London. He was born on 18 April 1917 at Woolwich, London, to Arthur Langley, an Army officer, and Laura Elizabeth née Webber. He was educated at Cottingham College, Plumstead, and Woolwich County Secondary School and received his medical education at King’s College and St George’s Hospital. There he won the Johnson prize in anatomy, the Pollock prize in physiology and the Anne Selim scholarship. During the Second World War he served in the RNVR as a surgeon lieutenant. After leaving the Navy, he began his training in ophthalmic surgery and worked as resident surgical officer at Moorfield’s Eye Hospital, before his appointment as consultant ophthalmic surgeon to the Royal Northern Hospital, the Whittington Hospital and the West End Hospital for Neurology. He was particularly interested in glaucoma and held annual meetings for north London opticians at the Royal Northern Hospital. His interests were varied: he had a private pilot’s licence, was a keen yachtsman and navigator, a skilled pianist and cabinet maker, and loved watching football. He married twice. In 1942 he married Myrtle Chinnery, an old school friend. They had two sons and a daughter. His second wife was Yvonne Patricia Peterson, a nurse, by whom he had a son. His health in latter years was poor and he underwent repair of an aortic aneurysm. He died on 16 June 2002.
Resource Identifier RCS: E000609
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Walker, William Martin (1919 - 2005)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

First Title value, for Searching Greaves, Desmond Peel (1920 - 2008)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Enid Taylor
Publication Date 2009-05-15
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E000000-E000999/E000600-E000699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/372794372794
Occupation Ophthalmic surgeon
Details Desmond Peel Greaves was a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at University College and Moorfields Eye hospitals in London. He was born on 14 December 1920 in the West Riding of Yorkshire to Bernard Peel, an optician, and Beatrice Peel. He was educated at High Storrs Grammar School, Sheffield, and then went on to study medicine at the University of Sheffield, where he was the Edgar Allen scholar. After qualifying, he was a demonstrator in anatomy at Sheffield before completing his National Service in the RAF, with the rank of flight lieutenant. His ophthalmic training was at Moorfields Eye Hospital. From 1950 he was senior registrar and Pigott-Wernheiz research fellow at the Institute of Ophthalmology. He was appointed consultant ophthalmic surgeon to University College Hospital in 1952 and to Moorfields Eye Hospital in 1960. He was vice-dean and lecturer at the Institute of Ophthalmology. He was a recognised teacher in London University and a member of the Court of Examiners of our College. He retired in 1985. He was a council member and honorary secretary of the Ophthalmological Society of the United Kingdom, a council member of the European Society of Ophthalmology from 1970 and in 1980 president. From his student days he was an accomplished and enthusiastic pianist and a keen sailor, becoming a member of the Royal Thames Yacht Club. He married Barbara in 1948. They had two children - Francis, who is a doctor, and Julia, a pharmacist. Desmond Greaves died on 11 March 2008.
Resource Identifier RCS: E000611
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Winstanley, John (1919 - 2008)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Enid Taylor
Publication Date 2009-05-15
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E000000-E000999/E000600-E000699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/372795372795
Occupation Ophthalmic surgeon
Details John Winstanley was an ophthalmic surgeon at St Thomas’ Hospital, London. He was born in London on 11 May 1919, the son of Bernard Joseph Winstanley, a captain in the Burma Sappers and Miners, and Grace née Taunton, the daughter of a solicitor. The younger of three sons, he was educated at Stoke House, Seaford, Sussex, and Wellington College, Berkshire. From 1937 to 1946 he served in the 4th Battalion Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment, with the British Expeditionary Force in Europe, in the Western Desert and in Burma. He was wounded twice, was twice mentioned in despatches and won the Military Cross. After leaving the Army, he studied medicine at St Thomas’, qualifying in 1951. For the next five years he held resident medical appointments at St Thomas’ and Moorfields Eye Hospital. From 1956 to 1960 he was chief clinical assistant at Moorfields and senior registrar at St Thomas’. From 1959 to 1970 he was a consultant ophthalmic surgeon to Lewisham and Greenwich health districts. In 1960 he was appointed consultant ophthalmic surgeon to St Thomas’, a post he held until 1983. At St Thomas’ he expanded eye services, amalgamating with the Royal Eye Hospital, and developed a medical eye unit and a charity, the Iris Fund. He contributed papers on medical ophthalmology and medical history. He maintained his association with the armed services, serving as honorary consultant ophthalmic surgeon to the Army, to Queen Alexandra Military Hospital, Millbank, and to the Royal Hospital, Chelsea. He was a member of the Court of Examiners of the College from 1972 to 1978. He was a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine (and vice-president in 1979). From 1973 to 1985 he was vice-president of the Faculty of Ophthalmologists, and from 1979 to 1990 a member of the council of the Medical Protection Society. A liveryman of the Society of Apothecaries of the City of London, he served on the livery committee from 1982. During his leisure time he enjoyed fishing and reading medical history. In 1959 he married Jane Mary Frost and they had one son (Richard) and two daughters (Emma and Sophie). He died from prostate cancer on 4 January 2008.
Resource Identifier RCS: E000612
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Kapur, Satya Bhushan (1920 - 2008)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Enid Taylor
Publication Date 2009-05-15
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E000000-E000999/E000600-E000699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/372796372796
Occupation Ophthalmic surgeon
Details Satya Bhushan Kapur was an ophthalmic surgeon. He was born on 4 March 1920 in Rangoon, Burma, the second child but first son of Lal Chand Kapur, a civil engineer with Burma Railways, and Bhagwanti Devi, whose father was an Ayurvedic physician. He was educated in Rangoon at the primary DAV School and then at BET High School. He began his medical education in 1938 at the Medical College, Rangoon, but this was interrupted in 1942 when Burma was invaded by Japan. The family were held in Burma during the Japanese occupation, but then fled to India, where he resumed his studies at King Edward Medical College, Lahore, Punjab, qualifying in 1946. He was one of the first Indian graduates to migrate to Britain and train successfully in ophthalmology. He was an ophthalmic house surgeon then a registrar at Guy’s Hospital, London, before becoming a registrar, then a senior registrar at Moorfields Eye Hospital. He was appointed consultant ophthalmic surgeon in 1962 to West Middlesex Hospital and later to St Albans City Hospital and Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, Welwyn Garden City. He was a member of the Royal Society of Medicine and of the BMA, and he served on the council of the Medical Eye Centre Association, UK. A physically fit man, he enjoyed swimming, golf, hill walking, and reluctantly gave up skiing at the age of 85. He married Toini Kylliainen in 1955 and they had two daughters, Suri and Mira, both of whom are medically qualified and live in Australia. He died on 4 April 2008.
Resource Identifier RCS: E000613
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Hill, David William (1926 - 2008)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Enid Taylor
Publication Date 2011-08-26
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001300-E001399
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373494373494
Occupation Ophthalmologist
Details David William Hill was research professor in ophthalmology at the Royal College of Surgeons and a consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Hospital, London. He was born on 5 May 1926 in Croydon, Surrey, the son of a bank manager and a housewife. He attended Whitgift School, Croydon, before becoming a medical student at St Bartholomew's Hospital, qualifying in 1948. After house jobs at St Bartholomew's, he began training in ophthalmology at Brighton Eye Hospital. He did his National Service in the RAMC, serving in Austria and Trieste, and was the sole ophthalmic trained doctor in this area. He was then appointed as an ophthalmic surgeon to Edgware General Hospital and to a research post at Hammersmith Hospital. He subsequently became research professor in ophthalmology in our College in 1967, his research covering retinal circulation and diabetic retinopathy. At the same time he was appointed as a consultant ophthalmic surgeon to Moorfields Eye Hospital, where he continued his clinical work with a special interest in cataract surgery. He examined for the Royal College of Surgeons and also worked with the Royal National Institute for the Blind. He married Jean Adams, who was a part-time general practitioner and taught and examined in first aid. They had three children, one daughter qualifying as a doctor. There are eight grandchildren. After retirement in 1991 he was able to devote more time to the church as a lay reader and sacristan. He was keen on mountain walking, climbed the Matterhorn twice, and also found time to pursue his other interests of carpentry, bird watching and classical music. Sadly in April 2006 he suffered a stroke and died on 5 February 2008. He was survived by his wife Jean, their children and grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001311
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Maguire, Charles James Frederick (1931 - 2009)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Enid Taylor
Publication Date 2010-10-14
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001000-E001099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373224373224
Occupation Ophthalmic surgeon
Details Charles James Frederick Maguire was a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast. He was born in County Wicklow, Ireland, on 10 May 1931 to Charles Maguire, a nonconformist minister, and Gertrude née Armitage. He was at school in Belfast, attending the Methodist College, and continued in Belfast for his medical training at Queen’s University Medical School. After qualifying in 1954, he held house jobs at Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, before beginning his ophthalmic training in London, initially at University College Hospital and then at Moorfields Eye Hospital. He was appointed as a consultant ophthalmic surgeon to Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, in 1967, and was subsequently appointed as a senior lecturer at Queen’s University Medical School. At Belfast he developed the subspecialty of vitreoretinal surgery and launched diabetic and neuro-ophthalmic eye clinics. He was recognised as an expert, innovative and meticulous surgeon by his colleagues and introduced new techniques in vitreoretinal surgery and laser photocoagulation. During his working life he helped develop ophthalmic services in India and Libya, and after his retirement from the NHS in 1994 he practised ophthalmology in Bermuda. He married twice. He married Ann in 1962 and they had one son and two daughters. He died on 7 July 2009 and leaves his second wife, Barbara, his three children and a grandson.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001041
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Connell, Anthea Mary Stewart (1925 - 2003)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Enid Taylor
Publication Date 2005-11-02 2008-12-12
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E000000-E000999/E000100-E000199
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/372333372333
Occupation Ophthalmic surgeon
Details Anthea Mary Stewart Connell was a senior ophthalmic consultant at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Barbados, from 1969 to 1996. She was born on 21 October 1925, the daughter of two medical doctors. Her father, John S M Connell, was a surgeon and gynaecologist and had served as a colonel in the RAMC on wartime hospital ships. Her mother, Constance B Challis, had trained at Cambridge and the University of Birmingham Medical School, and became a public health doctor. Anthea was educated at Edgbaston High School, before moving to City Park Collegiate Institute, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and then to the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. She completed her medical education at the University of Birmingham Medical School, qualifying in 1952. Her ophthalmic training was at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, firstly as a resident, then as a registrar and subsequently as a senior registrar/first assistant in joint appointments at Moorfields, Guy’s Hospital and the London Hospital. In 1969 she moved to Barbados as a senior consultant and head of the department of ophthalmology and assistant lecturer at the University of West Indies until 1991. She initiated the Barbados Eye Study and was its director from 1987 to 1996. This group investigated glaucoma in the Barbadian population and founded the Inter-Island Eye Service. Although living in Barbados, she held courses and organised diploma of ophthalmology examinations in the Caribbean, which were recognised by the Royal College of Surgeons. She was also a fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, giving presentations at their annual meetings. She wrote extensively, covering her work and research in Barbados and the islands. In 1963 she married George E P Dowglass, a master of wine, who was a wine merchant. They had one child, Charlotte, born in 1965, who became financial director to Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London. Anthea supported the local community, was chairman of the local Conservative Policy Forum, and enjoyed painting in oil and acrylic, showing her work both locally and in London. She died on 23 September 2003 after a long series of strokes.
Resource Identifier RCS: E000146
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Friedmann, Allan Isadore (1916 - 2005)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Enid Taylor
Publication Date 2008-10-24
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E000000-E000999/E000500-E000599
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/372749372749
Occupation Ophthalmic surgeon
Details Allan Isadore Friedmann was a consultant ophthalmologist at the Royal Eye Hospital. He was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa, on 15 June 1916 to Joseph and Matilda Friedmann. His father was a pharmacist. He was educated locally at Grey College School in Bloemfontein, matriculating with first class honours. His undergraduate medical education was at Witwatersrand University, Johannesburg, and he then held house jobs in the General Hospital, Johannesburg, including the department of ophthalmology. He served the rest of the war in the South African Medical Corps, attaining the rank of captain. After going to England, he was initially senior lecturer to the College from 1963 to 1966 and was subsequently reader to the department of ophthalmology. At the same time, in 1963, he was appointed consultant ophthalmologist to the Royal Eye Hospital. His work was greatly influenced by two London ophthalmologists – A Sorsby and H B Stallard. He was interested in and wrote about the causes of blindness in children. He played tennis most of his life and was also interested in music and photography. He married twice. He married Marion Bernstein in 1940 and they had one son, who was “non-medical”. He died on 20 November 2005 and is survived by his second wife, Shu Qi Zhang.
Resource Identifier RCS: E000566
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Higgitt, Alan Carstairs ( - 2005)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Enid Taylor
Publication Date 2008-10-24
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E000000-E000999/E000500-E000599
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/372750372750
Occupation Ophthalmic surgeon
Details Alan Higgitt was an honorary consultant ophthalmologist at Charing Cross Hospital, London. He qualified at University College Hospital. After junior posts he joined the RNVR as a surgeon lieutenant, ophthalmic specialist, on a hospital ship which was on active service in the Indian Ocean. After the end of the Second World War, he returned to start his formal ophthalmic training as a registrar at University College Hospital, working for Shapland and Neame. He worked in several hospitals, being first appointed as consultant ophthalmologist to St Mary Abbott’s Hospital, Kensington, and then to Ashford Hospital, Middlesex, and the South Middlesex Hospital. He was then appointed to Fulham Hospital, west London, which evolved into Charing Cross Hospital and he was honorary consultant ophthalmologist to this hospital until he retired in 1986. There he established a contact lens department and was involved in the treatment of diabetic eye disease. He had two great interests – sailing and music. This enjoyment extended to repairing early pianos and he also built two harpsichords and a spinet by hand. In July 2005 he had a fall, fractured some ribs and developed pneumonia, from which he died on 24 July 2005. He is survived by his wife Joan, a daughter who is a consultant psychiatrist, and two sons.
Resource Identifier RCS: E000567
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Ainley, Roger Gwynne (1932 - 2006)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Enid Taylor
Publication Date 2008-10-24
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E000000-E000999/E000500-E000599
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/372751372751
Occupation Ophthalmic surgeon
Details Roger Gwynne Ainley was an ophthalmic surgeon in the Merseyside area. He was born in Fringford, Oxfordshire, on 8 September 1932. His father, Joe Ainley, was a headmaster and his mother, Dora (née Carter), was a music teacher, both in schools and freelance. The family are related to the Shakespearian actor Henry Ainley. Roger Ainley attended Lord Williams’ Grammar School, Thame, and then the Old Grammar School, Bicester, from 1943 to 1950. His studies were then interrupted by National Service in the Royal Air Force for two years. In 1952 he went to Keble College, Oxford, to read zoology, but a year later changed to medicine. His clinical training was also in Oxford. His medical and surgical house jobs were at the Radcliffe Infirmary and then he began his formal ophthalmological training as senior house officer and registrar at Oxford Eye Hospital from 1961 to 1963. From 1965 to 1969 he was a lecturer and then senior lecturer at the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital. During this period, in 1968, he was awarded the George Herbert Hunt travelling scholarship and visited ophthalmic departments in New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Ohio State University. In 1969 he was appointed consultant ophthalmic surgeon to Merseyside Regional Health Authority and was postgraduate medical tutor to the Wirral Group from 1974 to 1976. He was a member of the Oxford Ophthalmological Congress, a charter member of the International Association of Ocular Surgeons and a member of Wallasey Medical Society, becoming president in 1989. He wrote quite widely on ocular subjects, but was particularly interested in vitamin B12 levels in ocular fluids and tobacco amblyopia. His other interests were diverse – music, playing the clarinet, sailing, squash and particularly a lifelong interest in butterflies and moths. Initially he collected specimens and his collection covered all European countries, USA, Thailand, Morocco, Costa Rica, Kenya, the Gambia and Mediera. Later he became more interested in conservation and was a member of the Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society, Butterfly Conservation and Cheshire Wildlife Trust. Between 1963 and 1991 he had six papers on butterflies and moths published in *The Entomologist* and *The Entomologist’s Record*. In December 1959 he married Jean Burrows, a nurse at St Bartholomew’s Hospital. They had two children, Elizabeth Anne, born in 1965, who is a chartered accountant, and Timothy Charles, born in 1967, a linguist. Roger Ainley died in 2006.
Resource Identifier RCS: E000568
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Baird, Robert Hamilton (1915 - 2006)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Enid Taylor
Publication Date 2008-10-24
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E000000-E000999/E000500-E000599
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/372752372752
Occupation Ophthalmologist
Details Robert Hamilton Baird was an ophthalmologist in Belfast. He was born in Belfast on 19 September 1915. His father, William Baird, was a district inspector with the Royal Irish Constabulary and his mother was Mary McAdam. He was educated in Belfast, at the Methodist College, from 1929 to 1934, and then went on to study medicine at Queen’s University in the city, qualifying in 1939. He served in the Royal Army Medical Corps from 1939 to 1946, attaining the rank of lieutenant colonel and was mentioned in despatches in May 1945. After leaving the Army, he trained as an ophthalmologist, as a resident surgical officer in Birmingham and Midland Eye Hospital. He was appointed consultant ophthalmic surgeon to the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, and North Down Hospital Group. He was a clinical lecturer and an examiner to Queen’s University, Belfast. In 1962 he married a Miss Drayson and they had two sons. He was interested in electronics and enjoyed playing golf. He died on 19 April 2006.
Resource Identifier RCS: E000569
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Jones, Barrie Russell (1921 - 2009)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Enid Taylor
Publication Date 2010-10-13
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001000-E001099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373216373216
Occupation Ophthalmologist
Details Barrie Russell Jones was professor of clinical ophthalmology at the University of London. He was born at Silverstream, near Wellington, New Zealand, on 4 January 1921. He obtained a degree in natural sciences from Victoria University, Wellington, before studying medicine at the University of Otago, Dunedin, qualifying in 1947. His early clinical training was in Wellington, but in 1950 he returned to Dunedin as a registrar in ophthalmology, where he trained under Rowland Wilson, who had done important research on trachoma. He went to London in 1951 to study for a PhD, at that time planning to return to Dunedin, but he was appointed to a training post at Moorfields Eye Hospital and then to a research post at the Institute of Ophthalmology. He was professor of clinical ophthalmology in the University of London from 1963 to 1980 based at the Institute, with the clinical component at Moorfields. At Moorfields he made fundamental changes to clinical practice, insisting that all trainees use the operating microscope and encouraging sub-specialisation. His own interests were in the micro-surgery of the lacrimal system and surgery to the eyelids often deformed by trachoma. His aim was always to make a major contribution to the eradication of preventable blindness throughout the world and in 1981 the International Centre for Eye Health was opened with Barrie Jones as the first director. The Centre is now based at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, with training centres in Africa, India and America. He retired in 1986. He gave many prestigious lectures and received many honours, including the CBE, the Gonin medal, the King Feisal International prize in medicine and the global achievement award from the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. He was immensely respected by all. He was supported by his wife, Pauline, who accompanied him on many field trips when he was studying eye diseases resulting from infection, particularly those caused by chlamydia. In 2002 they finally returned to New Zealand. Barrie Jones died from pneumonia on 19 August 2009 and was survived by his wife Pauline, a daughter, Jenny, and three sons, Graham, Andrew and Peter.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001033
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Jay, Barrie Samuel (1929 - 2007)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Enid Taylor
Publication Date 2011-12-21 2013-02-20
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001800-E001899
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373986373986
Occupation Ophthalmic surgeon
Details Barrie Samuel Jay was professor of clinical ophthalmology at the Institute of Ophthalmology, University of London. He was born in London on 7 May 1929, the son of Maurice Bernard Jay, a medical practitioner, and Julia Sterling Jay, a housewife. He attended Perse School and then Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, and University College Hospital, London. He trained in ophthalmology at Moorfields Eye Hospital and the London Hospital. He was a Shepherd research scholar at the Institute of Ophthalmology from 1963 to 1964. In 1965 he became a consultant ophthalmic surgeon to the London Hospital. Four years later, in 1969, he was also appointed to Moorfields Eye Hospital. He was dean of the Institute of Ophthalmology from 1980 to 1985 and professor of clinical ophthalmology from 1985 to 1992. In 1992 he was appointed as an emeritus professor and as an honorary consultant surgeon to Moorfields Eye Hospital, London. Barrie Jay was much respected as a clinician and for his research work, especially in paediatrics and genetics, in both of which fields he was honoured. His scientific contributions were considerable, with a large body of peer-reviewed publications, book chapters and books. He also showed considerable foresight in embracing information technology at an early stage, and created the first database of ophthalmic training facilities in the UK. With other far-sighted colleagues he was instrumental in setting up the Royal College of Ophthalmologists and was a senior vice-president of the college. At the Royal College of Surgeons he was an examiner for the diploma in ophthalmology from 1970 to 1975, a member of the Court of Examiners from 1975 to 1980, and a co-opted member of the Council from 1983 to 1988. In 2004 he was the first recipient of a lifetime achievement award, presented by the European Paediatric Ophthalmological Society. He had many interests outside ophthalmology. His greatest passion, or obsession as he himself described it, was British postal history. He claimed that his wife said it was more important to him than his work! He wrote a standard history on the subject and over the years amassed an internationally known collection which sold at auction in the year 2000 for a considerable sum. He was president of the Royal Philatelic Society in 1998. He was also a keen gardener with a particular interest in dwarf irises. He was master of the Society of Apothecaries in 1995. He married Marcelle Ruby Byre, a geneticist, in 1954. They had two sons, Robert Maurice, a barrister, and Stephen Mark, an accountant. Barrie Jay died on 10 March 2007, at the age of 77, after a short illness.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001803
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Common, John Dermot Ainslie (1948 - 2005)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Enid Taylor
Publication Date 2009-02-20
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E000000-E000999/E000500-E000599
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/372778372778
Occupation Ophthalmic surgeon
Details John Dermot Ainslie Common was a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary. He studied medicine at Westminster Hospital, where he qualified in 1971. Following his house appointment at the King Edward VII Hospital, Windsor, he went to Sierra Leone, where he worked on and wrote about onchocerciasis or ‘river blindness’. His formal ophthalmological training began in 1976 as a registrar at the Western Ophthalmic Hospital, followed by a senior registrar post at Birmingham and Midland Eye Hospital. He was then appointed consultant ophthalmic surgeon to North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary in 1984, where he had an active interest in anterior segment surgery and ocular trauma. He retired in 2003 due to ill health. In retirement he maintained his sporting interests despite an above the elbow amputation of the left arm due to sarcoma – driving around the Nürburgring race track in Germany in less than nine minutes and big game hunting in Zambia using a rifle single armed. He married Terri, but was widowed. He died suddenly of a stroke on 8 April 2005.
Resource Identifier RCS: E000595
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Banks, Charles Neville (1938 - 2010)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Enid Taylor
Publication Date 2012-02-03 2012-03-21
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001900-E001999
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/374147374147
Occupation Ophthalmic surgeon
Details Charles Neville Banks was an ophthalmic surgeon in Sydney, Australia. He was born in Finchley, London, on 28 September 1938, one of two sons. His father was Arthur Leslie Banks, a professor at Cambridge University. His mother, Eileen Mary Barrett, was a housewife. He attended St Faith's School, Cambridge, and the Leys School, also in Cambridge, where he gained prizes for piano, biology and religious knowledge. His medical education was at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, and then Middlesex Hospital Medical School, where he gained certificates of proficiency in general pathology and ophthalmology. His was a house physician at Middlesex Hospital, a house surgeon at Addenbrooke's Hospital and then a house surgeon to the eye department at St Bartholomew's Hospital. In 1966 he became a resident surgical officer at Moorfields Eye Hospital. In 1969 he left to work for a year at St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital, returning to Moorfields as chief clinical assistant. Subsequently, his work was entirely in Australia. He first went on a working holiday in 1972, and then joined the practice of Miles Sterling-Lewis and set up in solo practice in 1976. He held honorary posts at Marrichville Hospital, Sydney, the Royal North Shore Hospital, Balmoral Naval Hospital and Brewarrium District Hospital. In addition, he was a consultant to the Low Vision Aid Clinic, Royal Blind Society, New South Wales, and an ophthalmologist in geriatric and rehabilitation medicine, North Sydney Area Health Service (Hornsby Hospital). He was a member of the archives committee at the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists. His interests were essentially ophthalmological. He was a member of the board of optometrical registration, New South Wales, and a founder member of the Human Genetics Society of Australia. He remained unmarried. He died on 28 February 2010.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001964
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Arnott, Eric John (1929 - 2011)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Enid Taylor
Publication Date 2012-02-02 2012-11-15
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001900-E001999
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/374132374132
Occupation Ophthalmologist
Details Eric John Arnott was an ophthalmologist and a pioneer of modern cataract surgery. He was born on 12 June 1929 in Sunningdale. His father, Sir Robert John Arnott, was chairman of Arnott Trust, Dublin, and director of *The Irish Times*. His mother was Emita Emelia James. He attended St Peter's Court Preparatory School and Harrow. His medical education was at Trinity College, Dublin, where he gained honours in obstetrics and the surgical prize in 1953. After house jobs, his first ophthalmic appointment was at the Royal Adelaide Hospital and Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, followed by postgraduate training at Moorfields Eye Hospital and University College Hospital, London. Here he worked under Sir Stewart Duke-Elder, Henry Stallard and Sir Harold Ridley, and subsequently became a senior lecturer to the Institute of Ophthalmology, London. He was appointed as a consultant ophthalmic surgeon to the Royal Eye, Charing Cross and Royal Masonic hospitals, and was consultant emeritus to Cromwell Hospital. He was an innovative surgeon and was especially known for pioneering changes in cataract surgery. In 1966 he was one of the first surgeons to follow Dermot Pearce's use of the surgical microscope, and in 1971 was the first surgeon outside the United States to perform phacoemulsification, a technique he taught and championed against stiff opposition throughout the 1970s and 1980s. In 1974 he designed the Little-Arnott lens to be positioned behind the iris after removing the cataract and in 1978 designed and patented the first one piece polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) intraocular lens. He was the first person to describe the use of a poly-HEMA foldable implant (in 1981), inserted into the eye through a small incision. In 1988 he was the first surgeon in Europe to insert a bifocal lens. But his work was not limited to cataract surgery - in 1967 he used the first silicone implant for retinal detachment surgery, and in 1968 developed a modified operation for glaucoma surgery. He bought one of the first excimer lasers and in 1992 was the first person in the UK to perform LASIK laser refractive surgery. In 1982 he reduced his NHS work and to concentrate on establishing Arnott Eye Associates, the UK's first independent multidisciplinary ophthalmic centre, and international teaching and charitable work, especially the promotion of modern cataract surgery in India and Africa. He was one of the first surgeons to perform phaco-surgery and lens implantation in India, and in 1991 received a special award from the Asian branch of the Royal National Institute for the Blind for 'outstanding support' to blind Asians in London and India. He was made an honorary professor at Indore University. With his wife and son, he raised funds to equip a mobile operating theatre to perform eye surgery in remote Indian villages, and in 2007, with G Chandra, he established the charity 'Balrampur Hospital Foundation UK'. He wrote over 40 published scientific articles and books and contributed specialist chapters to other medical books. He was a member of many international societies - president of the European Society for Phaco and Laser Surgery, secretary of the Ophthalmic Society of the UK, president of the Chelsea Clinical Society, president of the International Association of Ocular Surgeons, president of the Asian Blind Association, fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and a founder member of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, from whom in 2007 he received the honoured guest award for services to ophthalmology. On 19 November 1960 he married a ballerina, Veronica Mary Langué von der Seedeck. They had three children, Stephen John, Tatiana Amelia and Robert Lauriston John. He was a very fit man and his hobbies reflected this - gardening, tennis, cycling and swimming - swimming a mile every morning and once from Alcatraz Island to the shore of California. He retired aged 70 and bought a retirement cottage in Cornwall, where he wrote his memoirs *A new beginning in sight* (London, Royal Society of Medicine Press, c2007). Predeceased by his wife, he died aged 82 on 1 December 2011.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001949
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Bisley, Geoffrey Gibson (1915 - 2007)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Enid Taylor
Publication Date 2009-08-07
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E000000-E000999/E000600-E000699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/372825372825
Occupation Ophthalmic surgeon
Details Geoffrey Gibson Bisley was an ophthalmic surgeon who spent much of his career overseas. He was born on 23 May 1915 at Hove, Sussex, the second child of Claude and Ida Gibson. His father was an auctioneer and surveyor in the family business. His maternal grandfather and uncle were both qualified pharmaceutical chemists and his elder sister qualified at the Royal Free Hospital in 1936 and practised as a general practitioner in Maidenhead for about 30 years. Geoffrey attended King’s College School, Wimbledon, and then King’s College Hospital, qualifying in 1940. After a house job in Leatherhead, he joined the RAF in September 1940 and served until March 1946, being overseas in Aden, Palestine and Cyprus. After leaving the RAF, he spent his medical life overseas, initially in Kenya (from 1946 to 1979), working in the Colonial Medical Service until 1963, and then in the Kenyan Ministry of Health. He then worked as warden and chief surgeon at St John’s Hospital, Jerusalem, for two periods, from 1970 to 1983 and 1989 to 1990. The intervening years were spent as ophthalmic surgeon to the government of the Seychelles (1984 to 1985) and to the charity Sightsavers, based in Sierra Leone (from 1987 to 1989). He lectured about prevention and treatment of blindness in Kenya at the Ophthalmological Society of the UK conference in Dublin in 1964 and wrote *A handbook of opththalmology for developing countries* (London, Oxford University Press, 1973), which was well received, with reprints and a second edition. He edited the *East African Medical Journal* (from 1976 to 1979) and was an external examiner in Uganda in medical ophthalmology. He was founder and first president of the Ophthalmological Society of East Africa, a member of the Ophthalmological Society of the UK and a fellow of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine for more than 50 years. He enjoyed gardening, walking, bird-watching and working with wood. He was a religious man, a reader in the Anglican Church in Nairobi and the Church of England, UK. In 1941 he married Joyce Goodwin, a nurse at King’s College Hospital. They had two children – Richard David, born in 1951, who is the senior partner in an insurance company, and John Geoffrey, born in 1954 and founder and director of a safari company in Nairobi. His wife died of cancer in 1986. He died in Nairobi in November 2007.
Resource Identifier RCS: E000642
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Woodhouse, Derrick Fergus (1927 - 2007)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Enid Taylor
Publication Date 2009-08-07
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E000000-E000999/E000600-E000699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/372826372826
Occupation Ophthalmologist
Details Derrick Fergus Woodhouse was an ophthalmologist, first in the West Midlands area and then in New South Wales, Australia. He was born on 29 May 1927 in Sutton, Surrey, the third child of Sydney Carver Woodhouse, a venereologist at St Thomas’ Hospital, and Erica née Ferguson, a mathematician. His schooling was at Caterham Preparatory School and Kelly College, Tavistock, from which he went to New College, Oxford. He did his clinical training at St Thomas’ Hospital and then he held house officer appointments in ophthalmology, medicine and surgery at St Thomas’, Exeter and Plymouth, before entering the RAF with a short service commission. He served as squadron leader at Cosford and Ely. His ophthalmic training was at the Birmingham and Midland Eye Hospital as senior house officer and registrar, at the Bristol Eye Infirmary as senior registrar, before being appointed as a consultant ophthalmologist to the West Midlands Regional Health Authority (Wolverhampton and Stafford hospitals) in 1963. He gave credit for his training to Harold Ridley at St Thomas’ and Phillip Jameson Evans at Birmingham Eye Infirmary. He then worked for a short period as locum ophthalmologist in Brisbane for two months and subsequently as VMO refractionist to Sydney Eye Hospital (from 1990 to 1992). From 1990 to 1997 he was staff ophthalmologist, Liverpool Hospital, New South Wales, and head of the eye department. His publications were many, his main interests being glaucoma, paediatric and neonatal ophthalmology, and computer applications to ophthalmology and optics. He was active in national committees. He was a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, treasurer and president of the Midland Ophthalmological Society, council member of the Ophthalmological Society of the United Kingdom, treasurer and chairman of the Ophthalmic Nursing Board of the United Kingdom and Ireland, and a member of the British Computer Society from 1964. He travelled and lectured all over the world. In 1957, he married Jocelyn Laira Perry, an occupational therapist, at the Friends Meeting House, Sutton, Surrey. They had three children – Karen, a material scientist, Iain, who works in publications distribution, and Gillian, a biotechnologist researching biosensors. He died peacefully in Sydney on 1 December 2007, leaving his wife and three children.
Resource Identifier RCS: E000643
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Ormrod, John Neville (1922 - 2009)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Enid Taylor
Publication Date 2010-11-11
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001000-E001099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/373241373241
Occupation Ophthalmic surgeon
Details John Neville Ormrod was a consultant ophthalmic surgeon in Kent. He was born in Birmingham on 12 December 1922 to James Ormrod, a dental surgeon, and Dorothy Ormrod née Wilson. His early schooling was in Birmingham at Chigwell House and Lickey Hills preparatory schools, and then at Aldenham School, before he attended Birmingham University Medical School. As a student he gained prizes in medicine, pathology, ophthalmology, forensic medicine and toxicology, qualifying in 1944. He stayed in Birmingham at Queen Elizabeth Hospital as a house officer in neurology, neurosurgery and ophthalmology. He was then a registrar in neurosurgery. During these postgraduate appointments he contracted pulmonary tuberculosis and later spinal tuberculosis, and was a patient for five years. On recovery from this long illness, he devoted himself to ophthalmology, working in Maidstone, Birmingham and Moorfields Eye Hospital. He was appointed as a consultant ophthalmic surgeon to the Kent County Ophthalmic Hospital in Maidstone and Gravesend, and North Kent Hospital in 1956. He developed special interests and expertise in lamellar keratoplasty and dysthyroid eye disease, and made many contributions to the *British Medical Journal*, *British Journal of Ophthalmology* and to the *Transactions of the Ophthalmological Society of the United Kingdom*. He retired from the NHS in 1983. In his retirement he used his expertise in Kenya, doing mainly cataract surgery 'up-country' for Sight by Wings, his transport being by light monoplane. He married Kay Stone in 1956 and they had one son (James) and one daughter (Elizabeth). His wife was a nurse and acted as his scrub nurse when he worked in Kenya. He died peacefully at his home in Sutton Valence, Kent, aged 86 on 16 October 2009.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001058
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Chawishly, Soran Akram Agha (1951- 2020)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Esma J Dogramaci
Publication Date 2020-10-19 2020-12-07 2021-02-15
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009800-E009899
Occupation ENT surgeon Head and neck surgeon Otolaryngologist
Details Soran Chawishly was an associate specialist surgeon in otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at University College Hospital and the Royal Free Hospital in London. He was born on 4 January 1951 in Erbil, Iraq to Akram and Rasmieh Chawishly, their second son and one of six children. After completing his primary and secondary education in Erbil, he travelled to Baghdad, where he studied medicine at the Baghdad Medical College, University of Baghdad, graduating with a MB ChB in 1973. After obtaining his primary degree, Soran worked and trained in several Baghdad hospitals in the specialties of general surgery, orthopaedics, general internal medicine, paediatrics, accident and emergency medicine and otolaryngology, after which he decided to pursue specialisation in the latter. This decision led him to train at the Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital in Baghdad. After qualification, he worked as a specialist otolaryngologist in Ramadi, 110km west of Baghdad, then immigrated to the UK in 1980 to further develop his knowledge and skills in his specialist field. In the UK, Soran gained postgraduate clinical experience in several hospitals across London and Newcastle, gaining the DLO in 1986. He worked for many years at the Royal Free Hospital and, during this time, trained many junior doctors, several of whom are now consultants throughout the UK. Until his terminal diagnosis, he was working as an associate specialist in otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at University College Hospital and the Royal Free Hospital in London. Aside from the clinical training of junior doctors, participating within hospital management and administration, and giving lectures to general medical practitioners, he was an advocate for respect, recognition and fair reward in the workplace, particularly for staff associate specialist (SAS) surgeons. He was a member of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh’s SAS and locum consultants’ committee and was the SAS representative at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh’s surgical specialty board for ENT. He was a strong supporter of initiatives targeting workplace bullying, harassment and undermining, particularly against SAS surgeons. He had a wealth of knowledge regarding contracts, salaries and pensions, which he freely shared with his colleagues and friends. Soran’s philanthropic contributions included regular self-funded trips to Erbil, Iraq, where he would work with various non-governmental organisations to teach and mentor undergraduate and postgraduate medical students. He was a valued colleague and esteemed friend to many in the UK and Iraq, and over several years enthusiastically organised and coordinated popular reunions of his graduating year from his alma mater in diverse locations in Turkey and Spain, in addition to London. Soran had intended to retire in 2021 and was happily looking forward to enjoying spending more time outdoors, with gardening, playing golf and country walks high on his list of activities. He had planned to travel the world on a cruise as well as further pursue his lifetime passion of model cars. Soran was also planning reunions, with the one for 2020 intended to be especially memorable for the fact that it was due to take place in his ancestral homeland, Erbil, Iraq, but this was abandoned due to his sudden and short illness. He died on 22 July 2020 at the age of 69 and is sorely missed by his near and extended family and relatives, friends, work colleagues, patients and all who knew him. Soran was survived by his wife, two sons and two granddaughters.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009810
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Aubrey, David Alan (1938 - 2024)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Euriona Aubrey Paul Williams
Publication Date 2025-02-10
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010700-E010799
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/388589388589
Occupation General surgeon
Details David Alan Aubrey was a consultant general surgeon at Llandough Hospital, Penarth and the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. He was born in Cwmrhydyceirw, Swansea on 5 April 1938, the only child of William Ernest Aubrey, a headmaster, and Mary Elizabeth ‘Lizzie’ Aubrey née Davies. He was educated at Bishop Gore Grammar School from 1949 to 1956 and was accepted to study medicine at King’s College. He used to take pleasure in informing family and friends that, as a result of his demanding extracurricular activities, which included late nights playing poker and going to the opera, at the end of his first term he needed to have a friendly discussion with the dean about the suitability of medicine as a career as he had obtained only 8% in the anatomy examination. He was determined to succeed and qualified from King’s College in London in 1961. After house jobs at King’s, he held posts as a surgical senior house officer and registrar at the Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, where he worked for and was significantly influenced by Eric Sturdy, a general surgeon a few years older who was very interested in training surgeons in Wales. He worked as a registrar and senior registrar at the United Cardiff Hospitals and the Royal Gwent Hospital. During higher training he worked as a research assistant to Patrick Forrest when he researched into gastric acid secretion, then considered to play a crucial role in upper GI ulceration. He was awarded an MS (London) in 1969 for his thesis on this work entitled ‘The effects of histamine acid phosphate and pentagastrin on human gastric secretion’. Following this, whilst holding a Buswell fellowship, he spent a year researching into secretion in canine gastric pouches at the University of New York. This work was done under the supervision of Worthington C Schenk, professor of surgery at the University of New York at Buffalo, and he was awarded an MD (London) for his thesis on this work on the ‘Secretory responses of canine gastric pouches following the administration of acetic acid, alcohol, bile, a steroid hormone and an antihistamine’. He used to joke that his remarkable work output at Buffalo was due to the exceptionally cold weather that forced him to stay indoors, and the high calorie input of Italian American pepperoni pizza, which he was introduced to by his lab technician, Dominic Amato. During his career he published over 40 scientific papers. Shortly after returning to Wales from Buffalo, he was appointed as a consultant in general surgery at Llandough Hospital, Penarth and the University Hospital of Wales. At Llandough he soon established a large and varied general surgical NHS practice that owed much to his detailed knowledge of anatomy and pathology, experience, dexterity, speed and expert surgical technique. Many young surgeons sought to work for him as he developed a great reputation for teaching, supervising, mentoring and subsequently placing his trainees in good posts. He was one of the last generation of general surgeons, and relinquished endocrine, urological and vascular surgery practice to younger colleagues as these subspecialties developed and new consultant subspecialty appointments were made. Consultant surgical colleagues would often ask for his opinion, and sometimes his assistance, with difficult surgical cases. He became the surgeons’ and physicians’ surgeon and was an active member of the Welsh Surgical Society. His exceptionally good NHS service provision resulted in a large number of referrals to his private practice, which he carried out at St Winifred’s Hospital and later at the Cardiff BUPA Hospital. In 1970, he married Eunice Elizabeth Margaret Williams, a psychiatrist, who predeceased him in 2020. They had two daughters, Euriona and Eurwen. In retirement, Alan wrote a series of historical novels set in third century Sicily, the *Crucible of empire* series. He also enjoyed some travelling with Eunice and spending time with their four grandchildren. He died on 6 December 2024 at the age of 86.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010709
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Ramsay, David John ( - 2006)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by JM
Publication Date 2023-11-28
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010500-E010599
Occupation Orthodontist
Details David Ramsay, Orthodontic Consultant at Guy’s Hospital, died after a long illness on 21 September 2006. David qualified from the London Hospital Medical and Dental Institute in 1965/6. His first appointment was at the London Hospital as a dental house surgeon, spending time in many of the departments of dentistry to gain experience. Subsequently he worked in the community service and general dental practice. A year was spent as a rotating intern at the Eastman Dental Centre in Rochester, New York. He progressed through basic postgraduate training, holding a junior hospital post at Guy’s Hospital and achieving a Fellowship. He undertook orthodontic postgraduate training at the Eastman Dental Institute and then a Registrar post linked with Winchester. He then completed Senior Registrar training on a Guy's link with the South East Thames Region. David was appointed Consultant in Orthodontics at Guy’s, Greenwich District and Lewisham Hospitals in 1976. He was always a very practical clinical teacher and made a large contribution to the orthodontic education at Guy’s, both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Many students qualifying from both Guy’s and UMDS will recall the Friday night reflections on the teaching of the day — the atmosphere was smoky and noisy but always friendly and congenial! At Greenwich, a very good regional service was provided for general dental practice, the community service and the training of junior staff; at Lewisham, as well as providing a regional service, David developed a special interest in early management of premature babies with the constriction of feeding plates. David retired from clinical work in January 1998, which unfortunately signalled the start of his long illness. As a student and after qualifying he played rugby for the London Hospital and later became a referee. He enjoyed travelling and gardening and was devoted to his family, to whom he gave total support in all their undertakings. He was a very intelligent man with a great sense of humour, and a regular churchgoer. A memorial service was held in his local church with large numbers present — evidence of his great popularity. David is survived by his wife Lynne and his children, Michelle and John, to whom we extend our thoughts and deepest sympathy.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010512
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Adlard, Roger Edward (1972 - 2021)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Farida Ali
Publication Date 2022-02-03
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010000-E010099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/385391385391
Occupation Plastic surgeon Hand surgeon
Details Roger Edward Adlard was a much-loved consultant plastic surgeon, sub-specialising in hand surgery, at St George’s Hospital, London. He was born on 11 April 1972 at Queen Mary’s Maternity Home, Hampstead, London, to Mavis Adlard née Ritchie and Maxwell Wright Adlard. He grew up in Hertfordshire along with his younger brother Graham, attending first Broxbourne School before moving to the independent school Haileybury to complete his education. Whilst at school, Roger developed a wide range of extracurricular interests including Young Scientists, computing, coding and all things IT, magic competitions, music and stamp collecting. In addition to these more intellectual pastimes, he was an accomplished swimmer, successfully competing for his county, and skier. At Haileybury, Roger became an active member of the debating society, a skill he maintained throughout his life. He loved a good argument and always had something interesting to say about everything. A levels, he went on to read medicine at Queen Mary’s school of medicine and dentistry, qualifying in 1996. During his first year as a junior doctor at Barts and the London, he met his future wife, Julie, in 1997. After finishing his basic surgical training, he went on to complete an MSc in surgical science at University College London in 2004, before commencing his specialist training in plastic surgery. He was competitively appointed to the prestigious pan-Thames training scheme in plastic surgery in 2007. It was in this year, a decade after they met, that Roger proposed to Julie in Dubrovnik. She said yes and they were married a year later. Roger was fascinated by people, languages and cultures, a passion that started early in life – the Adlard family enjoyed spending summer holidays travelling in Europe or staying in Bahrain, where his Aunt Maggie lived. He was adept at languages, speaking both German and French fluently. After his parents bought a property in Spain, Roger became a confirmed Hispanophile. It was no surprise then that, when the time came, he chose to undertake his plastic surgery fellowship in Melbourne, Australia between 2012 and 2014. The Antipodean lifestyle suited Roger and Julie well. In fact, they considered making this a more permanent move; unfortunately, family circumstances prevented that from happening at the time. Roger’s mother, Mavis, began showing signs of dementia, so they decided to move back to the UK to be closer to her. After returning from Australia, Roger embarked on his consultant career, working first as a locum in Salisbury and Wexham Park before his substantive appointment at St George’s. Here his colleagues, many of whom had worked with him as a fellow trainee or consultant colleague before, were delighted to welcome Roger to the team. He was a fantastic hand surgeon. Working in a busy major trauma centre, Roger was often responsible for the care of patients with complex and life-changing hand and upper limbs injuries. He would regularly perform complex surgical procedures to reconstruct the upper limb after such major injuries, including nerve repair, grafting and transfers, as well as soft tissue reconstruction and walked this journey alongside his patients every step of the way, including during their rehabilitation once the acute care had been completed. He was especially known for his kindness, the twinkle in his eye (usually immediately before laughing at one of his own corny jokes), his humility, bossa nova music (guaranteed to be playing in the operating theatre), his vast cinematic knowledge and not to forget his statement socks or annual Christmas gifts of homemade chili sauce! If Roger was in the room, it was a guarantee that there would be laughter. Often, he would be laughing at himself, and many will recognise his favourite self-deprecating line ‘OK, I’ll get my coat’ when one of his terrible jokes would fail to hit the mark. Roger was never afraid to try his hand at something new. As an undergraduate, he even managed to squeeze in six months experience as a computer consultant and bond trader in the City after failing his first year exams. Being a computer geek, he very nearly didn’t go back to medicine, but both his patients and colleagues alike would be very happy he did. He was definitely the go-to person whenever there was an IT issue. Roger was passionate about teaching, something which developed early on during his time as a tutor of anatomy and biochemistry at the British School of Osteopathy, where his father was a science lecturer. This passion continued throughout his life. Knowledgeable, generous and patient are just some of the words used to describe his teaching style. As the educational supervisor of physician associates – a relatively new addition to the plastic surgery team – he was extremely supportive, both clinically and pastorally. His genuine desire for their wellbeing was evident to all. Roger understood that every experience, good or bad, happy or sad, was an opportunity for learning. Each of these experiences taught Roger something about himself and people in general: he could connect with anyone, no matter from which walk of life they came. He excelled at enjoying the finer things in life – most importantly for Roger, the memories he created and shared with Julie, his family and his friends. Speaking at his father’s funeral in 2006, Roger explained that his legacy had been to teach him and his brother that accomplishment is not the material things that you own or the wages you earn, but the deeds that you do, the people you help and the knowledge that you gain. And absolutely Roger lived by that: he is remembered truly for his deeds, his laugh, his kindness. He cared deeply about people, be they patients, colleagues, friends or, above all, family. Roger died suddenly on 5 October 2021 aged just 49. He was survived by his wife, Julie, his mother, Mavis and brother, Graham. His too short but eventful life has left an indelible mark on all those who knew him.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010072
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Currie, John Campbell Miraumont (1926 - 2016)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Fary Afshar
Publication Date 2016-07-26 2016-09-23
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009100-E009199
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381343381343
Occupation Neurosurgeon
Details John Currie was head of the neurosurgical department at St Bartholomew's Hospital, London. He was born on 1 July 1926 in Darlington, County Durham. His father was a practising physician in Darlington who had trained at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London and served as a doctor in the First World War. John went to the local grammar school in Darlington and won a scholarship to Queen's College, Cambridge. He was a keen athlete and rowed for his college; later he took up marathon running and regularly ran in the London marathon until shortly before his retirement in 1990. John continued his medical studies at St Bartholomew's Hospital. After qualifying, he joined the RAMC. He was posted to Korea and served between 1952 and 1954, reaching the rank of captain. Three weeks after returning from Korea, John married his first wife Paddy, whom he had met when she was working as a nurse at St Bartholomew's Hospital. They had two sons. Iain, his eldest, followed the family tradition and went into medicine, becoming a GP in Cornwall. Paddy sadly died in 1967. After his general surgical training, John decided on a career in neurosurgery, having obtained his FRCS in 1958. Whilst waiting to get into a specific training programme under John O'Connell at Bart's he practised for a short period as a GP in Sussex. John's neurosurgical training with O'Connell at registrar and senior registrar levels gave him a wide experience of intra cranial and spinal surgery. Together with O'Connell, he was involved in many aspects of pioneering neurosurgery, notably with several cases for the successful separation of Siamese twins who were conjoined at the head. John's first consultant post was at Leeds General Hospital between 1969 and 1971. He then joined Campbell Connolly at Bart's on O'Connell's retirement. In 1984, on Campbell Connolly's retirement, John became head of the neurosurgical department and remained there until his own retirement in 1990. John was a keen and popular teacher; he became an examiner for the FRCS and for the MChir, Cambridge University. He played a major role in St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School, becoming sub dean. John was a member of the medical section of the Territorial Army from the 1950's until 1990, and reached the rank of lieutenant colonel. He received the Territorial Decoration. John became the neurosurgical consultant and visiting professor to the island of Malta. This involved several trips each year to deal with difficult neurosurgical problems, the most complex of which involved transferring the patient to London for surgery by him at St Bartholomew's Hospital. He was also on the staff of the London Clinic and King Edward VII Hospital in London. John was a thoughtful and meticulous surgeon, and readily demonstrated his diagnostic and surgical skills to his trainees. He was always approachable and very supportive of his colleagues and junior staff. His ward rounds involved all members of his department, including consultant colleagues, nurses, physiotherapists, social workers and occupational therapists. He recognised the importance of the team approach to solving neurosurgical problems, and welcomed the weekly discussions over tea and biscuits with the whole team. In 1969 John married Ann, they had a daughter, Mary. After John's retirement the family moved to Cornwall. He continued to be a regular visitor and adviser at St Bartholomew's until the last year of his life. He died peacefully on 2 May 2016, just before his 90th birthday.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009160
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Weale, Adrian Elliott (1963 - 2018)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Fergal Monsell
Publication Date 2019-06-06 2020-03-10
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009600-E009699
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon Trauma surgeon
Details Adrian Weale was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Bristol Royal Infirmary. He was born in Kent on 29 March 1963 to Felix Weale, a consultant vascular surgeon, and Audrey Weale née Elliott, a nurse. He was educated at the King’s School, Rochester and Gravesend Grammar School. He read medicine at St Mary’s Hospital Medical School, graduating MB BS in 1986. After house jobs in Hillingdon and St Mary’s Hospital, he was an anatomy demonstrator at the University of Manchester prior to undertaking general surgical training. He became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1991, underwent higher orthopaedic surgical training in the South West and was awarded the FRCS (Orth) in 1996. He was a research fellow and honorary senior registrar at the University of Oxford in 1997 and this work formed the basis of his MS thesis ‘The surgical management of osteoarthritis of the knee’, awarded by the University of London in 2001. He was appointed as a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at Bristol Royal Infirmary and Avon Orthopaedic Centre, Southmead Hospital in 1998 with a special interest in hand surgery, arthroplasty and trauma surgery. This developed during his consultant career and latterly he concentrated predominantly on knee arthroplasty, whilst continuing to contribute to the provision of general trauma surgery. He maintained an interest in academic surgery throughout his career and was widely published, particularly on the management of osteoarthritis of the knee. He developed a mature medico-legal practice, concentrating on personal injury reporting and was known for a forensic approach to this subject. He was a passionate teacher, highly regarded by his students and was awarded regional trainer of the year (runner up) in 2016. His personal approach and the guidance he provided to his trainees made him an extremely popular mentor to a generation of orthopaedic surgeons, many of whom attended his memorial service. He was married to Caroline (née Hayes) and had three sons, Christopher, Thomas and Toby, who were a source of great pride. He was also very proud of his family history and in particular his grandfather Frederick Weil, a Czechoslovakian journalist and a prominent critic of the Nazis, his father Felix, who arrived in England as a 14-year-old in 1938, and his brother, who predeceased him. He enjoyed life in its many guises. He was an accomplished skier and a lifelong, passionate supporter of Arsenal. His Monday morning trauma meeting would generally be prefaced by a discussion of events on the soccer field. He held firm views about the issues that were important to him and was a dependable friend to those he held dear. He was a complex man but, behind a veneer of formality, there lived a very generous and popular individual who will be missed by his family, friends and colleagues. Adrian Weale died following a myocardial infarction on 28 November 2018. He was 55.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009615
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching McKinna, James Alan (1932 - 2020)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Fiona McKinna
Publication Date 2021-03-22 2021-06-04
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009900-E009999
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/384495384495
Occupation General surgeon Breast surgeon
Details Alan McKinna was a consultant surgeon at the Royal Marsden Hospital, London. He was born on 13 August 1932 in Nottinghamshire, the youngest son of two GPs, Eva McKinna née Young and Henry Drummond McKinna. His father died suddenly at the age of 40, leaving his mother to bring up her sons while she continued as a doctor. He was educated at West Bridgford Grammar School, Nottinghamshire, and then studied medicine at St Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical School, qualifying in 1956. His brother also studied medicine and became a GP in Canada. He was appointed as a consultant surgeon at the Royal Marsden Hospitals in 1972 and also became an honorary surgeon to the Chelsea Hospital for Women, where he spent the next 20 years. His major interest was in the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer and he became a Hunterian professor at the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1989 with a lecture entitled ‘The earlier diagnosis of breast cancer – a 20-year experience at the Royal Marsden’. His busy private practice was in Kensington and at the Cromwell Hospital. He felt privileged to have his appointments, and enjoyed the national and international contacts and opportunities in his field that this enabled, for example supporting the now renowned tamoxifen prevention trial. He also strongly championed the early diagnostic breast unit at the Royal Marsden, a forerunner of today’s fast track diagnostic clinics. His team, his friends and family knew and respected his strong sense of duty and care to his patients. Many of these patients kept in contact with him long after his retirement, as did his junior staff. A close medical oncology colleague said of him that: ‘He was one of the kindest and most gentle colleagues I ever knew, always putting his patients first, and of course they all adored him. He was a wonderful and favourite colleague to work with – he wasn’t just caring, but he was enthusiastic and supportive of new ideas and a dedicated collaborator in all our trials. He was particularly instrumental in advocating our neoadjuvant programme at the start, when most of his colleagues were aggressively critical and we could never have made the progress we did without him.’ He was a notoriously poor timekeeper, with most outpatient clinics and theatre sessions finishing late, particularly on a Friday evening, which would often cause considerable but predictable stress all round, only to be quelled by an invitation to the local pub. Despite his poor relationship with the clock, he felt strongly about supporting his whole team, and loved to find an excuse for a good party at a good venue, be it a restaurant, art gallery or the Chelsea Physic Garden, inviting as many as he could as a ‘thank you’ for going above and beyond with him. He was a remarkable mentor and fine example and embodied all that is good about the doctor-patient relationship. Surgically he had a wide repertoire, favouring conservation in breast cancer, but well able to perform staging laparotomies, thyroidectomies and whatever was directed his way at the Marsden, and indeed at the Chelsea next door. He was an active member of the Chelsea Clinical Society and the British Breast Group, and a mover and shaker in writing guidelines in the management of breast cancer for the Marsden. In many ways he was ahead of his time, although he would not have considered himself a trail blazer. He trained numerous junior surgical oncologists, many now senior or retired, and many remember him fondly for his great interest in their own careers, which he would support and develop, for instance by sending them overseas to visit the great cancer centres in the USA or by setting them projects for presentation and publication. After retirement, having been pre-deceased by his youngest daughter Lucy, he and his wife Marilyn, whom he had met at Barts, moved to Winchelsea, which they made their home for the next 25 years. Alan embraced retirement and became a keen gardener, as well as being actively involved in the local art group, the literary and historical societies, and devoted to the local church. He was mayor of Winchelsea in 2007 and relished being an active member of the parish. He was a loving father to his three remaining children Andrew, Fiona and James, and grandfather to his three grandsons Tom, James and Nick. One daughter and one grandson have followed him in medical careers. In his later years, he cared selflessly for his wife with severe dementia, who survives him. He collapsed and died suddenly, on 12 December 2020, on his way to church with his wife. He was 88.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009945
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Wyllie, John Hamilton (1933 - 2020)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Fiona Myint
Publication Date 2020-08-12
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009700-E009799
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/383750383750
Occupation General surgeon
Details John Hamilton Wyllie was professor of surgical studies at University College London (UCL). He was born in Dumfries, Scotland, the eldest son of Andrew McNae Wyllie and Marjorie Hamilton née Maxwell. On his father becoming physician superintendent of Royal Cornhill Mental Hospital, Aberdeen, John completed his secondary education at Aberdeen Grammar School, winning a bursary to Aberdeen University, where he studied medicine, intercalating a BSc and graduating with honours in 1957. He did almost all of his surgical training in Aberdeen, gaining his fellowships of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1964. Research included the study of gastrin secretion (for an MD, awarded in 1961). He was appointed to the Harkness fellowship (funded by the prestigious Commonwealth Fund of New York) at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA, where he worked with Henry N Harkins and Lloyd M Nyhus. He then moved to London, first as Wolfson lecturer at the Royal College of Surgeons of England and an honorary senior surgical registrar at King’s College Hospital (1966 to 1968). He was appointed as a senior lecturer in surgery at University College Medical School in 1968 and as an honorary consultant from 1969. He became a reader in surgery at University College Hospital Medical School, then professor of surgical studies at University College London in 1976. In 1982, he moved to the Whittington Hospital in Highgate (a campus hospital of University College Medical School) in order to establish an academic presence there. He was lead consultant in surgery at the Whittington from 1991 to 1993, and sub-dean of University College London from 1986 to 1989. He was an active and successful researcher; he worked with two Nobel prize winners, Sir John Vane and Sir James Black. He was a keen student of pharmacology and contributed to the development and clinical trials of H2 antagonists, which (as he was keen to point out) radically reduced the need for gastric ulcer surgery. He published widely on gastric pharmacology, prostaglandins, H2 antagonists and surgical education, including key papers in *Nature* and *The Lancet*. Publications included ‘Inactivation of prostaglandins by the lungs’ (*Nature* 1970 Feb 14;225[5233]:600-4), co-authored with Priscilla Piper and Sir John Vane. Sir James Black wrote in his autobiography: ‘John Wyllie, surgeon from University College London, contributed the last critical piece in a successful mission.’ He was a general surgeon with a subspecialty interest in oesophageal surgery, and a notable expertise in achalasia, on which he worked with his long-term collaborator David Edwards. He was an early adopter of fine needle aspiration in the diagnosis of breast disease. John was a much respected as an undergraduate teacher and assessor, chairing the examiners in surgery at UCL from 1991 to 1997. While a committed educator at all levels, he did prefer to teach undergraduates over postgraduates because, in his own words, ‘With the young you can tell them the truth which is that we are unbelievably ignorant of everything that matters’. That uncompromising, humble search for truth, scientific or religious, was a hallmark of his life. In addition to examining undergraduates at University College, he held examiner roles for the LDS at the Royal College of Surgeons of England (from 1970 to 1976), the BDS at the University of London (1974 to 1981, and as chair from 1979 to 1981), the MB BS, University of London (1977 to 1997), the MS thesis panel University of London (1976 to 1997), the final FDS, Royal College of Surgeons of England, 1981, as chair of the MCQ (multiple choice questions) panel at the University of London (1993 to 1995) and various other examinations activity across the world, including in Libya and at the University of Jordan. He also made a contribution as a member of the MCQ panel for the Professional Linguistic Assessment Board examinations for the General Medical Council. He was visiting professor to the University of Illinois, Chicago in 1974, the Al-Fateh University, Tripoli in 1977, the University of Benghazi in 1980, the University of Ghana, Accra in 1985 and Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland in 1994. After retirement in 1997, John moved to the Moray Firth, where he enjoyed honing his programming skills with Open University courses, singing in church choirs and sailing extensively on the west coast of Scotland with his wife in their small yacht. Remarkably his medical career finished where it had all begun – in Aberdeen; until compulsorily retired at 70, he did regular breast clinics there. John died of coronavirus on 11 April 2020 aged 86, in Great Finborough, Suffolk. He was buried in Linton Cemetery, Cambridgeshire, where, due to restrictions imposed by the pandemic, his funeral service had to be conducted in the open air, attended only by ten of his closest relatives. He was married to Kathleen Ruth (née Mackay) and was survived by his widow and three children, David (a doctor), Julia and Ian.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009797
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Crosfill, Martin Lawson (1930 - 2024)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Fiona Thexton
Publication Date 2024-11-08
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010600-E010699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/388451388451
Occupation General surgeon Urological surgeon
Details Martin Crosfill was a consultant general surgeon at Lewis Hospital in Stornoway, Outer Hebrides and then at West Cornwall Hospital. He was born in Leeds on 8 January 1930. His grandfather, John Crosfill, was a chemist and a leading light in the temperance movement, and his father, also John Crosfill, was a surgeon in the Royal Navy. His mother was Majorie Crosfill née Martin. Martin’s career was mapped out for him at a young age when he was sent to Epsom College, which specialised in producing the next generation of doctors. He passed his first MB at school and then studied at St Bartholomew’s Hospital from 1948, the first year of the NHS. He competed for entry with returning soldiers at the end of the war, who were given priority for training places. After completing house posts at Barts, he took a post as a physiology demonstrator/lecturer before going to Egypt with the RAF to carry out his National Service. On returning to the UK, he ‘re-met’ my mother, Jean (Stewart), who had been a staff nurse on his first ward, and they married in 1960. Martin worked with a variety of surgeons in hospitals in London, Bath, Chertsey and Leeds, among others, before finally applying in 1969 for a post as a consultant surgeon at Lewis Hospital, Stornoway. There was one consultant physician and one consultant surgeon. Between them they had two junior doctors, one senior house officer and one preregistration house officer and served a population of 25,000. Surgery was as general as it gets! My father covered all specialties except neurosurgery and ophthalmic surgery, and he was on call 24 hours every day unless on holiday away from the island. During his time working as an isolated surgeon, he became concerned that he and others in a similar position could become deskilled, so he started the Viking Surgeons Club as a peer support network to meet and help other surgeons in the same position. In 1977, Martin moved to the West Cornwall Hospital, Penzance, chiefly for a better work-life balance. Here, he had a partner and worked a 1:2 rota instead of 1:1. Both were still general surgeons, but my father developed more of an interest in urology. Outside work, he loved his books, dogs and garden and entertaining (and would have been a great disappointment to his teetotal grandfather). He collected all sorts of things and played tennis into his eighties. He retired in 1990, continuing to live in Penzance until his death on 9 September 2024 at the age of 94.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010677
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Fontaine, Colin John (1940 -2022)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Forbes Rintoul
Publication Date 2023-10-17
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010400-E010499
Occupation General surgeon
Details Colin Fontaine was a consultant general surgeon and medical director at Prince Charles Hospital, north Glamorgan. He was born in Barry Docks, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales on 19 June 1940 to Roy Astill Fontaine and Dylys Eleanor Fontaine née Biss. His younger sister, Lesley, went on to train as a chiropodist. Colin started his studies at Charing Cross Hospital Medical School in 1960. He qualified in 1965 and undertook pre-registration surgical and medical appointments at the West London Hospital. This was followed by a senior house officer post in the accident and emergency department. In 1967 he passed the primary FRCS examination, which was followed by a senior house officer post at St James’ Hospital, Balham. In 1972, Colin passed the final FRCS exam. After a series of senior house officer appointments, he held registrar posts at Wexham Park and Mount Vernon hospitals and was subsequently appointed as a senior registrar at St Mary’s Hospital, London. Colin was appointed as a consultant general surgeon at Prince Charles Hospital in north Glamorgan in 1978 and took on a very wide range of both emergency and elective surgery. His calm considered manner in treating complex problems under demanding circumstances was an important feature, along with his surgical skill, in ensuring good patient outcomes. Colin’s versatility was of immense use to the trust as services developed throughout the 1990s. As he could operate virtually on any problem that a patient presented with, as new consultants were appointed with a range of sub-specialties, Colin moved from one sub-specialty to another, ensuring the trust had an expert in all areas. He was responsible for colorectal and vascular surgery, later becoming responsible for urology and day case surgery. In 1994, Colin was appointed as medical director of the Prince Charles Hospital and was at the forefront of the development of the North Glamorgan NHS Trust, the last NHS trust to be created in Wales. At this time, the challenge was recruiting consultants to north Glamorgan, which Colin embraced by encouraging recently qualified consultants that north Glamorgan was a place to practise. He also explored what best practice was for medical directors when the new British Association of Medical Managers was created in January 1996 and ensured that North Glamorgan NHS Trust joined this organisation. In late 1996, Colin was instrumental in proposing that the colorectal services at Prince Charles Hospital should enter the UK’s Doctor of the Year competition, the only hospital in Wales to be shortlisted and one of only ten in the UK. Colin was exceptionally keen for the trust to be exposed nationally in this way. Colin was the author of several papers on suture and ligature materials and wrote a further paper on ‘Perfusion in limb melanoma: indications and results’ (*Proc R Soc Med*. 1974 Feb;67[2]:99-100). When Colin retired, the reputation of the district general hospital and North Glamorgan NHS Trust had been transformed; it had become a more attractive place to work and, most importantly, the care of patients improved, all of which can only be accredited to the work carried out by the trust board, of which Colin was an integral part. During the 1990s, Colin was the secretary of the Welsh Surgical Travelling Club. The Club, founded in 1973, allowed surgeons throughout the Principality to meet annually and exchange papers with other surgeons at their hospitals, alternatively in the UK and overseas. Spouses would come on the away visits. Colin readily accepted the challenge of expanding the Club visits outside Europe. During his ten years, club visits extended to India (Benares and Agra), with Nepal, South Africa (Cape Town and Durban) and North America (Cleveland Clinic and Miami), in addition to France and Switzerland. In the days before emails and mobile phones, Colin used to joke that he was having long-distance fax romances with various secretaries overseas. Colin had a keen interest in various sports, including rugby, golf and snow- and water-skiing. He was an accomplished classical guitarist, a hobby which he took up later in life. He loved cooking for family and friends and had a passion for traditional jazz. He hosted many parties at home and these always included performances by jazz musicians. Colin had two children, Rhiannon and Gareth, with his first wife Dominica Evans, who was also a medic. He married again in 1982 to Pamela Bach, a teacher, and had a third child, Charlotte. Colin Fontaine died on 2 June 2023 at the age of 81.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010489
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Adams, John Crawford (1913 - 2010)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Frank Horan
Publication Date 2012-01-25 2014-01-10
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E001000-E001999/E001800-E001899
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/374075374075
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon
Details John Crawford Adams was a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at St Mary's Hospital, London, and the author of several acclaimed textbooks on orthopaedic surgery. He was born in Derbyshire, the son of a general practitioner, and was educated at Oakham School. He entered St Mary's Hospital Medical School in September 1931 and had a successful undergraduate career, winning three major prizes. In September 1939 he volunteered for the medical branch of the Royal Air Force. He served on a number of RAF stations and hospitals and became part of the orthopaedic service, where he came under the influence of Sir Reginald Watson-Jones and Sir Henry Osmond-Clarke. After the war he went to the London Hospital, where Sir Henry had joined Sir Reginald, and became a registrar in their department. He had a natural aptitude for the specialty and progressed rapidly. He was appointed as an assistant orthopaedic surgeon at St Mary's in April 1948, to the Paddington Green Children's Hospital in July 1948, and as an orthopaedic surgeon to St Mary's in July 1949. He was a meticulous and inventive surgeon. His early interest was in the further improvement of the 'V', ischiofemoral, arthrodesis of the hip, which had been developed by Brittain and Howard at Norwich. He published the results of his work in a monograph entitled *Ischio-femoral arthrodesis* (Livingstone) in 1966, which was based on the essay for which he was awarded the Robert Jones gold medal and association prize of the British Orthopaedic Association in 1961 and his thesis for his MS degree in surgery. A further interest was in the correction of the gross kyphotic deformities, which may develop in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. He devised and constructed a frame with a hinge, which could be placed on the operating table at the level of the deformity. After the spine had been suitably mobilised at the appropriate level, a worm and screw device was employed to open the hinge. A loud crack would be heard as the kyphus was corrected for the desired amount. Many excellent results were obtained using this procedure, with immense benefit to the patients. He had a firm belief in the value of the use of the Küntscher nail in the management of fractures of long bones, and constructed a number of devices to help place and retain the limb in a suitable position for operation. He had a very sharp mind and was an excellent teacher, able to express himself with clarity. He wrote with ease and consequently produced the two most popular books for undergraduate students - *Outline of orthopaedics* (Edinburgh/London, E & S Livingstone), published in 1955, followed by *Outline of fractures including joint injuries* (Edinburgh/London, E & S Livingstone) in 1957. These volumes have remained core reading for students and continue to be published, the former now in its 14th edition and the latter in the 12th. After his retirement he recruited David Hamblen as co-editor and, in the more recent editions, Hamish Simpson. Apart from these standard texts, he produced the definitive guide on operative orthopaedics for young surgeons. Entitled *Standard orthopaedic operations* (Edinburgh, Churchill Livingstone), it again ran to a number of editions. In his later years he continued his literary interests, exploring Shakespeare to write *Shakespeare's physic* (London, Royal Society of Medicine Press, 2000) and then, drawing on his own experience, to write *Harley Street: a brief history with notes on nearby Regent's Park* (London, Royal Society of Medicine Press, c2008). He was a major contributor to the success of the British volume of the *Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery*, which was first published in 1948 with Sir Reginald Watson-Jones as editor. He began to work for the journal in 1949 as a sub-editor, involved particularly in the layout and production before going to print, and was appointed assistant editor in 1950. It was soon realised that there was too much work for this to be undertaken satisfactorily as a spare time job, and so in 1951 he was asked to work for two days per week on a paid basis, giving up hospital sessions to do so. He continued in this role for many years, becoming deputy editor in 1961, but did not wish to take up the post of editor when this became vacant following the death of Sir Reginald in 1972. He continued as production editor until 1977, when he decided to retire after many years of unassuming and meticulous service. He was then invited to join the council of management of the journal and remained on this body until 1985. His principal hobby was working with silver. This was particularly suited to his surgical vision and manual expertise. He had his own hallmark and produced numerous pieces of considerable merit. He made the silver porringer which was presented to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, by the British Orthopaedic Association at the Combined Meeting of the Orthopaedic Associations of the English-speaking World, held in London in 1976. At a dinner held in my house for his 80th birthday, which was attended by a number of his former trainees, he gave my wife a silver candle snuffer with a rosewood handle. This remains an oft used and treasured possession. He was a civilian consultant to the Royal Air Force for a number of years and travelled widely to the various orthopaedic centres in the service. He found much pleasure in these activities and took a great personal interest in the surgeons who worked there, stimulated, perhaps, by his own wartime memories. He was an astute clinician and a skilled surgeon, precise in his operating and inventive in his approach to difficult problems. He was a vocal advocate of the school of 'get it right first time' and drilled his trainees accordingly. Although a quiet and self contained man, he was good company among those he looked upon as friends, and very supportive of his registrars. This trait resulted in the intense loyalty of those who had worked for him, which continued throughout their professional lives.
Resource Identifier RCS: E001892
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Miller, John Roy Mackay (1921 - 2014)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Frank J Branicki
Publication Date 2014-11-25 2015-07-20
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E006000-E006999/E006400-E006499
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/378615378615
Occupation General surgeon Vascular surgeon
Details Roy Miller was a senior consultant surgeon at Kenyatta National and Nairobi hospitals, Kenya. He was born in Croydon on 26 June 1921, the son of Arthur John Miller, assistant secretary of the Prudential Assurance Company, and Marjorie Louise Miller née Garrett. He was educated at Cumnor House School and then St Lawrence College, Ramsgate. His undergraduate training took place at King's College Hospital, London. Roy's interest in surgery coincided with the outbreak of the Second World War. As such, his surgical training was expedited during the early 1940s, so that he was able to do part of it while still a medical student. Some of this training took place in Glasgow because of the Blitz in London. Roy won the Hughes prize for anatomy and prosected for the Royal College of Surgeons during his training. In 1943, during the black-out, while a junior doctor at King's, Roy literally collided into his future wife Mary (née Moller), who was still a medical student at the time, in a corridor one night. They were married two years later. Roy's house appointments included the Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, where he worked with the father of modern-day plastic surgery, Sir Archibald McIndoe. He was a surgical registrar at King's to Sir Cecil Wakeley and E G Muir (later Sir Edward). Roy gained his FRCS in 1946. Called up to do his British military service in his capacity as a surgeon, he was posted to Kenya in 1947. Having spent two happy years in Mombasa at the British Military Hospital, he became a provincial surgeon in the Kenya Colonial Medical Service in 1949. Postings to several small hospitals, in particular Kisumu in north-western Kenya, saw Roy serving large populations with very little support in the way of laboratory facilities or X-rays. The X-ray department opened a year after Roy started in Kisumu, coinciding with a memorable ward round with Sir Herbert Seddon, who happened to be visiting. Serving together with Roy in Kisumu for eight years, Mary first developed her interest in anaesthetics, often working in conjunction with Roy on operative cases. In 1958 Roy was recommended by his senior colleague, Bill Kirkaldy-Willis, an orthopaedic surgeon, for a post as consultant surgeon in Nairobi. Cliff Braimbridge in particular was his surgical mentor early on, and Roy was promoted to senior specialist in 1972, spending 28 years at the Kenyatta National Hospital and Nairobi Hospital. He was ultimately appointed chief surgeon for Kenya, and personal surgeon to the founding president of independent Kenya, Jomo Kenyatta. Roy enjoyed a busy general surgical and vascular private practice in Nairobi, sharing consulting rooms with well-known surgeons Gerald Nevill and Imre Loeffler. Over the years he became a doyen of the surgical fraternity in Kenya; he was a founding member of the Association of Surgeons of East Africa and president from 1964 to 1965. During his career Roy published on a variety of surgical topics, starting in 1951 with possibly the earliest demonstration of the value of penicillin and skin grafting for tropical ulcer ('Treatment of tropical ulcer'. *East African Medical Journal* 1951 Vol.28 p.120). Another area of research was pneumatosis intestinalis, with a study using nitrous oxide and helium ('Pneumatosis intestinalis'. *East African Medical Journal* 1964 Vol.41 p.194). His main interests however lay in portal hypertension ('Portal hypertension in Nairobi'. *East African Medical Journal* 1967 Vol.44 p.376) and cancer of the oesophagus. In 1967 he established, in conjunction with Antonia Bagshawe, the first liver clinic at Kenyatta National Hospital. The separation of conjoined twins at the hospital on 18 December 1977, where one twin survived to adulthood, he regarded as technically one of his most memorable operations. Roy was as much a vascular surgeon as general, and he performed some of the earliest aortic grafts in Kenya. He published in this area too, and in 1980 was the first to describe tropical coagulopathic ischaemia and its treatment with streptokinase ('Tropical coagulopathic ischaemia'. *The Proceedings of the Association of Surgeons of East Africa* 1980 Vol.3 p.83). In 1981, he and his son Brian, who subsequently became a general surgeon and academic at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, set up the first colonoscopy service in Kenya. Another of Roy's passions was the empowerment, with some basic surgical training, of district hospital doctors in Kenya, to decrease the need for urgent transfer of straightforward cases to metropolitan centres. In 1986, aged 65, Roy retired from surgery and migrated with Mary to Australia to join his daughter in Victoria. Moves to Canberra and northern New South Wales followed and he enjoyed time with his family, including his two grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. A strong character, Roy had a very perceptive mind. One of the hallmarks of a true professional is to be able to encourage and inspire one's juniors, and herein he excelled. Numerous surgical trainees remember him with affection and gratitude, having become senior surgeons in public, private and professorial posts. His distinguished career led to the award of an OBE in 1975, at an investiture ceremony held in Nairobi, in recognition of his service to health care in Africa. A number of diverse interests outside of surgery were pursued with customary vigour, particularly dinghy sailing. Roy was the manager of the Kenya sailing team at the Rome Olympics in 1960, having won numerous sailing trophies both on the Kavirondo Gulf at Kisumu and at the Nairobi Dam. Roy loved to sail on Lake Naivasha in the Rift Valley, winning the East African Fireball Championship there in 1982, and his sailing continued during his retirement in Australia. Quite late in life Roy mastered computer skills sufficient to correspond with friends and family, and he read the *BMJ* and *Time* magazine until the week he passed away. In closing, Roy Miller was a surgeon's surgeon and a mentor to many. He and Mary, who was increasingly incapacitated during the last 15 years of her life, were married for 70 years. Roy took care of her throughout with loving devotion, respect and support. Her passing in August 2014 was followed just three weeks later by his own demise at age 93, on 20 September 2014. He was survived by his son Brian and daughter Wendy.
Resource Identifier RCS: E006432
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Morley, Thomas Paterson (1920 - 2012)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Fred Gentili
Publication Date 2016-07-27 2017-10-19
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009100-E009199
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381354381354
Occupation Neurosurgeon
Details Thomas Morley was chairman of neurosurgery at the University of Toronto, Canada. He was born on 13 June 1920 in Manchester, England, to John Morley, professor of surgery at the University of Manchester, and Molly Ogilvie Morley née Simon. At the age of seven, Morley was sent to boarding school in Oxford and then to Rugby School in Warwickshire. Soon after his arrival at boarding school, his mother died from an infection, a loss that stayed with him throughout his life and which drew him very close to his older brother, Jim. He studied medicine at Oxford, where he met Helen Mary Currer Briggs, who was only one of two women in his year. Upon his graduation in 1943, they entered into a marriage that would last for nearly seven decades. They honeymooned in the Lake District, a place to which they would return throughout their lives to walk by the lakes and climb the fells. Shortly after their wedding, he obtained the position of junior house surgeon to Sir Geoffrey Jefferson, Manchester's leading neurosurgeon. His appointment with Jefferson was somewhat nepotistic, as the Morley home in Manchester was close to Jefferson's. He knocked on Jefferson's door, and asked for a job, whereupon Jefferson replied 'Nobody wants to come to my service, because it is too much like hard work, and I won't give you any time.' He recalled the six-month internship at the Manchester Royal Infirmary as being extremely difficult with many sleepless nights and challenging cases. In 1944 he enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. He was posted first in England and then to Pune, India - and remained enamoured of India for the rest of his life. His younger brother, Dick, a gifted pilot, was killed in the Second World War. After the war, Morley completed residencies in general and orthopaedic surgery, and obtained his FRCS in 1949. He then returned to Jefferson's neurological service to pursue his main interest, specialty training in neurosurgery, where he spent the next three and a half years. There were few job opportunities for neurosurgeons in England at the time of his graduation, however, as fate would decree, during the war Jefferson had met Harry Botterell, who was serving as senior neurosurgeon to the Canadian Neurological Hospital in Basingstoke. In 1952, Botterell succeeded Canada's first neurosurgeon, Kenneth George McKenzie, as the head of neurosurgery in Toronto, Canada. Botterell asked Jefferson to facilitate the recruitment of one of his trainees to Toronto, where he and McKenzie were in dire need of assistance. Accordingly, Botterell wrote to Morley and asked if he would consider going to Toronto to begin a career in neurosurgery. He was very pleased to receive this personal letter from Botterell, not realising that nearly all of his colleagues in Manchester had received the same letter of invitation! Morley jumped at the opportunity, and began a one-year fellowship in neurosurgery at Toronto General Hospital. He lived in the college wing of the hospital and made daily ward rounds with residents William Horsey and William Lougheed, who would also become leaders in the history of Canadian neurosurgery. In 1953, he was hired to the permanent staff in neurosurgery, and Helen and their two young daughters, Jane and Rosamund, immigrated to Canada to join him. Three years later, their third child, David, was born. His practice grew and he began specialising in brain tumour surgery and procedures used to treat trigeminal neuralgia. He quickly became a skilful technical neurosurgeon, demonstrating complete economy of motion in the operating room and speeding his way through the most exacting and difficult procedures, to the great benefit of his patients. As a clinical research niche, he moved forward with a project he had initially started with Jefferson in Manchester on the use of radioactive phosphorus for the intracranial localisation of brain tumours in patients. Another area of great research interest for Morley was in the use of echoencephalography, where ultrasound was used to delineate the presence of midline shift of structures in the case of intracranial tumours or trauma. As for basic science research work, he was encouraged by Botterell to visit the University of Texas at Galveston to learn about tissue culture of human brain tumours. At Galveston, he studied with Charles M Pomerat, who was the only scientist studying *in vitro* models of brain tumours. One of his seminal contributions to this field was his isolation of circulating glioma cells from the jugular vein from patients harbouring intracranial malignant gliomas. In 1962, he succeeded Botterell as head of the division of neurosurgery at Toronto General Hospital. Two years later, he was appointed as the chairman of neurosurgery at the University of Toronto, a position he held until 1979. He expanded the Toronto residency program to two residents per year and helped form the neurosurgery unit at the Wellesley Hospital in Toronto in 1968. In 1977 and 1979, he summarised the state of neurosurgical training programs in Canada for the neurosurgical literature. Throughout his career, he held numerous leadership positions in medicine and neurosurgery, including president of the Canadian Neurosurgical Society, vice president of the Society of Neurological Surgeons and vice president of the Neurosurgical Society of America. He also maintained his membership of the Society of British Neurological Surgeons. Upon his retirement from surgery in 1985, he turned to a career in letters and was the general editor of the 24 volume Canadian Medical Lives Series, comprising scholarly biographies of distinguished Canadian doctors - capped by his own biography of McKenzie. A total of 50 residents finished either all or a significant part of their training under him. All residents who rotated on the neurosurgical service at Toronto General Hospital with him remember the tradition of tea at 4pm during rounds. He is remembered for his encouraging words to the residents in his formal British accent, his self-deprecating ways, his charm and his incredible wit, albeit sometimes quirky. In his name and honour, and for his early devotion to basic science research in neurosurgery, the Morley prize was created in the division of neurosurgery in 1986 to recognise the neurosurgery resident who has presented the best research paper each year. He embraced his adopted homeland and, by canoe and sailboat, became an ardent explorer of Canada's waterways and wilderness. He also planted thousands of trees, many of which have grown to become mature forests in the Oak Ridges Morraine, Ontario. He died on 29 April 2012 aged 91 and was survived by his wife Helen, their children Jane, Rosamund and David, his son, Luke, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. He had an indelible impact on the art and practice of neurosurgery in Canada.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009171
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Wardle, Martin Lawrence (1950 - 2017)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by J Langford
Publication Date 2023-07-05
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010200-E010299
Occupation Dental surgeon Oral and maxillofacial surgeon
Details Martin died on 4 October 2017 following a year-long fight against cancer. He was born on 4 June 1950, the first of five children of Lawrence and Mary Wardle. Martin started his dental training at Birmingham University in 1968 following in the footsteps of his father Lawrence, who had also studied dentistry there. After graduation in December 1973 he set about establishing a very successful dental career, starting with an oral surgery house job at Birmingham General Hospital, then moving on to The Royal Hospital Portsmouth, where he met his future wife, Barbara. They married on 1 May 1976, celebrating their ruby wedding anniversary last year. In 1975 he joined his father in practice in Ashford, Middlesex, and achieved his dental fellowship in 1979. Later, his brother Tim also joined the practice. After Lawrence’s retirement the brothers ran the practice together until it was sold in 2010. Martin combined his dental practice with an appointment in oral and maxillofacial surgery at the Royal Surrey in Guildford from 1979. He took the lead in the prosthetic rehabilitation of head and neck cancer patients, being an early adopter of dental implants. He was co-founder of an implant practice at Guildford. He ran study days at the postgraduate medical centre. He was active in the Surrey Local Dental Committee and the Middlesex and Hertfordshire Branch of the BDA, of which he became President. He was instrumental in revitalising the Hounslow and Twickenham Section to include an annual study day, in future to be named the ‘Martin Wardle Team Day’. He was awarded a Certificate of Merit by the BDA in 2015. In March of this year he and Barbara were able to attend the branch meeting in Krakow and were given a very warm and generous tribute by their old friends in the profession. Travel was an important part of their lives. Martin also pursued many other interests. He was in Round Table for 13 years, and his house bore testament to his enthusiasm for very professional DIY. He was keenly interested in cars. He loved watching cricket, swimming, skiing, and scuba diving. He had achieved divemaster status and obtained his Yacht Master Theory qualification. He also found time and passion for Egypt and its history. He was an outstanding professional colleague, wonderful with patients, a generous and steadfast friend, and a very loving husband, father and grandparent. It is ironic that someone who dedicated many hours in reconstructing the faces and improving the oral health and lives of cancer patients should so cruelly be taken by the same disease at a young age. He is survived by his father Lawrence, his four siblings, his wife Barbara and their children Claire and David, and grandchildren Lily, Sam and George.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010297
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Cox, Hugh Jeremy (1956 - 2017)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Gareth John
Publication Date 2017-11-02 2018-03-21
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009300-E009399
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381550381550
Occupation ENT surgeon Head and neck surgeon Naval surgeon
Details Hugh Cox was an ear, nose and throat surgeon in Poole, Dorset whose main interest was head and neck surgery. He was born in Chatham, Kent, to Derek Joseph Cox, a lieutenant commander in the Royal Navy, and Joan Cox, a nurse originally from south Wales. He had three siblings - David and twins Sian and Christopher. Hugh attended the Monterey Preparatory School in Cape Town, St John's Preparatory School in Porthcawl and finally Portsmouth Grammar School. He did his preclinical course at King's College, London and then went on to the Westminster Hospital for his clinical course. He was a member of the Westminster Hospital Sailing Club and was in the United Hospitals Sailing Team. He qualified in 1980. His first house job was at the Westminster group of hospitals. On his first day as a house officer at the Gordon Hospital he met a recently-qualified staff nurse, Lynne, who was to become his wife. By the time he moved to his second job in Guildford, Lynne had moved to Bristol Royal Hospital for Children for further training, and the relationship necessitated a good deal of travelling. Hugh next took up a one-year orthopaedics and accident and emergency rotation in Brighton, followed by an 18-month surgical rotation in Portsmouth. In 1986 Hugh joined the Royal Naval Reserve in the rank of surgeon lieutenant commander. He transferred to the Royal Navy with a regular commission in 1988. His sole general duties posting was as a medical officer in HMS *Nottingham*. During his time at sea the ship took part in a Gulf patrol and was present during a royal visit to the Far East and a heads of Commonwealth conference in Malaysia. After the required general training, Hugh specialised in ENT surgery. He obtained the FRCS in both general surgery and in otolaryngology. After two years as an ENT registrar at the Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar he took up senior registrar jobs in Southampton, the Royal Marsden and the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital. He was promoted to surgeon commander towards the end of his higher surgical training, and he was appointed as a consultant ENT surgeon at the Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar in late 1994, where he was the lead clinician for both head and neck surgery and paediatric ENT surgery. He also had honorary consultant status at Portsmouth and Southampton hospitals, where he held clinics. He taught on the underwater medicine course and also on the training programmes for Royal Naval medical officers and medical assistants. He was the consultant adviser in otorhinolaryngology to the medical director general (Naval) from 1997 to 1999. With the establishment of cancer centres in the early 1990s and the transfer of paediatric services to the NHS, Hugh found it difficult to pursue his clinical interests at Haslar and he was granted premature voluntary release from the Royal Navy in early 2000. He rejoined the Royal Naval Reserve at the end of the year and contributed to the visiting ENT clinics at the Royal Naval Hospital, Gibraltar until 2006. After leaving the Navy, Hugh was appointed as a consultant ENT surgeon at Yeovil District Hospital and Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester. He and his family settled in a village in rural West Dorset. However, Hugh's main interest was head and neck surgery and the main cancer centre for Dorset was in the east of the county, at Poole Hospital. In 2000, we were looking to expand the ENT department in Poole, and in particular we were looking to appoint a surgeon with an interest in head and neck cancer surgery. ENT is a small specialty, and we were delighted when Hugh applied for our new post in Poole. He joined the ENT department in Poole in 2001, but continued to live in West Dorset and continued to do a head and neck clinic in Dorchester. As well as his head and neck commitment, Hugh did a weekly paediatric ENT clinic at Poole. Hugh was a very reliable, conscientious and supportive doctor and colleague. Patients were always given the time that they needed in his clinic, and his clinics were notorious for over-running! Patients rarely complained of the wait to see him. He was always happy to provide a courteous second opinion to a difficult clinical problem, and I can personally attest to the value of his thoughts, both on the ward and in theatre. Though very committed clinically, he was a keen cyclist and hill walker and a lover of books on a wide range of subjects. In 2004, he somehow found time to complete a law degree with the Open University. Unfortunately, in February 2015, he was involved in a road traffic accident while cycling. He was found unconscious after what seemed to have been a hit and run encounter with a vehicle, which was never identified. He sustained a head injury and several significant fractures. Though he returned to work, he was unable to return to his full operating schedule. In retrospect, this very conscientious doctor perhaps took more care of his patients than of himself. He failed to attend his clinic on 20 June 2017. This was most out of character, and the alarm was raised promptly. At his inquest, the coroner described Hugh as an intelligent man, who 'always went the extra mile for all those he cared for'. He was 60 when he died. The cause of death was drowning, details of which were provided at the coroners' inquest (see attached reference). He was survived by his wife, Lynne, three adult children (Jonathan, Matthew and Victoria) and a grandson (Daniel). Matthew is a doctor. Over 200 people attended his memorial service.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009367
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Freeman, Michael Alexander Reykers (1931 - 2017)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Gareth Scott
Publication Date 2017-11-02 2018-03-12
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009300-E009399
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381562381562
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon
Details Michael Freeman, an orthopaedic surgeon at the London Hospital, is best remembered for his contributions to lower limb arthroplasty. He was the only son of Donald George (D G) Freeman and his second wife, Florence Julia Freeman née Elms. Michael's great grandfather, J R Freeman, had established a tobacco business in 1839 in Hoxton, East London. By 1938, when his father died suddenly, the family business was under the dual control of D G and his brother Peter, who managed another factory in Cardiff. As a lifelong non-smoker, the irony of his family history and the career he pursued did not escape him. Michael was sent away to school on his father's death. From 1945 to 1950 he studied at Stowe School, becoming captain of the golf team and, under the direction of the founding headmaster, J F Roxburgh, developed his thirst for knowledge. He gained an open scholarship and closed exhibition to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, achieving first class honours in the natural sciences tripos in 1953, before proceeding to the London Hospital Medical College and completing his clinical studies in 1956. At Cambridge, he had met his lifelong friend John Insall, who accompanied him to London. Together they shared an interest in knee arthroplasty. Following graduation, he passed his FRCS in 1959. In 1960, he completed his National Service in the RAMC. Thereafter, he undertook orthopaedic training at the London, Westminster and Middlesex hospitals. During his tenure as a senior registrar at the London Hospital, the orthopaedic department was headed by Sir Reginald Watson-Jones, Sir Henry Osmond-Clarke, William Alexander 'Scottie' Law and Oliver Vaughan-Jackson. He completed an MD thesis entitled 'Ligamentous injuries' in 1964. His findings regarding the relationship of mechanoreceptors on the contraction of the gastrocnemius (in the cat) remain to this day the foundation of non-operative rehabilitation of ligamentous injuries at the ankle. That year he received the Robert Jones medal from the British Orthopaedic Association. In 1965, he co-founded the biomechanics unit in the department of mechanical engineering at Imperial College with S A V Swanson. There he performed studies on articular cartilage and the designs of joint prostheses. In 1968, he was an American-British-Canadian travelling fellow and, following Watson-Jones' retirement, was appointed to the London Hospital with a part-time consultant contract, allowing him to continue his research at Imperial. As the latter evolved, the biomechanics unit started to manufacture joint prostheses. This was not received enthusiastically by the university and resulted in the establishment of Finsbury Instruments, with members of his former research team at the helm. He engaged in pioneering work with joint replacements for the foot and ankle, which he was later to abandon, disappointed that these could not be made to work with the biomaterials which were available. His interests progressed with hip and knee arthroplasty, resulting in the first condylar knee arthroplasty being implanted at the London Hospital in 1969. The early 1970s saw the arrival of the Imperial College London Hospital hip resurfacing, using ultra high molecular weight polyethylene acetabular components and cobalt chrome heads. With every new development, he was meticulous in documenting changes and recording the outcome of every patient he treated. From this constant scrutiny, he made modifications to rectify any deficiencies he identified. By the early 1980s he had concluded that hip resurfacing was unreliable and had to be stopped. He then proceeded with the development of his full neck retaining total hip prosthesis. All his research was carefully recorded so that a stepwise process of improvement in design addressed any weaknesses. His findings both good and bad were reported. He became a magnet for fellows from across the world who wished to study with him. In 1982, he left Imperial and transferred his research to the bone and joint research unit, in the newly constructed Arthritis and Rheumatism Council building at the London Hospital Medical College. He published prolifically in peer-reviewed journals, wrote a number of books and contributed many chapters. He was generous in sharing his enormous database with visiting fellows and trainees to enable them to advance their careers. His welcoming approach produced a strong international following in the profession. He found time to sit on grant-awarding committees for the Arthritis and Rheumatism Council, the Medical Research Council and the panel for medical research of the Department of Health and Social Security. Additionally, he served as a member of the board of governors of the London Hospital and on the Brent and Harrow Health Authority. He was a member of the editorial board of the *Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery* [Br] and the *Journal of Arthroplasty*, for which he was the first European editor-in-chief from 1996 to 2001. From 1983 to 1985 he was president of the International Hip Society. In conjunction with Hugh Phillips and Robin Ling, he established the British Hip Society, serving from 1989 to 1990 as its first president. He was president of the British Orthopaedic Association from 1992 to 1993. Working with Jacques Duparc, he helped establish the European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (EFORT) and was the second president from 1994 to 1995. In 1996 he retired from clinical practice, remarking that throughout his career, when he had designed prostheses and replaced joints, he had never really understood how the knee worked! Through a chance collaboration with the Charles University in Prague, working with Vera Pinskerova, he embarked on a programme of anatomical and MRI studies of cadaver and living knees, identifying the three-dimensional shapes of the articular components of the joint. Over several years with co-workers, he published in detail the mechanism of lateral femoral rollback and medial femoral stability. His findings have been applied to a certain class of knee prosthesis stabilised by a medially-spherical femoral condyle mating with a matched tibial concavity, while the lateral compartment remains unconstrained. Throughout his career, he received numerous awards in recognition of his contributions to orthopaedics, including an honorary fellowship of the British Orthopaedic Association in 2003 and an honorary membership of EFORT in 2007. He was held in high regard by colleagues, not just for his sharp mind, but also for his gentle bedside manner and acknowledgement that adequate time was required to understand a patient's complaint and explain the limitations of any proposed intervention. If anything went wrong he was unhesitating in his apology and planning remedial steps. His knowledge and charm were also an asset to any scientific congress where he was in demand as a chairman, as he could stimulate discussion after most presentations. Michael died on 14 September 2017, aged 85, and was survived by his third wife, Patricia, whom he married in 1968, his six children and 11 grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by his family and the orthopaedic community. His contributions will live on through his publications and inventions, and hopefully the values he has instilled in those who follow him.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009379
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Kendall, Brian Ernest (1929 - 2015)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Garry Kendall
Publication Date 2015-06-12 2016-07-08
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E007000-E007999/E007400-E007499
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/379644379644
Occupation Neuroradiologist Radiologist
Details Brian Kendall was director of the Lysholm department of radiology at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London. He was born in Bolton, Lancashire, the son of Gilbert Kendall, a tanner, and Elsie Kendall née Holt. Aged seven, following the death of his mother, his family moved to Limerick in Ireland. He went to boarding school at Portora Royal School, Enniskillen, Northern Ireland, where he earned himself a scholarship to Trinity College, Dublin. There he excelled both academically and on the playing fields, as a middle distance runner, rugby player and competitive swimmer. After he qualified, he moved to London in early 1954 to continue his training. He had originally intended to pursue a career in paediatrics, but unfortunately he contracted pulmonary tuberculosis. He was advised that he would not be allowed to have direct patient contact for two years. So, with a young family to support and not wishing to put his career on hold, he transferred his training to radiology. In 1962 he obtained his first consultant radiologist post at the London Chest Hospital (a post he held until 1968). In 1964, he was appointed to the Middlesex Hospital staff, where he started to specialise in neuroradiology. Soon after this appointment, he went to Oslo in Norway for three months to get further training in this area. In 1967 he was appointed as a consultant at the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases, Maida Vale. He continued there until, in 1974, he obtained a place in the Lysholm department of radiology at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square. In 1975 he obtained a further post at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children. He continued these posts until his 'retirement' in 1994, aged 65. Post-retirement he not only returned to the Middlesex Hospital, but also took a post at the Royal Free Hospital, where he continued training radiologists and doing interventional neuroradiology until 2009, when, at the age of 79, he finally stopped clinical work. Brian Kendall was fortunate to enter the field of radiology at a time when technological advances were set to transform the specialty. These opportunities he exploited to the best of his ability. He was dedicated to all areas of his work, both clinical and academic. He researched extensively in the fields of angiography, CT scanning and MRI, and was a pioneer in interventional neuroradiology. He was recognised as a world-leading diagnostic, paediatric, neonatal and interventional neuroradiologist. In 1977 he was awarded the Barclay prize by the British Institute of Radiology. In 1979 and 1981, he was a visiting professor at the University of California, San Francisco. In 1988, he received the Barclay medal for original contributions in neuroradiology, also from the British Institute of Radiology. In 1984 he became director of the Lysholm department of radiology and, in conjunction with two other colleagues, helped make the department one of the most well-known throughout Europe in the 1980s and 1990s. He had a passion and enthusiasm for his work that he never lost up to the day he died. He loved teaching and trained a considerable number of neuroradiologists, many of whom attained leading positions in the field later on. Those he worked with have variously described him as a wonderful colleague with a quiet but commanding presence, a man of incredible intellect, a brilliant medical expert, a kind and courteous man with a very British sense of humour, an excellent teacher and a great inspiration. After retirement at age 65, in addition to his honorary appointments, he also started to develop his medico-legal practice. Here he continued to use his expertise and energy as an expert witness in medico-legal cases. His views were completely respected by medical and legal practitioners on both sides; he was described as fair, thoughtful, kind and, above all else, seemingly always right. He continued his medico-legal work until his death. Brian Kendall was a loving husband and father. In 1954 he married Sylvia Leslie Eugenie née Tyler, a fellow doctor, whom he had met whilst at Trinity College, Dublin. Sadly, his wife unexpectedly and prematurely passed away in 1996, age 67. He was survived by his son and three daughters, nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E007461
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Kliman, Murray Rex (1924 - 2011)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Gary Redekop
Publication Date 2016-05-13 2016-11-28
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009100-E009199
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381316381316
Occupation General surgeon Paediatric surgeon
Details Murray Kliman was professor of surgery at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Born on 31 January 1924, he was brought up in Regina, Saskatchewan, where his father, Jacob James Kliman, was in the clothing business. He described his mother, Rose Ann Kliman née Segal, as a 'suffragette', a leader of social change who was the first woman in Saskatchewan to have a driver's licence. A precocious student, Kliman graduated from high school by the age of 15 and was accepted at the University of Saskatchewan, where he completed his undergraduate education. For clinical training, Kliman went to Toronto. After graduating at the age of 21 (just old enough to sign prescriptions), he went to Regina for an internship at the Grey Nuns' Hospital. There he met his future wife, Beatrice, the only Jewish nurse in the hospital. He considered going into psychiatry, but became more interested in surgery and was appointed as a senior intern. He was then offered a job in the cancer clinic, but Beatrice encouraged him to get experience in general practice. Kliman began a small-town practice in Mankota, south of Moose Jaw. There he made an immediate impression by his diagnosis and treatment of a local matriarch who had been bedridden for several months. Noting her extreme anaemia, he made some blood smears, which he sent to Regina. Within a few days he got a phone call to say that these were the best pernicious anaemia slides they had seen in years. The local pharmacist had some liver extract and, after daily injections, the good lady was walking downtown in her hat and gloves within three weeks. There had been plans for a local hospital, but these had stalled, so Kliman's mother decided that something had to be done. She visited Tommy Douglas, the premier of Saskatchewan, which led to a grant of $20,000, enough for a 20-bed institution. It was now possible for women in the Mankota area to have their babies close to home, and there were 400 deliveries in just over two years. The first caesarean section was done with a textbook open on a music stand. Mrs Kliman warned her husband of the risk of injury to the baby when he cut into the uterus (she had seen many more caesareans that he had). He was chagrined to observe a fine linear scratch on the baby's back when he examined it after delivery. Kliman then received a call from Saskatoon, where they were looking for an anatomy instructor (he had excelled in anatomy as a student). The Klimans agreed that it was time to go back to the city - by now they had their first child, who would soon need a good school. The new job offered $2,200 per annum, less than his salary in practice. He enjoyed teaching, and they managed for a while. However, the family was growing. Despite an increment received with his promotion to assistant professor, the Klimans concluded that a career in surgery might offer better rewards. Influenced by his British father-in-law, he decided to go to England for further training and surgical qualification. With some help from an exchange scholarship, the family arrived in Britain and Kliman went to the Royal College, where he got good advice from Sir Francis Fraser, who was in charge of Commonwealth physician education. Kliman passed a course in preparation for the primary fellowship exams and then prepared for the final exams of the Royal College of Surgeons. He attended lectures, rounds and outpatient clinics. He observed surgery in leading institutions, assisting on occasion and he passed the final after a year. Kliman was keen to work with Denis Brown, pioneer in the treatment of club foot, whose lectures he had heard in Toronto, and he was appointed to attend at Brown's clinics at Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital. After a time, it was evident that he needed more general surgical experience. Denis Brown phoned Ian Aird at Hammersmith Hospital to say, 'There is a young chap from Canada here who needs some general surgery. When shall I send him over?' He soon became a registrar and then clinical assistant to Aird. After four years in England, it was time to go home. Kliman was tempted to stay, but the family wanted the grandchildren to grow up in Canada. He intended to specialise in pediatric surgery. He was able to get on to the staff at the expanding University Hospital in Saskatoon, but it was made clear that his work would be in general surgery. Saskatoon seemed like a small town. Kliman had links with Vancouver, where his brother was a lawyer and the family made a swift decision to move west. In due course he went to the health centre for children in Vancouver General Hospital. There was little work at first, so he asked Jack McCreary if there were any jobs in the outpatient area. A foot clinic was planned (with a grant from the Savage Shoe Company), and with his experience under Denis Brown, this seemed an ideal fit. Kliman was a superb teacher of residents and medical students on the wards of the health centre and the Children's Hospital. Always friendly, he would come to the nursing desk and join in discussions about the patients, offering a beautifully systematic tabulation of relevant factors in diagnosis and management. Kliman was elected to the board of the British Columbia Medical Association (BCMA) in 1970 and, apart from one year during which he was a vice-delegate, he remained on the board for the next 28 years. He served as a member of most, and chair of many, committees. On the income tax committee, he arranged lectures on tax matters for physicians. On the negotiating committee, he consistently fought for better remuneration for lower-paid physicians, and he was principal contributor to a fee settlement with the Workers' Compensation Board. He liked to open negotiations by saying, 'Tell us what you want and what you can give us in return. We will tell you what we want and what we can give you in return.' While on the economics committee, he again proposed a pension fund, but this would take another ten years to materialise. Kliman was honoured with both the silver medal of service of the BCMA and the Cam Coady award. He was invited to give the Osler lecture in 1980. Murray Kliman passed away on 5 February 2011, aged 87. Of modest height and demeanour, but possessed of a formidable intellect, Kliman was a pioneer in paediatric surgery, a gifted teacher, and a delightful colleague. He made an exceptional contribution to the affairs of the BCMA, including participating in negotiations with government and other agencies on behalf of the profession of which he is a proud member. His family, patients, students and colleagues have much to thank him for.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009133
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Mendis, Ariyaman Mahanama (1925 - 2015)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Geetha Mendis
Publication Date 2016-07-27 2016-10-07
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009100-E009199
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381349381349
Occupation Obstetrician and gynaecologist
Details Ariyaman Mahanama Mendis was a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist in Sri Lanka from 1958 to 1974, when he immigrated to Western Australia. He accepted the position of senior medical officer to the vast and remote Kimberley region, based at Derby Regional Hospital, on the far north coast of Western Australia, some 2,500km from Perth. Following his three-year contract, he moved to Perth, where he established a successful private practice in obstetrics and gynaecology until his retirement in 1991. Ariyaman was born on 21 November 1925, in a village in the south of Ceylon, the eldest son of Bernard Mendis, a medical practitioner, and Joslin. Joslin died of pulmonary tuberculosis when Ariyaman was one and his elder sister was two. His step-mother Charlotte filled the void with love and devotion, and there were two more daughters and a son added to the family. (Ariyaman's brother joined the Air Force and later became an air chief marshal of Sri Lanka.) As his father was regularly moved in his role as district medical officer, Ariyaman was sent to boarding school at age 10. He thrived at the prestigious St Thomas' College in Colombo, excelling in his studies and a variety of sports, in particular cricket. When he was 17 he gained entrance to the University of Ceylon, Colombo. His medical undergraduate years were described as years of fun and hard work. He was awarded medals in biology, anatomy and physiology and various scholarships along the way. During his early house officer appointments, he was inspired by his consultants in obstetrics and gynaecology. He sailed to England in 1955 to pursue specialist qualifications. He held in high esteem his teachers in Liverpool, including Sir Norman Jeffcoate and Charles Wells, and maintained contact with them on his return to Ceylon. As soon as he completed his membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (MRCOG), he married his dear wife Cecelia, who joined him in Edinburgh. She worked as a nurse while Ariyaman completed his requirements for his FRCS. They returned on a steamer to Ceylon in December 1957 with their three-month-old baby daughter. Upon his return, he soon established a reputation of excellence as an obstetrician and gynaecologist with the faculty of medicine, University of Ceylon, and maintained a busy schedule with a teaching hospital appointment at the De Soysa Maternity Hospital in Colombo. He enjoyed teaching medical students and registrars, and took a genuine interest in their progress. Despite his reputation for being a hard task master, they held him in high regard and with deep affection. Many remained in touch with him over the years. He delighted in their successes, with a number of his former students being appointed to chairs in obstetrics and gynaecology locally and internationally. In 1974 he made the difficult decision to immigrate with the family to Australia, leaving behind his established career and close network of extended family and friends. This was prompted by political tensions and a wish to provide greater opportunities for his five children. In his usual diligent manner, he adjusted to a totally new environment and established himself quickly, winning the admiration and affection of his new network of colleagues and patients. For three years he immersed himself in the varied medical challenges in remote Kimberley. His work involved general practice, obstetrics and gynaecology, general surgery and the Royal Flying Doctor Service. His contribution was deeply appreciated by the director general of medical services of Western Australia. The stint in the Kimberley also gave him an opportunity for photography, capturing the novel flora and fauna and the ancient landscape. On moving to Perth, he commenced in private practice and to keep abreast with advances he regularly attended seminars at the King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women. He was pleased to be reunited with his family in Perth. A generous and unpretentious man, he loved spending time with family and friends, to gather around the piano to sing along, and share his love of travel with his wife. Despite his busy practice, he had time to work under the bonnet of his car, plant tropical trees and be involved in the Sri Lankan Association and the Buddhist Society of Western Australia. In 2008 he was diagnosed with dementia, which progressed slowly, restricting his mobility in the final two years of his life. He bore his condition with remarkable dignity. He passed away peacefully at home with his children at his bedside on 15 February 2015, aged 89. Cecelia, his dear wife of 59 years, predeceased him by 10 weeks. He was survived by his four siblings, daughters, Anoja, Geetha, Shiroma and Komudhi, his son Asitha and grandchildren, Jennifer and Chamath.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009166
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Timmons, Michael John (1949 - 2019)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by Gemma Timmons
Publication Date 2019-11-27 2021-01-28
JPEG Image
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009600-E009699
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/382795382795
Occupation Plastic surgeon Reconstructive surgeon
Details Michael Timmons was a highly-respected plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Bradford Royal Infirmary and St Luke’s Hospital, Bradford. His special interests were cleft lip and palate surgery, and surgeries on other complex congenital problems, such as hypospadias. He was born on 17 February 1949 in Croydon to John Timmons and Lenchen Timmons née Schlegel. He studied medicine at Christ’s College, Cambridge, where he wrote a ground-breaking thesis on the forearm flap. During his time at Christ’s, he was secretary for the modern pentathlon, swimming and water polo teams. He was appointed as a consultant at the Bradford Royal Infirmary and St Luke’s Hospital, and saw children in Bradford, Airedale, Halifax and Huddersfield born with a cleft lip or palate. He was also an unsung hero of the Bradford City fire of 1985, operating on and caring for many of its victims. In 1994, he led a team of colleagues to Sarajevo to assist emergency surgical services in the Yugoslav Wars. In the 1990s and 2000s, Mike travelled to Rwanda and Kenya on assessment missions for the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), the charity UK-Med and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Michael made vast contributions to medical studies and debate, publishing books on human anatomy, and publishing and reviewing several articles in medical journals. Michael was editor of the *British Journal of Plastic Surgery* from 1994 to 1997 and a council member of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Anaesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS) from 2010 to 2012, where he was immensely respected as a wise colleague and great teacher. Michael retired from the NHS in 2016, after which he worked as an expert witness in medical legal cases. He was a regular attendee at the Doctors Updates meetings in Val d'Isère, where he always had something to contribute to the meetings and was an accomplished and personable ski companion. Michael was killed in a car accident on 4 October 2019 at the age of 70. He was survived by his wife, Ildiko (née Németh), a doctor, and their daughter, Gemma. His colleagues from across the globe paid tribute to him as ‘a real gentleman, humble, interested, intelligent, well-read, meticulous, supportive and always a pleasure to meet’. Of his work, his colleagues remarked: ‘Michael didn’t just operate on patients – he was completely committed to their wellbeing and was a surgical perfectionist. He was the sort of gentleman we so need within our specialty as parts of it hurtle seemingly towards the commercial at the expense of service.’ He will be greatly missed.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009672
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Burwell, Richard Geoffrey (1928 - 2018)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by George Bentley
Publication Date 2018-02-26
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E009000-E009999/E009400-E009499
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/381819381819
Occupation Orthopaedic surgeon
Details Geoffrey Burwell was professor of experimental orthopaedics at the University of Nottingham. He was born on 1 July 1928 in Leeds, the third son of Arthur Reginald Burwell and Mabel Walker Burwell née Robinson. He attended Leeds Grammar School from 1936 to 1939 and then Harrogate Grammar School from 1940 to 1945, where he excelled not only academically, but also in cricket, running, swimming and rugby, becoming *victor ludorum* for his year in 1945. He went on to study medicine at Leeds University, where his academic career can only be described as glittering: he achieved a BSc with first class honours in anatomy in 1949, his MB ChB in 1952 and an MD with a distinction, based on renal circulation, in 1955. While at Leeds, he won the Wellington and Littlewood prizes in anatomy, the Hardwick prize in medicine and the Edward Wood prize in surgical anatomy. At Leeds General Infirmary, he was a house surgeon, a demonstrator in anatomy and then a casualty officer in orthopaedics. From 1954 to 1955, he was a house surgeon at Hammersmith Hospital, London. He then carried out his National Service (from 1955 to 1957) as a junior surgical specialist at Catterick and in Gibraltar, leaving the Army with the rank of captain. From 1957 to 1958, he was an orthopaedic registrar and then switched to spend five years in academic anatomy in Leeds as an honorary clinical research fellow attached to the department of orthopaedics. From 1963 to 1965 he reverted back to surgery, as a lecturer and a senior registrar in general surgery at Leeds General Infirmary. In 1965, he was appointed as a registrar and then as a senior registrar and resident surgical officer at Oswestry, where he stayed until 1968. I first met Geoffrey when he was appointed as a registrar in Oswestry. He subsequently became a close friend and adviser, and took a very active interest in my personal research. He always had time to talk about research and gave me invaluable advice. I was only one of many pupils who were supported by Geoffrey: he had unlimited capacity for advising and supporting people who were doing research and rejoicing in their achievements. He was without doubt the most stimulating and generous academic I have ever met: his contribution as an individual ‘research stimulator’ was absolutely immense. At Oswestry, he was extremely popular, a very good administrator and surgeon, and extremely capable at managing the prima donnas who visited from outside hospitals, including Sir Reginald Watson-Jones, Sir Henry Osmond-Clarke, Rowland Hughes and Gordon Rose. He was appointed to the chair at the institute of orthopaedics at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) in 1967. It is fair to say that at that time the hospital was somewhat in disarray and this meant that Geoff had to take on a lot of unnecessary administrative work, together with clinical work and he found that his research suffered. After four years of this situation, he decided to move back into research. I was sorry to see him give up the clinical professorship at the RNOH because I think the hospital and the institute would have benefited greatly had he continued. He moved to the University of Nottingham, where he made a distinguished contribution, particularly in the area of scoliosis research. He was first employed as a senior medical research fellow in the department of human morphology, and was then promoted to professor of human morphology and experimental orthopaedics through an endowment by action research and the Nottingham Health Authority. He held this post until 1993 and then continued as emeritus professor in the faculty of medicine and health sciences school of biomedical sciences, University of Nottingham until 1999. From 1985 to July 2003, he was a member of the Medical Appeals Tribunal in the Nottingham region. His publications were always of excellent quality; he published 115 articles personally and many as a joint author based especially on bone grafts, derivatives and substitutes, and latterly the early detection of adult scoliosis and the causes of scoliosis. He continued working on scoliosis research until just before his death and had many novel ideas. His work on bone transplantation and scoliosis will stand. He was president of the British Orthopaedic Research Society (from 1983 to 1984) and of the British Scoliosis Society (from 1988 to 1989). He was awarded the Harding prize of action research in 1991. He was one of the most generous people I have ever met, but it was ideas that drove him and not particularly surgery, the stimulus of a surgical career nor self-aggrandisement. He had a manner of complete self-assurance and confidence which I envied greatly. One of Geoff’s interesting characteristics from my point of view was that, having been an accomplished sportsman, he gave up sport when he took up medicine. He was also a very private person. He married Helen Mary Petty in January 1963 and they had two children, Matthew, who became a well-established and distinguished orthopaedic surgeon, and Jane. Predeceased by his wife in December 2015, Geoff died on 7 January 2018 at the age of 89. He will be greatly missed.
Resource Identifier RCS: E009415
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Elkington, Julian Scott (1934 - 2024)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by George Elkington
Publication Date 2024-12-11
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010600-E010699
Occupation General surgeon
Details Julian Elkington was a consultant general surgeon on Merseyside. He was born on 14 January 1934 in Newport, Shropshire, the second child of George Ernest Elkington, a general practitioner and a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, and Kathleen (‘Kitty’) Mary Elkington née Budgen, the daughter of a priest. There was a strong medical tradition in the family: the Elkingtons had practised medicine in the Midlands since the 1830s; his paternal grandmother’s family, the Baddeleys, had had a practice in Newport since the 1770s. Julian had one sister and two brothers – Stephen became a consultant physician at King’s College Hospital and Andrew was a consultant ophthalmologist in Southampton and also a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Julian was educated at Repton from 1947 to 1952 and went on to Clare College, Cambridge and then Middlesex Hospital Medical School for his clinical studies. He gained a BA in 1955 and qualified with a MB BChir degree in 1958. Between 1960 and 1962 he carried out his National Service with the British Army of the Rhine. He held house posts at the Middlesex and Central Middlesex hospitals, and then a resident surgical officer appointment at the Brompton Hospital. Following registrar and senior resident placements in Birmingham, in 1972 he settled on Merseyside, as a consultant surgeon at Clatterbridge Hospital. One of Julian’s great loves was anatomy – blessed with an encyclopaedic mind, he soaked up an endless supply of information and knowledge. So much so, that he later diagnosed his fourth son’s fractured zygoma entirely over the phone – when the local teaching hospital had twice incorrectly diagnosed the issue as deep bruising. As his anaesthetist of 16 years at Arrowe Park, John Sprigg, noted: ‘it was plain that Julian was a committed NHS surgeon’ – and throughout his career he was an active force in improving the NHS. In 1970, Julian was part of a BMA action group that petitioned the then Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, to re-evaluate young doctors’ pay and working hours. In June 1983, St John’s Hospice was opened on the Wirral. Julian, and his wife Jill, were pivotal in its inception – along with a number of other local community members – fundraising and petitioning the local council to remedy the county’s lack of a hospice. Without Jill and Julian’s actions (and other’s), families on the Wirral might still not have the invaluable end of life care a hospice provides. Above all, Julian was a family man. He married Jill Taylor in April 1961 and the couple had four boys. They met on the wards of the Middlesex Hospital, where Jill worked as a nurse. Retiring in 1998 he moved to Rotherfield Peppard, a small village near Henley, where he and his beloved wife, lived directly opposite their oldest son and his wife and children. It was a perfect reward for a life of hard work and service. Julian died on 16 October 2024 at the age of 90 and left behind an extended family, including eight grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010689
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Koop, Charles Everett (1916 - 2013)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by George F Sheldon
Publication Date 2013-03-20 2013-06-19
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E003000-E003999/E003700-E003799
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/375915375915
Occupation Public health officer
Details C Everett Koop, known as 'America's doctor', was by far the most influential surgeon general in US history. An imposing figure, standing six foot one in his gold-braided dark blue vice admiral's uniform (the rank of the surgeon general), he effectively used his strong personality to advocate for the health of the US public. Koop was born on 14 October 1916 in Brooklyn, New York, the only child of John Edward Koop, a banker and a descendent of 17th century Dutch settlers, and Helen Koop née Apel. His paternal grandparents, cousins and uncles all lived in the same street. Koop's interest in medicine was triggered by watching a family doctor. He practised tying knots, cutting sutures and doing some vivisection on animals in his neighborhood, while his mother gave anaesthesia. He attended Flatbush School and Dartmouth College, where he played football. He then went to Cornell University medical school in Manhattan, where he met and married Elizabeth Flanagan of New Britain, Connecticut, a Vassar student. He completed his residency in general surgery at the University of Pennsylvania under the revered figure of IS Ravdin. Among other skills, Ravdin was known for having a good eye for young talent. On the completion of Koop's residency in surgery, he was offered the position of founding chair of surgery at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He served in that role for 35 years. During that time, he and his colleagues performed thousands of operations to correct birth defects in premature babies. They performed 475 operations alone for oesophageal atresia, a condition which previously had been fatal. He introduced the transposition method for producing gastrointestinal tract continuity between the oesophagus and stomach, and it became a standard procedure. He also did early work on separating conjoined twins. In 1981 he was nominated for the role of surgeon general by President Ronald Reagan. He served from 1982 and, by the time he demitted office in 1989, he had become a household name. During his tenure he defended the rights of children, issued emphatic warnings about the dangers of smoking and prodded the US government into an aggressive posture against AIDS. In the early 1980s, the rights of infants with congenital defects surfaced as an issue. It eventually came before the federal courts, where two cases pitted the rights of parents to withhold treatment for a child who was severely impaired against available medical care. The courts sided with the parents. Koop spoke out against the parents' decision in both cases, noting that the medical and legal establishment had a duty to protect citizens against collective discrimination, regardless of their state of health or age. He alleged that the government's authority to override the rights of parents had been established in truancy law, child abuse legislation and immunisation law. When Koop became surgeon general, 33% of Americans smoked; when he left office it had dropped to 24%, with 40 states and many counties having restricted smoking in public places. Anti-smoking campaigns by private groups like the American Lung Association and the American Heart Association had accelerated. Koop had a major role in educating Americans about AIDS. He believed the nation was slow in facing the virus, which first appeared about the time he became surgeon general. He extolled efforts to identify the HIV virus that causes the disease, and the blood test and research which allowed detection. Koop pushed the government into advocating condom use and public AIDS education and treatments. He was undoubtedly influential in George W Bush's initiative to provide AIDS care and detection in Africa, considered one of the most important achievements of the 43rd President. Koop always believed he had failed to persuade either Reagan or his successor President George HW Bush to make healthcare available to more Americans. He was also disappointed at the lack of influence of the office of surgeon general, a fact he lamented in a later testimony before Congress. Koop was personally opposed to abortion, but believed that a public office such as the surgeon general's should not make policy decisions based on moral grounds. He declared - to the disappointment of the White House - that the evidence did not support the contention that abortions were essentially unsafe. In taking that position he later said he was naïve. In an interview in 1996, he said he did not speak out on abortion because he thought his job was to deal with factual issues like hazards of smoking, not moral issues. Abortion, he argued, presented little health hazard to women. It was a moral and religious matter, not a health issue. Many liberals opposed his nomination, but came to praise him; and the many conservatives who had supported him came, in time, to vilify him. When Koop stepped down as surgeon general in 1989, the *New York Times* noted that: 'throughout, he has put medical integrity above personal judgments and has been indeed the nation's first Doctor'. He was the recipient of many honorary degrees, fellowships and awards around the world, including the French medal of the Légion d'honneur in 1980 and the honorary fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1982. In his later years, Koop established an internet company providing health information on the web (www.drkoop.com), and the C Everett Koop Institute at Dartmouth College, founded in 1992. Koop was strong in his Presbyterian faith and credited this with helping him and his wife cope with the death of their 19-year-old son David, who was killed in 1968 when a cliff gave way while he was mountain climbing in New Hampshire. Koop and his wife wrote about the loss of a child in *Sometimes mountains move* (Wheaton, Ill, Tyndale House Publishers), published in 1979. Koop died on 25 February 2013 at the age of 96. He was survived by his second wife, Cora Hogue, whom he married in 2010, by his three children, Allen, Norman and Elizabeth Thompson, and by eight grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E003732
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
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First Title value, for Searching Winslet, Mark Christopher (1958 - 2023)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by George Hamilton
Publication Date 2023-10-17
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010400-E010499
Occupation General surgeon Colorectal surgeon
Details Marc Winslet was professor of surgery, head of department and chair of the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine’s division of surgery and chair of the division of surgical and interventional sciences at University College London (UCL). He was born on 27 February 1958 in Luton, Bedfordshire, the son of Alan John Noel Winslet and Eileen Julia M Winslet née Samm. He qualified in 1981 from the Royal Free Hospital Medical School, was awarded a master of science degree and was Hunterian Professor at the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1988. He trained in general, upper and colorectal surgery in the London, Birmingham and Leicester rotations. After his lectureship at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, he returned to his alma mater as a senior lecturer and honorary consultant to the Royal Free Hospital and School of Medicine in 1992. In 1996 he was promoted to a personal chair and, in 1998, to a substantive professor of surgery, head of department and chair of the Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine’s division of surgery. In 2002 he was appointed chair of the division of surgical and interventional sciences at UCL. Marc held several leadership roles, clinical and academic, in his specialty, including council membership of the British Association of Surgical Oncology, the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland and the Royal Society of Medicine, and treasurer of the British Stomach Cancer Group. He was a talented and popular trainer in both upper and lower GI surgery in addition to his longstanding commitment to the court of examiners of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. As chair of the division of surgical and interventional sciences at UCL from 2002 to 2012 he developed and actively promoted surgical research not only in his chosen areas (upper GI cancer, Barrett’s oesophagus, colorectal cancer, AIDS/HIV related surgery GI and peri-anal disease) but also across the surgical disciplines in particular plastics, vascular, breast and their associated basic scientific fields. He co-edited several major surgical textbooks (*The complete MRCS. Vol 2 system modules* Edinburgh, Churchill Livingstone, 2000, *Essential general surgical operations* London, Churchill Livingstone, 2001 and 2007, and *Surgical oncology* Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2009), in addition to major peer-reviewed contributions to the literature. He also elevated the teaching profiles for the newly combined UCL division of surgery by contributing to the popular undergraduate intercalated BSc and postgraduate MSc in surgical sciences and promoted a network of London centres capable of supporting thesis opportunities for surgeons in training. Marc retired from the NHS and UCL in 2017 to focus on his major interest in medico-legal work – he had always been fascinated by the legal profession as an aspirational advocate. In addition to expert opinion, he was in great demand as a clinical adviser to the medical protection societies. He died after a short illness and was survived by his wife Johanna and their young daughter, and three grown up children from a previous marriage to Esther (née Meli). Marc also leaves his siblings, many colleagues, friends and trainees touched (and occasionally exasperated) by his ebullience and charm. Those who knew him will not forget his ebullient personality and wit. His was a true ‘one off’ character with a personal mix of gritty London Eastender, West Ham fanatic and metropolitan sophisticate.
Resource Identifier RCS: E010494
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset

First Title value, for Searching Campbell, Robert Clark (1931 - 2015)

2025-06-19T14:29:55Z

by George Lamberty
Publication Date 2015-09-15 2016-12-22
Unknown
Asset Path Root/Lives of the Fellows/E008000-E008999/E008000-E008099
URL for Files https://livesonline.rcseng.ac.uk/client/en_GB/search/asset/380256380256
Occupation Plastic surgeon Plastic and reconstructive surgeon
Details Robert Clark Campbell (known as 'Bob') was a consultant plastic surgeon at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge. He was born in Dundee on 31 January 1931, the only son of Archibald and Agnes Campbell. Following school in Dundee and then Southampton, he decided upon a career in medicine and he graduated MB ChB from Aberdeen University in 1955. He met his wife to be Sally in Aberdeen and they married in December 1956 in Hamburg while he was serving in the RAMC as part of his National Service. He became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and of Edinburgh in 1963. In 1964 he was appointed as a plastic surgical registrar at the West Norwich Hospital, working with two consultants, Frank Innes and George Joss. He was then appointed as a senior registrar in Leeds, working under the tutelage of Mortimer Shaw and during the latter part of his term he became an acting consultant in Wakefield, where he developed an interest in burns surgery. In 1968 he was awarded an appointment to work for a year with Ralph Millard in Miami, where he developed his further interest in cleft lip and palate surgery. In 1971 he was appointed as the first consultant plastic surgeon at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge. The service until that time had been provided by Frank Innes, who visited from Norwich on a weekly basis. Bob worked as the sole consultant at the old Addenbrooke's Hospital with only two senior house officers to help him and this continued from 1971 until 1982, when I was appointed as his colleague. During the 10 years when he was on his own he carried out a wide range of plastic surgical procedures, but he always had a particular interest in both burns and in cleft lip and palate surgery. It was a privilege to work with Bob on many occasions doing combined cases and he was the most meticulous surgeon with an exacting attention to detail, however, Bob was not always the most meticulous time keeper. His lists sometimes started a little late but often continued late! In those days, it was possible to do these things without the pressures of administration and three session days. Bob's lack of concern for time when he was operating was centred around his patients. His ability to carry out his cleft surgery with excellent postoperative results were his main concern. In the mid 1980's, Bob and I moved to the new Addenbrooke's site, but it was not until 1992 that George Cormack was appointed as the third consultant and since that time the unit has continued to expand to its present size of 13 consultant plastic surgeons, together with junior staff. Trainees who progressed through the unit owe Bob a great dealt for his teaching abilities and enthusiasm for surgery and attention to detail. In particular, it was in the operating theatre in which he excelled and he was able to demonstrate and pass on his skills to them. They were never allowed to put in a single stitch that was not exact and Bob's tenacity was one of his greatest assets. He enjoyed a long and happy retirement, which included overseas travel with Sally his wife. He had an infectious enthusiasm for skiing and latterly golf and tennis, which he used to play on a regular basis with Sir Roy Calne, his friend and neighbour. Bob was a true Scot and retained a pride in his Scottish roots, entertaining his family annually in the west Highlands, where his father had originated. His health declined in the latter two years of his life and he died at Addenbrooke's on 13 June 2015. He was 84. He was survived by his wife Sally, his four children, Lindy, Tony, Fiona and Nicky, and by his five grandchildren.
Resource Identifier RCS: E008073
Collection Plarr's Lives of the Fellows
Format Obituary
Format Asset