Dedicated surgeon was often stopped in street by his patients
‘HE CARED ABOUT ALL HIS PATIENTS AND WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT HIS WORK’
TRIBUTES have been paid to a former surgeon who treated thousands of patients across the area.
Hubert de Castella died on June 17 at the age of 93.
Mr de Castella, who was originally from Melbourne in Australia, had worked at Burton Queen’s Hospital and was also part of the team who set up the Graduate Centre at the hospital, now known as the Burton Health Education Centre.
He worked as a surgeon in Burton for 22 years starting in 1971. During that time, he was responsible for tending to and operating on countless patients, as well as supervising and mentoring numerous members of staff.
His son Tom has described him as a “very committed man” who was “passionate about his work.”
He lived with his wife Jill, who he married in 1969, and had four children – Clare, Sophie, Tom and Ben. They lived in Newton Solney.
Tom, an English teacher who lives in Norfolk, said: “He was a very committed man. He cared about all his patients and was passionate about his work. I remember we came in from a holiday in France once. We had been away for two to three weeks and we came back at around lunchtime. Dad had a quick bite to eat and was straight back into the hospital to check on his patients.
“I remember on Christmas morning we would spend time at the hospital with the nurses while dad was spending time with his patients. He would also always play the villain in the hospital’s panto. There were always boos when he appeared on stage, which I always found to be quite funny.
“He had a real sense of duty and serving the community. Away from work, he was a loving dad. He was very involved in the civic society in Burton town centre. I remember we always used to plant daffodils in the meadow at the Meadowside Leisure Centre to spruce it up a bit.”
He was a general surgeon with a specialism in gastrointestinal surgery. He worked at the former Burton General Hospital and Burton District Hospital, which later expanded to become the Queen’s Hospital in Belvedere Road. He then worked at the Queen’s Hospital when it opened in 1995.
Tom said: “Early in his career at Burton he helped his colleague Irvine Smith set up the graduate centre, a new building in the district hospital with a lecture theatre, medical library and meeting rooms. It drew GPs and junior doctors into further education and gave them a space to discuss their work.
“It was such a success that it expanded over the years and today is known as the Queen’s Hospital Education Centre. He was an active member of the West Midlands Surgical Society and the District Management Team, which oversaw the running of the district hospital.
“When Burton General Hospital closed he was heavily involved in moving it to the site of the district hospital when it enlarged to become the Queen’s Hospital Burton.
“As well as Burton, he also worked at Ashby and Lichfield hospitals, and did a small amount of private practice. He retired in 1993 after 22 years working as a surgeon in Burton.”
Outside of work, Mr de Castella was involved in art and drama around Burton. He was also fond of travelling and regularly visited Australia.
Tom said: “He was really into art. After he retired he completed an art foundation course at De Montfort University and a fine art degree at Loughborough University. He continued to create attractive and thought-provoking artworks until almost the end of his life.
“He was also very much into drama and went to a lot of things at the Brewhouse [arts centre in Burton]. He was always doing something. He loved travelling and often went back to Australia to see family. We left Newton Solney in 2004 and moved down to West Sussex.
“Dad took me and my brother to Nottingham Forest games when we were growing up. We’re both fans now because of that.”
He added that his dad was very well known in the East Staffordshire community. He said he would often get stopped in Burton.
Tom said: “Whenever he was out and about he would always get stopped by former patients. He was constantly talking to people in Burton. I remember thinking as a child ‘oh no not another one.’ Now I am looking back on it and I think that is great.”
Tributes have also come from other members of the Burton medical community. Retired physician Nigel Miller said: “Hubert was always helpful, always prepared to consider wisely a problem you brought him, cheerful and a pleasure to work with.”
There will be a memorial service for Mr de Castella in London. Anyone who knew him is invited to attend St George’s Church in Campden Hill, Aubrey Walk, London, W8 7JG on September 1 at 2.30pm.
He is survived by his wife, Jill, his four children, Clare, Sophie, Tom and Ben, and his nine grandchildren, Kate, Charlie, Rose, Lizzie, Harry, Angus, Louis, Hannah and Lila.