JOHN David Atwell, who lived in Whiteparish, has died aged 87 years.
John grew up in Hamble during the Second World War. He went to Peter Symonds School as a boarder and to Winchester barracks to start his National Service.
He joined the Royal Signals as an officer and went up to Catterick Camp in Yorkshire. He then went to Leeds University to read medicine.
Always keen to do surgery, he won the surgical prize and spent some time teaching and lecturing in anatomy.
He moved down to London and Oxford. He became a consultant paediatric surgeon at Great Ormond Street, The Westminster and St. Thomas' Hospitals.
He was then asked to set up a Paediatric Surgical service in Wessex. He moved down to Southampton, though he saw outpatients in Basingstoke, Portsmouth, Winchester, Salisbury, Poole and Dorchester.
He was very keen on daycase surgery for children and set up a unit in Southampton. This is named 'The John Atwell day case ward'.
His hobby was always sailing from either Hamble or Lymington. In retirement, he learnt to flyfish and to paint watercolours.
He leaves his wife Sue, two sons and one daughter, eleven grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
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