Peter Gatenby, doctor, died at 92

  Dead Famous

Peter Bronte Gatenby, born in 1923 and died on August 24, 2015, he was an Irish former doctor, Medical Director for the United Nations and Professor of Medicine at Trinity College, Dublin.

He was Ireland’s first full-time professor of clinical medicine.

Gatenby is the son of James Bronte Gatenby and is related to the Bronte family.

In 1974 Dr Gatenby became Medical Director for the United Nations, where he worked until his retirement in 1987.

The UN job took him all over the world and he spent eight years based in New York and five in Rome. While based in New York, he was visiting professor of clinical medicine at New York University.

From 1975 to 1978 Dr Gatenby held the regius professor of physic (1637), the oldest chair of medicine in Ireland and it is among the oldest in Europe.

Apart from research papers, Dr Gatenby also wrote “The School of Physic: Trinity College Dublin: a Retrospective View” (1994) and “History of the Meath Hospital” (1996).

In 2002, in recognition of Professor Gatenby’s selfless commitment and contribution the School of Medicine established the Peter Gatenby Award.

It is awarded annually to the student who contributed most to the welfare and academic and social development of the Faculty of Health Sciences.

Peter Gatenby was predeceased by his wife Yvette, who died in 2006, and their daughter Odette. He is survived by his son Robin and daughter-in-law Kathleen Lyons who are both Trinity School of Medicine graduates.

He will be sadly missed by the former students and colleagues and a wider Trinity community.

A regular participant of Trinity events, Dr Gatenby was last in College during Trinity Week in April.

He will be fondly remembered for his contribution to the development of medicine in Trinity and Ireland and for his gentle personality, interest in people and for his dedication to patients and students alike.