MB ChB; Fellow of Royal Australian College of Physicians; Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, EdinburghJohn and Peter were educated at Southwell School from 1932 to 1939 where his father was a Teacher of Music. Whilst at Southwell School John was soloist in many Gilbert & Sullivan operasproduced by Paul Sergel with father Harold as musical director. Harold was also organist at St Peters Cathedral Hamilton and John and Peter choir boys. Both boys went to Christs College in Christchurch from 1940 to 1942.Later on, while a 5th-year medical student, John worked at Waikato Hospital Laboratory under Dr Marcus Fitchett (whose father was Professor Fitchett in Dunedin).In 1954 he travelled by sea via the Panama Canal with Mary and two sons Chris and Paul to England to attend the Hammersmith Medical School Hospital for postgraduate experience. Then he was appointed to Hammersmith Hospital staff, working there during 1955 and 1956. Third son Tim was born whilst in England.In 1957 he applied to the position of Physician Anaesthetist at Thames Hospital, travelled up the North Island to Thames in a black Morris 8 which John had bought from a nurse. John was sole Physician at Thames Hospital. He planned and had built the Coronary Care Unit and provided paediatric and general adult care. While at Thames Hospital John did autopsies for the Hospital and Police. With the opening of the nurses tutorial block in the Nurses Home, John was lecturer of medicine for senior nurses. He was appointed as examiner for senior medical nurses for the whole of NZ.John returned to Thames in 1984 but didn't want to work in the hospital so they rented a house in Papatoetoe and John worked in the Geriatric Dept of Middlemore Hospital, Auckland. They moved to Taupo at the end of 1985, John was the Geriatrician for the whole of the South Waikato region including Putaruru, Tokoroa, Taupo, Turangi, and Rotorua. (Mary and John used to stay at the Nurses Home in Rotorua for 2 nights a week.) John was also appointed Medical Superintendent of Taupo Hospital. A colleague in Taupo later wrote in sympathy cJohn was the finest man, a brilliant physician, he contributed so much to medicine.dDearest Mary passed away peacefully at home on 7 May 2009. She was cremated and her ashes placed in the Garden of Remembrance Totara Cemetery, Thames. John followed very unexpectedly on 23 November, exactly 200 days later. He missed her very much. He was also cremated and his ashes placed next to Marys in plot 219.He was a devoted family man and loved all of his 6 children, 11 grandchildren, and 4 great grand children unconditionally, as did Mary. He was incredibly busy with work but was always able to find time to support his family. He loved the outdoors and in his student days at Otago often went tramping, including the Milford Track. He was also a very good table tennis player and would have great contests down in the rumpus room with this children. Most of all he was devoted to his wife Mary, they were inseparable for 58 years.Dr John Apthorp is survived by his sons Paul (maths teacher at Hauraki Plains College), Reverend Christopher (Hamilton), Timothy and Peter (Thames); and daughters Cathy (RN, Noosa, Australia), and Ruth (Pauanui).

MB ChB; Fellow of Royal Australian College of Physicians; Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, EdinburghJohn and Peter were educated at Southwell School from 1932 to 1939 where his father was a Teacher of Music. Whilst at Southwell School John was soloist in many Gilbert & Sullivan operasproduced by Paul Sergel with father Harold as musical director. Harold was also organist at St Peters Cathedral Hamilton and John and Peter choir boys. Both boys went to Christs College in Christchurch from 1940 to 1942.Later on, while a 5th-year medical student, John worked at Waikato Hospital Laboratory under Dr Marcus Fitchett (whose father was Professor Fitchett in Dunedin).In 1954 he travelled by sea via the Panama Canal with Mary and two sons Chris and Paul to England to attend the Hammersmith Medical School Hospital for postgraduate experience. Then he was appointed to Hammersmith Hospital staff, working there during 1955 and 1956. Third son Tim was born whilst in England.In 1957 he applied to the position of Physician Anaesthetist at Thames Hospital, travelled up the North Island to Thames in a black Morris 8 which John had bought from a nurse. John was sole Physician at Thames Hospital. He planned and had built the Coronary Care Unit and provided paediatric and general adult care. While at Thames Hospital John did autopsies for the Hospital and Police. With the opening of the nurses tutorial block in the Nurses Home, John was lecturer of medicine for senior nurses. He was appointed as examiner for senior medical nurses for the whole of NZ.John returned to Thames in 1984 but didn't want to work in the hospital so they rented a house in Papatoetoe and John worked in the Geriatric Dept of Middlemore Hospital, Auckland. They moved to Taupo at the end of 1985, John was the Geriatrician for the whole of the South Waikato region including Putaruru, Tokoroa, Taupo, Turangi, and Rotorua. (Mary and John used to stay at the Nurses Home in Rotorua for 2 nights a week.) John was also appointed Medical Superintendent of Taupo Hospital. A colleague in Taupo later wrote in sympathy cJohn was the finest man, a brilliant physician, he contributed so much to medicine.dDearest Mary passed away peacefully at home on 7 May 2009. She was cremated and her ashes placed in the Garden of Remembrance Totara Cemetery, Thames. John followed very unexpectedly on 23 November, exactly 200 days later. He missed her very much. He was also cremated and his ashes placed next to Marys in plot 219.He was a devoted family man and loved all of his 6 children, 11 grandchildren, and 4 great grand children unconditionally, as did Mary. He was incredibly busy with work but was always able to find time to support his family. He loved the outdoors and in his student days at Otago often went tramping, including the Milford Track. He was also a very good table tennis player and would have great contests down in the rumpus room with this children. Most of all he was devoted to his wife Mary, they were inseparable for 58 years.Dr John Apthorp is survived by his sons Paul (maths teacher at Hauraki Plains College), Reverend Christopher (Hamilton), Timothy and Peter (Thames); and daughters Cathy (RN, Noosa, Australia), and Ruth (Pauanui).