Obituary: Professor John Laurence Couper

Vol 1 No 1 (1997) Article 15: Page 1 of 1

Professor John Laurence Couper
MBChB (UCT), FFA (SA), PhD (MEDUNSA)

Born: 21^st May 1925. Died: 29^th January 1997.

John Couper matriculated at Kearsney College in 1942, served with the South African Air Force during the war, and completed his medical studies in 1954, after a long interruption due to a motor-cycle accident. After internship at the Queen Mary Hospital, Uitenhage, and a short spell in private general practice in the same town, he joined the staff of Livingstone Hospital, Port Elizabeth, where he began to develop the anaesthetic department. In 1962 he was appointed head of the anaesthetics department, and obtained his FFA (SA) through Groote Schuur Hospital in 1967. From his base at Livingstone he worked hard to develop appropriate standards for anaesthetic training and practice in South Africa.

In July 1979 he was appointed as the first Professor of Anaesthesiology at the Medical University of South Africa (MEDUNSA), where he proceeded to train, amongst others, the first black anaesthetist in South Africa. He also developed an interest in the history of anaesthesia, and received a PhD in 1991 from the department of medical history at MEDUNSA. He presented papers of scientific and historical interest at numerous congresses in South Africa and around the world. He himself led the organising teams for anaesthetic congresses at Port Elizabeth (1976), Sun City (1983) and MEDUNSA (1988). He retired as Head of Department in 1990, and retired as Professor Emeritus in 1992, after suffering a CVA.

He served on the Council of the South African Society of Anaesthetists (SASA) and was President in 1978 and 1987. He was also Chairman of the Association of University Anaesthetists from 1987 to 1989. He represented SASA at the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA) assemblies between 1976 and 1988, serving on the WFSA Membership Committee (1980-4) and the Education and Scientific Committee (1984-1992). In 1988 he was awarded the Medical Association of South Africa's (MASA) Merit Award in recognition of Meritorious Service rendered to SASA, and in 1995 was awarded life membership of the MASA.

John's beloved wife Tish died in 1987 ending 34 years of marriage. After 5 lonely years he married Margie, who supported him in the difficult years after his stroke, and whom he now leaves. He is also survived by his 3 sons.