Alastair Douglas Past President

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It is with great sadness that we have learnt that Alastair Douglas died suddenly last Wednesday 26th March 2014, whilst undergoing surgery for an aortic aneurysm. Alastair joined Hugh Clay in general practice in Framlingham in 1971 after spending a few years as a locum and, with a large pig-producing clientele, it was no wonder that his great interest and enthusiasm for pig medicine developed. Hugh Clay was the first and founding President of the Pig Veterinary Society in 1963. Alastair was always an active member of the Society and became its President in 1987, when the office was a two-year tenure. In the same year, Alastair set up the first truly pigs-only practice in Framlingham with John Mackinnon, from which he retired after suffering a heart attack in 1995. He subsequently recovered and spent the final period of his professional life running the in-house veterinary services for M J & J A Easey before retiring in 2006. It was a pleasure to see Alastair joining other Past Presidents of the Society in Edinburgh last May to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Pig Veterinary Society.

Alastair was one of the first cadre of three successful candidates to sit for and gain the RCVS Diploma in Pig Medicine in 1984, together with Noel Kavanagh and the late John Walton. He then spent some years acting as RCVS examiner in Pig Medicine.

The Society sends its sincere condolences to Alastair's wife Janet and to his daughters Elizabeth and Catherine and their respective families.

Many thanks to John Mackinnon for his words above.

There will be a private family-only cremation on the morning of Tuesday 8th April, followed by a memorial celebration at Bruiseyard Hall (www.bruisyardhall.co.uk, IP17 2EJ) at 2pm.

Friends and colleagues are invited to attend - as Alastair said, he would want it to be an afternoon of laughter and of happy memories...