Gladys Mary Tinker

Gladys Mary Tinker was born in Montrose, Scotland, the daughter of the late Leonard and Sylvia Purvis. Not only was she joint top academic scholar at school, but in her last year of secondary school was awarded the title of sports champion of the school. In her youth, she and her sister were keen rifle shots and competed all over Scotland.

She graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1969, and after house jobs there she started her junior training in Cardiff and in 1976 was senior registrar in Carmarthen and then to the late Professor John Pathy in Cardiff.

Gladys was appointed consultant in geriatric medicine in Cardiff in 1980 and chose …