Tony attended the St John’s College in Johannesburg and after matric he enrolled at that University of the Witwatersrand to study medicine. He graduated MB,BCh in November 1966

From his school days Tony was a keen sportsman. He played rugby and cricket, but his main love was golf. He excelled as a golfer. He represented Wits at the Inter University golf days and was a formidable opponent.

After doing his Internship on the Wits rotation he, following his father’s footsteps, decided that he would make orthopaedic surgery his career. He became part of the Wits Orthopaedic Surgery rotation but also spent a considerable time in Canada. Canadian Orthopaedic surgery, at that time, was very highly regarded worldwide and he worked in the Toronto General Hospital which, under the able management of Dr I. R. Harris, was producing world class research. Spinal surgery, which was Tony’s special interest, was of a very high standard.

Tony obtained his FRCS (Edin) in May 1972 and registered as an orthopaedic surgeon with the then, Medical and Dental Council, now the Health Professions Council of South Africa, in August 1973.

He remained actively involved in Orthopaedic surgery, running a large private practice in Johannesburg. In later years he did more and more medicolegal assessments until the beginning of 2021 when he stopped practice for health reasons.

Outside of Orthopaedic Surgery Tony had a number of other interests. I have already referred to golf which remained his passion for as long as he could physically play the game. He first played at the Parkview Golf Club and later was an active member and also Club Captain of The River Club.

Tony was also actively involved in farming though not many people are aware of this. There was a family farm in the Free State in which he had an active interest and he and his family from an early age, enjoyed time away from the city on the farm.

For a number of years Tony was a director of PPS, an Association Without Loss, set up to insure professionals, initially dentists and doctors, against loss of income as a result of a physical incapacity to work.

Tony regularly attended the meetings of the SAOA to remain abreast of the current developments, specifically in spinal surgery.

 He was known for his honest and conservative approach to spinal and other orthopaedic problems. He would never be the first person to do a new operation but also not the last one to start doing it. His reports were always balanced and fair.

As a husband and father Tony remained intimately involved in all the affairs of his children. The family was blessed with two daughters, Caroline and Joanne, and a son Neil, their spouses and now seven grandchildren. During his last prolonged illness, he was cared for and loved by Annalee and the extended family. He passed away in the second half of April 2022.

As the South African Orthopaedic Association Tony will be missed and we extend our condolences and sympathy to Annalee, his wife, his three children as well as his grandchildren.

Dr Jos van Niekerk