Appreciation - Alexander J. Warrington

Maria Ileana Curmi, writes:

A phone call on Sunday July 27, brought me the sad news of the death, the previous day, in England, of Alex Warrington, husband of my great friend Franca, née Zammit Hammet. Alex was born in Senglea in 1935. After matriculating from the Lyceum he attended the Royal University of Malta in 1951. A brilliant, though unassuming student, he graduated in B.Sc. and B.Pharm in 1955 and MD in 1958. After serving as houseman at St Luke's Hospital for 2 years, he and Franca (who had been in the same medical course) got married and proceeded to London for post graduate studies. After working in several surgical specialties, he obtained the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (while Franca fittingly chose anaesthesia and qualified DA).

They returned to Malta in 1966 together with their two daughters who were born in England - driving overland and coming across the great floods in Florence.

Alex was then employed as a surgeon at St Luke's Hospital. But his working life in Malta was ended by the trouble that hit the medical profession in 1977 and which necessitated his return to the UK to find work. There, he was appointed consultant surgeon in Sunderland where he was joined shortly after by Franca and their four daughters - another two having been born in Malta - all pretty, clever and beautifully brought up.

He retired in 1995 to be able to enjoy a better family life and especially his six grandchildren.

Alex continued living in Sunderland until the end - which came peacefully at home, after he had received the Last Rites of the Holy Church and in the presence of Franca and their daughters, the eldest of whom followed her parents in the medical profession and another, a Poor Clare at St Clare's Monastery, St Julians.