Sir Geoffrey Bateman
Consultant ear, nose, and throat surgeon St Thomas’s Hospital, 1939-71 (b Rochdale 1906; q Oxford/King’s 1929; FRCS; KB), d 17 September 1998. He served with the Royal Air Force during the war, reaching the rank of wing commander, before returning to the bomb damaged St Thomas’s. His department developed a popular training programme, which launched the careers of many British and foreign graduates. He was president of the Association of Otolaryngologists in 1970-1 and of the Visiting Association of Throat and Ear Surgeons of Great Britain in 1966. He was consultant surgeon to the army 1966-71 and consultant adviser in otolaryngology to the Department of Health and Social Security 1967-71. For his contribution to the Nightingale School of Nursing he was one of the first men to be awarded a Nightingale badge. He was chairman of the rebuilding committee, which completed its work when he “topped out” the north wing in 1974. His interests included tennis, golf, and fishing. He leaves a wife, Margaret; a daughter; and three sons, all of whom miss his quiet dignity and wise counsel.
Susan Caroline Bellman
Former consultant audiological physician Hospital for Sick Children Great Ormond Street, 1983-97 (b 1947; q Cambridge/St Mary’s 1971), died from acute myeloid leukaemia complicating essential thrombocythaemia and myelofibrosis on 9 November 1998. She worked hard to develop the service despite increasing ill health. Great Ormond Street was the first centre in the United Kingdom to provide bone anchored hearing aids for children, including those with craniofacial malformations. Other developments included research into vibrotactile and high frequency transposition aids. In 1992 Sue established the cochlear implantation programme, and she obtained enormous pleasure from seeing the rapid development of spoken language in children who would otherwise have been partially or severely handicapped. The party held to celebrate the 100th cochlear implant coincided with Sue’s premature retirement and there were many moving tributes from families. She was treasurer of the British Association of Audiological Physicians and editor of the newsletter of the international association. She served on the Hearing Aid Council at the Department of Trade and Industry and was honorary audiologist to the Royal National Institute for the Blind. At Cambridge Sue gained a blue for swimming and she was interested in machine knitting, embroidery, and gardening. She had just started a degree course in biblical Hebrew. She leaves a husband, Gerald; three sons from her first marriage; and two stepdaughters.
by Gerald Levin
Patrick Ernest George Clements
Former general practitioner Middleton-on-the-Wolds, east Yorkshire, 1946-71 (b Middleton 1911; q St Bartholomew’s 1935), d 14 September 1998. When war broke out he reported to enlist but was sent back to general practice in the Cheviots, where he stayed for seven years. With an hour’s walk from the road’s end to some of the farms, few telephones, and the nearest hospital over 35 miles away, surgery was sometimes necessary on the spot. In 1946 he took over his father’s dispensing practice. He missed only three days due to illness, locums being required only for the annual European motoring expedition. After retirement he served as a guide at Ripon Cathedral and always retained an interest in sport. He was predeceased by his wife, Maureen.
by Chris Morgan
Robert Quayle (“Robin”) Crellin
Former consultant orthopaedic surgeon King’s College Hospital, London, 1965-87 (b Kirk Andreas, Isle of Man, 1927; q St Mary’s 1950; FRCS), died from mesothelioma on 31 July 1998. A keen swimmer, Robin gained a purple playing water polo for London University, and served for two years as surgeon lieutenant in the Royal Navy where 
he gained his deep diving certificate. As a consultant he was primarily a hands-on clinician, but he also enjoyed teaching and published several papers. His main interests were joint replacements, particularly hips, and children’s orthopaedics. He spent two periods abroad lecturing and operating in Kuwait and in Kano in Nigeria during the Biafran civil war. He operated on General Sir Stewart Pringle, who was injured in an IRA bomb attack and he was subsequently appointed civilian orthopaedic surgeon to the army at the Royal Military Hospital, Woolwich. He was honorary secretary to the British Orthopaedic Association in 1976-7. When he retired he returned to the Isle of Man and pursued his interests of birdwatching, gardening, yachting, and beekeeping. When his illness was diagnosed the excellent medical care he received helped enormously. Predeceased by his first wife, Mary, he leaves a second wife, Sue; two sons (one a doctor) and a daughter; and three stepchildren.
by Perric Crellin
Henry (“Harry”) Doberman
Former consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Sunderland 1966-79 (b Middlesbrough 1914; q Newcastle upon Tyne 1937; FRCOG), d 8 October 1998. During the second world war he served in the Royal Army Medical Corps with the 1st Battalion Royal Fusiliers in Italy. In 1953 he was appointed consultant to establish a new service for Peterlee new town. Off duty he was a great humorist and raconteur and a generous host. A few years after retirement he and his wife fulfilled a lifelong ambition in moving to Israel; they had both been committed members of the Sunderland Jewish community. He leaves a wife, Bea.
by B J Murray
Frederick George Barclay Dodd
General practitioner Great Ayton, north Yorkshire, 1951-83 (b Dulwich 1919; q Guy’s 1943), died from a lymphoma in July 1998. He was a house physician at Edgware General Hospital and then worked in thoracic medicine at Clare Hall, South Minns. He moved to Yorkshire in 1948 to work in chest medicine at Poole Hospital. He leaves a wife, Mary, and a son.
by Mary Dodd
John Ewell
General practitioner Cowes 1948-88 (b 1916; q St Mary’s 1940; FRCGP; OStJ, TD, OBE), d 7 March 1998. John served in the army during the second world war, and his convoy was only a day or two from Singapore when it fell to the Japanese. He was diverted to India, where he served for the rest of the war. He subsequently devoted his time to general practice and the Territorial Army. He was a clinical tutor for many years, a clinical assistant in dermatology, and honorary surgeon to the Royal Yacht Squadron. John was proud to be in the practice founded in 1840 by Dr Hoffmeister, a trusted doctor of Queen Victoria, and in 1988 he was presented with the gold medal for his Gideon de Lange Lecture on Hoffmeister. He was a fine cook (particularly of curries), gardener, and raconteur. When asked how he would like to be remembered he said, “As a modest man.” He leaves a wife, Wendy, and a daughter and son by his first wife, Eileen.
by Michael Boll and partners
Anne Ferguson
Personal professor of gastroenterology University Medical School, Edinburgh, and consultant in gastroenterology Western General Hospital, Edinburgh (b 1941; q Glasgow 1964; FRCP, FRCPath), died from a hitherto unsuspected pancreatic adenocarcinoma on 21 December 1998. In 1971 she was Alexander Fletcher lecturer at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, and in 1986 she was awarded the International Prize in Modern Nutrition for her work on food allergy. Dedicated to her clinical research, Anne had a special knowledge and skill in inflammatory bowel disease and coeliac disease. She and her research associates established the only officially accredited gastrointestinal laboratory in Britain which provides a service to assess gastric, intestinal, and digestive functions, gut inflammation, and intestinal bleeding. Over the past 25 years Anne and her colleagues trained young biomedical scientists and doctors from many overseas countries; many now hold senior posts. She published over 250 papers, alone or jointly, and wrote three books and many chapters in others. A month before she became ill she completed her term of office as president of the International Society for Mucosal Immunology. She served on many committees, including the Committee on Safety of Medicines. In her youth she played basketball for Scotland and won the Maiden’s Race, a demanding hill climb and run, at the Kinlochleven Games. Anne loved everything Scottish and admired the work of the Glasgow Boys, the Scottish Colourists, and Charles Rennie Mackintosh. She could not be kept away from craft fairs, where her appreciation of ceramics and fabrics was evident. Predeceased by her first husband, John, she leaves a second husband, Gerald Collee, emeritus professor of medical microbiology at Edinburgh, and a daughter and son from her first marriage.
by Gerald Collee
Henry Angus Fraser
Former general practitioner Suffolk, 1951-83 (b 1919; q Cambridge 1943), died from a ruptured aortic aneurysm on 18 November 1998. In general practice he was always ready to spend time and listen to his patients. After retirement Henry moved to Shropshire, bought a smallholding, and immersed himself in local community life. He kept a keen interest in medical matters, avidly reading the BMJ, and keeping a watchful eye on friends and neighbours. He continued to be active with hedge and woodland planting, horse riding, and stock keeping. Such was the respect he had earned that the local hill farmers insisted on carrying “doc’s” coffin at his funeral.
by David J Fraser
Thomas Frederick Rathbone Griffin
Former consultant surgeon Scarborough Hospital (b 1908; q St Mary’s 1934; FRCS), d 16 November 1998. “Uncle” Tom Griffin joined Scarborough Hospital as an honorary assistant surgeon in 1939 and stayed for 34 years. During the war he served in the Royal Army Medical Corps, mostly in north Africa. For many years he did all the orthopaedic surgery until a full time orthopaedic surgeon was appointed in 1958. His special interest was gall bladder surgery. He was actively involved in developing new theatres and the radiology and pathology departments. Tom was a leading member of the British Red Cross Society in North Yorkshire and was a churchwarden for many years. Predeceased by his wife, Mary, he leaves three daughters; a son; and five grandchildren.
by Alan Jackson
Maria Elizabeth Grossman
Consultant radiologist University College Hospital (b Hamburg 1912; q Prague 1936), d 27 October 1998. Maria was born into a well known European Jewish family, and the rise of anti-Semitism forced her to move eventually to Prague, where she qualified, married a fellow student, Willi, and started to specialise in radiology. They escaped to England in 1938, and Willi subsequently acted as a “Scarlet Pimpernel” helping others to escape. He served for several years with the Royal Army Medical Corps. Maria first worked as a radiographer before requalifying in medicine. She was appointed radiologist to the German Embassy in 1958, and she was awarded the German Order of Merit for her work. She continued to work after she retired, principally in dental radiology, and contributed to a textbook on radiology. She was always grateful to Britain for enabling her and Willi to have full and distinguished careers, and they in their turn repaid this with loyalty. Predeceased by her husband and a son, she leaves a second son and two grandsons.
by Jean Lawrie
Herman Frank Harwood
Consultant chest physician St Helier Hospital, Carshalton, 1941-77 (b Liverpool 1912; q Liverpool 1936 (university prize in medicine); MD, FRCP), d 9 October 1998. Frank’s recovery from pulmonary tuberculosis led to his decision to become a chest physician. He was a firm believer in the NHS and became a figure of influence in the hospital and the local medical community. He enjoyed music, literature, gardening, and the English countryside. His love of football dated from his university days, and he became honorary medical officer to Sutton United Football Club. Some years after he retired he had an embolic stroke complicating lone atrial fibrillation, which led to blindness. Predeceased by his wife, Penny, who had Parkinson’s disease and whom he nursed for many years, he leaves two sons and two grandsons.
There will be a memorial service to commemorate the life of Dr Brian Lewis, who died on 8 January, on Friday 12 February at 2 30 pm at St Leonard’s Church, Church Road, Hythe, Kent.
by A J Eisinger