Lionel Watson Carstairs was born in South Shields where his father Thomas Watson Carstairs was a general practitioner. His mother Esther, née Pearson, was the daughter of a shipwright. He was educated at South Shields High School and the University of Durham, undertaking his clinicals at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle on Tyne. After junior house appointments, he saw service in the Royal Navy from 1943-46, sailing with the North Atlantic convoy escort vessels out of the Clyde and subsequently participating in the ‘D-Day’ landings.

On demobilization he was appointed registrar, and later senior registrar, at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, 1946-55, during which time he obtained his membership of the College. In 1955 he became senior registrar to the Chest Clinic, Newcastle, and in 1960 was appointed as consultant chest physician to the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale District Hospitals, a post he held until retirement.

He was chairman of the medical advisory committee from November 1972 to April 1974 and was consultant representative on the district management team for two years following reorganization in 1974. He was also active in the BMA and was on the executive committee of the Burnley division from mid-1960 to mid-1970.

He married Beryl, daughter of Richard Thomas Brooks, a market gardener, in 1945, and they had two children, a son, Andrew, and a daughter, Pamela. Beryl is a distinguished expert judge of dogs, being an official judge at Crufts for American cocker and English springer spaniels. Lionel’s main interest outside medicine was in fell walking, often alone or accompanied by his spaniel ‘Major’, and usually in the Cairngorms. He also enjoyed light music. He remained active in the Rotary movement until his death; he was founding president of the Colne Noyna Rotary Club from 1978-80 and was later elected a Paul Harris Fellow - the highest honour Rotary can award a member.

D W Ward
W M L Turner