8 November 1932 - 11 August 2011; Emeritus Professor, MBChB, BMedSc, DPhil (Oxford); University of Auckland Medical SchoolJohn Carman, Foundation Head of Department of Anatomy at the Auckland University School of Medicine, died suddenly on 11 August 2012. He had celebrated his 80th birthday a week earlier in wonderful spirit with family and friends. John was born in Johnsonville, he and twin Len, two of four boys to Marjorie, and Walter Carman, director of Wright and Carman, printers, of Wellington. Johns love for the science and art of anatomy began at a very young age when he chose a book on anatomy as his prize for becoming Dux at his primary school. John, and brother Len, were educated at Nelson College where John excelled academically and learned to play the flute and with Len played in the College orchestra, forming his love of music. John chose to study medicine, also achieving a BMedSc research degree in anatomy and later graduating MBChB at Otago University. While there, he was awarded a Nuffield Fellowship and spent 3 years at Oxford where in 1961 he gained his D.Phil for his research in neuroanatomy on the cerebral cortex under the supervision of a leading anatomist of the day, Sir Wilfred Le Gros Clark. He took up his appointment as the Foundation Professor in Anatomy in 1968 at the young age of 35. His impact on the new medical school at Auckland extended beyond anatomy and in those early days he put his abiding interest in engineering and functional design to practical use, playing a leading role in the management and design of the new Medical School buildings. In 1985 John and Mary were married and thereupon he became a very happy and proud Poppa to Adrian, and Suzi and Peter, and wise Grandpa to Jessica, Tom and Zoe all of whom he loved as his own family. In 1988 John retired from the headship of the department of anatomy after 20 years and continued to pursue his varied research interests until his retirement in 1998. Before he retired, John and Will Richardson, Renaissance Latinist in the Auckland Classics department, had begun the co-authorship of a major opus to translate from the Latin cDe Humani Corporis Fabricad (On the Fabric of the Human Bodyd), written by the Belgian anatomist Andreas Vesalius and published in 1543. Their work has been recently published in English in five volumes, where John was able to demonstrate his depth of knowledge of anatomy and his understanding of Vesalius himself. Nature in 1988, reviewed the first of the five volumes, saying that it was cone of the publishing, scientific and literary achievements of the decaded. John was an inspirational Head of Department who made great contributions to the Faculty and the University by his work on committees and the MRC and also to the Auckland Biomedical Engineering Institute in assisting research in applying engineering principles to the form and function of the human skeleton, and particularly the head and neck. His input was recognised in 2010 by the Biomedical Institute establishing their annual cJohn Carman Prized for excellence in biomedical research. John also contributed to anatomy internationally over the years with many publications, and was inspirational to so many students and staff in a well-recognised world-class department of Anatomy. John had that wonderful combination of scientific logic, literary excellence and human understanding, and students and staff alike over many decades benefited from his mentorship and wisdom. Many learned from John how to communicate science through clear and expressive writing, concise and accurate yet never dry or stilted. He would remind us that where understanding fails dwords rush ind. John was also an artist able to draw the intricacies of aircraft and car design, while his skill and precision at anatomical drawing and demonstrating with chalk at the blackboard were renowned. Those fortunate enough to be taught by John will long remember and be thankful for his wonderfully insightful lectures. John leaves behind a grieving family and many friends all over the world with the memory of an endearing man of gentleness, intellect and integrity. The University community has lost one of its most distinguished members but his teaching and his wisdom will continue through his students. Professor Richard Faull (Neuroscientist, Department of Anatomy and Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland Medical School) wrote this obituary.