Andrew Patrick Curran

Former senior lecturer in public health Glasgow (q Glasgow 1940; FRCP, FFPHM), d 8 January 1997. After working briefly in general practice he joined the Royal Army Medical Corps, becoming deputy assistant director of medical services in the East Africa Command. In 1948 he obtained the diploma in public health and held several posts before returning to the academic department in Glasgow. He was particularly active in developing public health programmes in Africa, and his contribution in Nigeria was recognised by the award of the first honorary fellowship of the Nigerian Association of Community Physicians. He also acted as a visiting professor to several medical schools in Nigeria and on one occasion had a serious accident but walked away, continued to teach, and flew home only to find that he had a fractured base of the skull. Curran's other contributions were blended in an unpretentious but very active life. He was chairman of the medical committee which established the case for canonisation of the blessed John Ogilvie; for this and other services he was invested by Pope Paul VI as a Knight of St Sylvester in St Peter's in Rome in 1976. Predeceased by his wife, Margaret, he leaves two stepchildren and eight grandchildren. [Gordon T Stewart, James McEwen] …