OBITUARIES
MITCHELL , James Henry (’ 42 )
Jim ’ s son , Colin (‘ 73 ), wrote :
James Henry Mitchell was born at a private hospital at Toorak on 5 April 1924 , the son of James Milne and Daisy Irene ( nee Angell ) Mitchell . Known as Jim , he left South Camberwell State School to attend Scotch from 1937 to 1941 . For the last two terms of 1941 he was a weekly boarder in School House . Also at Scotch were Jim ’ s son , Colin ( SC 1961-72 ) and grandsons Justin ( SC 1989-97 ), Jarrod ( SC 1989-2000 ), Richard ( SC 1989-2001 ) and Tim Mitchell ( SC 1994-2007 ), and Andrew ( SC 1986-87 ) and Cameron Garnsworthy ( SC 1987 ).
Jim enlisted in the RAAF on 26 June 1942 , serving on Horn Island and in New Guinea . Aged only 19 , Jim was assigned ‘ his ’ first aeroplane , and , until his death , he was the last surviving World War II Kittyhawk pilot of 77 Squadron .
While Jim always regarded flying as the most important thing he ever did , he was severely affected by the war . He lost many friends during a bloody eight months , including his best friend and cousin , Harry Lindrum Atkins , on 20 September 1944 . Throughout his life , through the RSL and Legacy , Jim fought the bureaucracy for veterans and war widows .
On 5 June 1948 at Scotch , Jim married Jean Patricia Kirton , of Hawthorn . Their marriage lasted until her death on 16 May 2016 . They had three children : Judy , Beverley and Colin ; 14 grandchildren ; and 33 great-grandchildren ! Jim worked at Mobil from 1947 for over 20 years , followed by work at Applied Chemicals , and Donald Don and Sons . He retired in 1972 at the ripe old age of 48 , to practise his golf and to travel the world .
Moving to Sorrento in 1978 , Jim and Jean were great supporters of both Kingston Heath and Sorrento Golf Clubs . His handicap came down to 16 , and would have been lower , but for the bunker on Sorrento ’ s 18th hole – or so he said !
Active and fiercely independent for all but the last few months , Jim died on 27 June 2020 at The Mews Aged Care , East Camberwell . He will be greatly missed .
MYERS , Professor Kenneth Arthur (’ 51 )
Ken ’ s son , Andrew (’ 84 ), wrote :
Kenneth Arthur Myers was born at St Helen ’ s private hospital , Lewisham Road , Prahran , on 14 February 1935 , the son of Robert James and Edith Mabel ( nee Hunt ) Myers . He attended Brisbane Boys ’ College ( 1942-44 ), Camberwell Grammar School ( 1945-47 ) and Scotch from 1948 to 1951 . Ken was Scotch ’ s top mathematician in 1951 . He graduated in Medicine from Melbourne University in 1957 , gaining his surgical fellowship in 1962 .
After surgical training on a Royal Melbourne Hospital internship , Ken did a two-year surgical fellowship with the renowned Professor William Talbot Irvine at St Mary ’ s Hospital ’ s academic surgical unit in London . Following a one-year fellowship at the Presbyterian St Luke ’ s Hospital in Chicago , Ken was appointed a surgeon to Prince Henry ’ s Hospital , South Melbourne , and later to the Monash Medical Centre as Head of the Department of Vascular Surgery . He was also a Consultant Surgeon at Epworth Hospital .
In 1977 Ken was a guest lecturer at Oxford University , and , in 1985 , returned to St Mary ’ s Hospital as Associate Director at the Irvine Laboratory for Cardiac and Vascular Research .
While working as a general vascular surgeon , Ken had a particular interest in venous disease , working exclusively as a phlebologist in the latter part of his career . He championed minimally invasive endovenous techniques , embracing new technology with ease , and introduced ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy and endovenous laser ablation into Australia .
Dr Paul Thibault , founding President
of the Australasian College of Phlebology said : ‘ Ken was a giant in the field of phlebology , and a unique surgeon in his ability to adopt new techniques when he had carefully analysed them and come to the conclusion they had merit .’ He was the inaugural Chairman of the Australasian College of Phlebology , a position he held until 2017 . Ken was also President of the Australian and New Zealand Societies for Vascular Surgery and Phlebology , and an Honorary Member of the American College of Phlebology .
Ken was a prolific author of scientific papers and textbooks on arterial surgery , vascular ultrasound and venous and lymphatic diseases , and contributed to many medical guideline and consensus documents . He enjoyed educating students as Dean of Prince Henry ’ s Medical School , Lecturer of Surgery at Melbourne University , and Clinical Professor at Monash University ’ s Department of Surgery .
On 3 March 1961 Ken married Barbara Anne Dickason at Scotch . They had four children : Susan , Kim , Andrew ( SC 1976-84 ) and Tracey , and eight grandchildren . Ken died peacefully on 3 March 2021 at the Epworth Hospital , Richmond .
His lifelong contribution as a worldrenowned vascular surgeon and luminary in Australian and international phlebology made a remarkable difference not only to his field , but to all his patients . He will be dearly missed by family , friends , and colleagues .
PEACOCK AC GCL , Hon . Andrew Sharp (’ 56 )
Andrew Sharp Peacock was born on 13 February 1939 at Jessie McPherson Hospital , Melbourne . He attended Scotch from 1949 to 1957 . A boarder in Arthur Robinson House and a member of Littlejohn House , Andrew was Captain of both in 1956 and 1957 . Andrew played in the 1st XV ( 1955- 57 ), rowed in the 1st VIII ( 1956-57 ), and was
102 Great Scot Issue 163 – September 2021