Tribute to exceptional Melksham doctor

DR MARK Rendall, who devotedly cared for his patients in Melksham for nearly 30 years, died of cancer at home on Boxing Day, aged 75, surrounded by his family.

Dr Rendall, joined Giffords Surgery in Melksham as a GP in 1973. His partner, Dr Mark Kingston, said he was an exceptionally gifted doctor whose patients adored him. “He was a fantastic mix of old-fashioned caring doctor and all the technical skills a modern doctor needs. A true amalgam of skill and compassion. He had the ability to treat everyone exactly the same, while making them feel they were the most important person to him.”

Dr Rendall trained at St Bartholemew’s Medical School in London on a naval scholarship. He then spent five years travelling the world as a Royal Naval anaesthetist, in particular on the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle. He met his wife, Dorothy, a naval nursing sister, while they were both stationed in Plymouth. They shared 47 years of marriage.

The couple had twin daughters, Sarah and Rachel, and a son, Nick. Their three grandchildren are Ami and Finn, both aged 11, and Abbey, aged 6. His family moved to Steeple Ashton in 1976, where he and Dorothy have lived ever since. She said, “He was a loving, caring husband who was very proud of his wife and children and all their achievements.”

Dr Rendall was an avid walker who loved being in the mountains more than anywhere. He and Dorothy walked in the Himalayas, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, and loved the Lake District and Munros of Scotland.

His funeral is being held at St Mary’s Church, Steeple Ashton, on Wednesday 10th January at 2pm.  No flowers, please. Donations in memory of Mark to Dorothy House Hospice Care C/O DJ Bewley Funeral Directors, 15 Bank Street, Melksham, SN12 6LE 01225 702521