John Rupert Allen Chawner

Having trained in London, Nottingham and Liverpool, John Rupert Allen Chawner was appointed consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist to St David’s Hospital, Bangor, in 1972, drawn to north Wales by his love of climbing and sailing. He had taken up medicine only after completing his national service as Trooper Chawner in the Royal Tank Regiment.

He was a very skilled obstetrician and surgeon with a deserved reputation for competence among all his colleagues and referring general practitioners. He had a calm, even temperament and combined clinical abilities with considerable personal charm and empathy for his patients. To this day, many patients recall his care with gratitude for kindness and attention as well as the successful obstetric outcome. He had a clear logical brain for problem solution and was a good teacher of his craft, inspiring generations of admiring juniors and midwives

John believed strongly in the NHS and the centrality of the leadership role of the consultant in delivering its aims. The changes proposed in the early years of …