Douglas Lee, MD, MB BCh BAO, MRCPI, FRCPath (died 22 October 2019, aged 80)
Submitted by friend, James Wisheart
Douglas was the older son of a GP in North Belfast and after school at Campbell College he entered the Medical School at Queen’s, graduating in 1962. Having worked in the Pathology Department under Sir John Henry Biggart, he gained an MD in 1966 and then proceeded to a career in Haematology and Blood Transfusion, holding consultant posts initially in Sheffield and then in Lancaster and Manchester. He became the Director of the Blood Transfusion Service for the North-West of England. His research interests were in the prevention and treatment of Haemolytic Disease of the Newborn. His standing in the British Blood Transfusion Society was such that he was elected a Council member in 1989 and two years later became Hon Secretary for six years.
In 1965, Douglas married Maureen Campbell and they had two adopted children; Pam who died suddenly of undiagnosed epilepsy when she was 19 and Tim who is a Chartered Surveyor. This marriage was dissolved in 1984. In 1986, Douglas married Rachael Ogden and they had a son, Simon a professional musician. Rachael, Simon and Douglas joyfully shared many musical activities, both choral and instrumental; Douglas played the cello and the organ.
Douglas benefited on two occasions from open heart surgery which added substantially both to the quality and length of his life. Being a keen sailor of cruising boats and dinghies (the latter in his beloved Lake District), he was an active supporter of the RNLI and for many years was Chairman of the Lancaster Fundraising Branch.
A very wide circle of friends gathered to celebrate his 80th birthday in July 2019 and a few months later gathered again at his funeral in Lancaster Priory to honour his life, work and memory. He will be sorely missed by Rachael, Tim, Simon and his two grandsons, Alex and Finn, as well as the wide circle of his friends and colleagues.
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