John Andrews Byrne
BMJ 2005; 330 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.330.7492.675-a (Published 17 March 2005) Cite this as: BMJ 2005;330:675
Data supplement
John Andrews Byrne
Former district community physician Scarborough (b Ballycastle, Co Antrim, 10 August 1921; q Belfast 1947; DPH, MFCM), d 31 July 2004.After qualifying John studied tropical medicine and hygiene at Liverpool. He then went to Africa as a member of the Colonial Medical Service as medical officer (special grade). He worked in both east and west Africa. Following his recommendations for setting up control programmes sleeping sickness, malaria, leprosy, respiratory infections, tuberculosis, bowel infections, typhoid, and virus infections were contained and greatly reduced in the 1950s in the Toro district of western Uganda.
In 1961 he became the medical officer of health in Dover until 1974; after this he took up the post of district community physician in Scarborough, where he worked until his retirement in 1984. He was a very good sportsman and took up golf again on retiring to Hove. Ill health brought him back to Scarborough (vascular dementia). He died peacefully in his sleep from ischaemic heart disease. Predeceased by his wife, Ann, he leaves two surviving children and five grandchildren. [Sheena Blenkinsopp]