Radiologist (1938-2009)Some events are inevitable. One was that Hugh Douglas would follow his father and grandfather into medicine, and like them would give the best part of a lifetime to service in Hamilton and at Waikato Hospital. It continues; his son, also named Hugh, is fourth in the line and one of the hospitals senior anaesthetists. The story of Hugh Douglas (1938-2009) is inseparable from Waikato Hospital and his family line. The history extends 110 years, back to 1899 when the first Hugh Douglas was appointed Waikato Hospitals second medical superintendent. There were 16 patients then. The story is a little confused and needs wit to capture, for the four Douglas doctors were all named Hugh. One of the chapters closed on Wednesday November 4. Hugh Douglas (1938-2009) died at his Hamilton home after a 5-year battle with cancer. He was 71. He was stoic. Wife June says he never complained. Son Hugh says he maintained his sense of humour throughout. With cancer thats a huge achievement. Hugh (1938-2009) was born in Pukekohe on January 29, 1938, the son of Dorothy and Hugh Stewart Douglas (known as Stewart) and was one of four siblings. Stewart was one of Pukekohes and later Hamiltons busy general practitioners. World War II borrowed him to serve as an army doctor, his record rewarded with an MBE for notable work at the front line. His son attended Fairfield Primary School and Hamilton High School before launching into medicine at Otago Medical School. He qualified in 1962, and was a house surgeon at Waikato Hospital in 1965-66. The next year he was a radiology registrar in Tasmania, and in 1968 a radiology registrar in Perth. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Radiology in 1969, and that year returned to Hamilton as a radiology consultant. He worked at Waikato Hospital for 35 years. Radiologist friend Malcolm Baigent describes Hugh as the quietest, friendliest radiologist you could find. He never lost his cool. All the staff loved him, from the orderlies to his medical colleagues. He said Hugh had an acute funny bone and was a dreadful tease. When he pulled off a good one Ive seen the tears running down his face. Malcolm recalls Hugh was a pioneer of angiography in the Waikatoa procedure to view blood vessels by X-ray after injecting radio-opaque dye. He also recalls Hugh and June were a keen and clever gardening team. June Montgomery, a physical education teacher, met Hugh when both were at university. They married in 1962. He was pretty retiring and quiet, despite what his children may say, says June. We had a wonderful time together. Son Hugh reflects that one half of a dynamic duo has departed. My brothers and I had the most wonderful parents anyone could hope to have. He remembers wonderful holidays. Dad always liked to explore and do unconventional things. He never got lost, he merely found new and interesting places on his shortcuts. He was exceptionally open-minded and had diverse tastes. I guess that and his sense of fun were two of the reasons that he was always a best mate as well as a dad. He took us to see movies like MadMax, while also enjoying at the other extreme a huge variety of foreign-language movies. His taste in music was even more diverse. Despite loving classical music he was always more up to date with the latest alternative music than any of his children or grandchildren, often introducing us to some new band we had never heard of. Friend of 49 years Graeme Etheridge, who conducted Hughs funeral farewell, told of close companionship, solving the worlds problems, and terrible wine. Whether you were a relative, friend, business colleague, fellow horse racing enthusiast, golfing partner or, as I was, a mate, we all had one thing in commona love and respect for a lovely man. Hugh is survived by June, sons Michael, Hugh and Andrew, and eight grandchildren. The Douglas story deserves an outline. The first Hugh Douglas was born in 1870 at Newcastle upon Tyne. He qualified in medicine at Edinburgh in 1896 and emigrated to New Zealand. He practised at Devonport before being appointed medical superintendent of Waikato Hospital in 1899. He lived in Hockin House for 20 years and patient numbers increased from 16 to 150. Today there are about 600 beds. After he retired as medical superintendent he took up general practice and occasionally did surgery. He was president of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association in 1928-29, president of Hamilton Golf Club from 1921 to 1925, was a foundation member of Hamilton Rotary in 1923, and was the original club on-course doctor of Waikato Racing Club. (His son Stewart followed in that role, as did Stewarts son Hugh). He died in 1943. Stewart was born in 1906, qualified at Otago Medical School in 1929, and played rugby for New Zealand Universities. He was a director of the Waikato Times, president of the Hamilton Club, was a general practitioner first in Pukekohe then in Hamiltonand his patients loved him. He died in 1970. Hugh Douglas (1938-2009) followed worthy footsteps. This obituary entitled Popular doctor kept humour right to the end originally appeared in theWaikato Times newspaper. We thank them for the reprint permission.

Radiologist (1938-2009)Some events are inevitable. One was that Hugh Douglas would follow his father and grandfather into medicine, and like them would give the best part of a lifetime to service in Hamilton and at Waikato Hospital. It continues; his son, also named Hugh, is fourth in the line and one of the hospitals senior anaesthetists. The story of Hugh Douglas (1938-2009) is inseparable from Waikato Hospital and his family line. The history extends 110 years, back to 1899 when the first Hugh Douglas was appointed Waikato Hospitals second medical superintendent. There were 16 patients then. The story is a little confused and needs wit to capture, for the four Douglas doctors were all named Hugh. One of the chapters closed on Wednesday November 4. Hugh Douglas (1938-2009) died at his Hamilton home after a 5-year battle with cancer. He was 71. He was stoic. Wife June says he never complained. Son Hugh says he maintained his sense of humour throughout. With cancer thats a huge achievement. Hugh (1938-2009) was born in Pukekohe on January 29, 1938, the son of Dorothy and Hugh Stewart Douglas (known as Stewart) and was one of four siblings. Stewart was one of Pukekohes and later Hamiltons busy general practitioners. World War II borrowed him to serve as an army doctor, his record rewarded with an MBE for notable work at the front line. His son attended Fairfield Primary School and Hamilton High School before launching into medicine at Otago Medical School. He qualified in 1962, and was a house surgeon at Waikato Hospital in 1965-66. The next year he was a radiology registrar in Tasmania, and in 1968 a radiology registrar in Perth. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Radiology in 1969, and that year returned to Hamilton as a radiology consultant. He worked at Waikato Hospital for 35 years. Radiologist friend Malcolm Baigent describes Hugh as the quietest, friendliest radiologist you could find. He never lost his cool. All the staff loved him, from the orderlies to his medical colleagues. He said Hugh had an acute funny bone and was a dreadful tease. When he pulled off a good one Ive seen the tears running down his face. Malcolm recalls Hugh was a pioneer of angiography in the Waikatoa procedure to view blood vessels by X-ray after injecting radio-opaque dye. He also recalls Hugh and June were a keen and clever gardening team. June Montgomery, a physical education teacher, met Hugh when both were at university. They married in 1962. He was pretty retiring and quiet, despite what his children may say, says June. We had a wonderful time together. Son Hugh reflects that one half of a dynamic duo has departed. My brothers and I had the most wonderful parents anyone could hope to have. He remembers wonderful holidays. Dad always liked to explore and do unconventional things. He never got lost, he merely found new and interesting places on his shortcuts. He was exceptionally open-minded and had diverse tastes. I guess that and his sense of fun were two of the reasons that he was always a best mate as well as a dad. He took us to see movies like MadMax, while also enjoying at the other extreme a huge variety of foreign-language movies. His taste in music was even more diverse. Despite loving classical music he was always more up to date with the latest alternative music than any of his children or grandchildren, often introducing us to some new band we had never heard of. Friend of 49 years Graeme Etheridge, who conducted Hughs funeral farewell, told of close companionship, solving the worlds problems, and terrible wine. Whether you were a relative, friend, business colleague, fellow horse racing enthusiast, golfing partner or, as I was, a mate, we all had one thing in commona love and respect for a lovely man. Hugh is survived by June, sons Michael, Hugh and Andrew, and eight grandchildren. The Douglas story deserves an outline. The first Hugh Douglas was born in 1870 at Newcastle upon Tyne. He qualified in medicine at Edinburgh in 1896 and emigrated to New Zealand. He practised at Devonport before being appointed medical superintendent of Waikato Hospital in 1899. He lived in Hockin House for 20 years and patient numbers increased from 16 to 150. Today there are about 600 beds. After he retired as medical superintendent he took up general practice and occasionally did surgery. He was president of the New Zealand branch of the British Medical Association in 1928-29, president of Hamilton Golf Club from 1921 to 1925, was a foundation member of Hamilton Rotary in 1923, and was the original club on-course doctor of Waikato Racing Club. (His son Stewart followed in that role, as did Stewarts son Hugh). He died in 1943. Stewart was born in 1906, qualified at Otago Medical School in 1929, and played rugby for New Zealand Universities. He was a director of the Waikato Times, president of the Hamilton Club, was a general practitioner first in Pukekohe then in Hamiltonand his patients loved him. He died in 1970. Hugh Douglas (1938-2009) followed worthy footsteps. This obituary entitled Popular doctor kept humour right to the end originally appeared in theWaikato Times newspaper. We thank them for the reprint permission.