IZINDABA
OBITUARY

Peter Maytom, October 1925 - August 2021

Peter was born in Durban, South Africa, and educated at Clifton Preparatory School and Durban High School. He studied medicine at the University of Cape Town, and after qualifying worked in general practice in the Transvaal (now Gauteng), where he met and married Joan. He returned to Cape Town to specialise in anaesthesia at UCT, completing this in 1955.

His first appointment was as Head of Anaesthesia at Edendale Hospital, Pieter-maritzburg, where he worked for 3 years. He was then invited to join a private anaesthetic partnership (one of the predecessors of the present-day Drs Beck, Danchin and Partners Inc.) in his home town of Durban, where he remained in practice until his retirement in 1997. Despite working in a busy anaesthetic practice, Peter made time to serve on many voluntary medical committees and hospital boards, not to enhance his own prestige, but to ensure that his fellow citizens had a good medical service. He joined the Medical Association of South Africa in 1949 and was elected President of this organisation in 1994 and 1995, representing the South African medical fraternity at several international meetings. He was also a member of the South African Society of Anaesthesiologists, serving as President in 1985. He is one of a select few individuals who have had the rare distinction of being elected President of the Medical Association of South Africa and of a specialist society, in this case anaesthesiology.

One of Peter's greatest achievements in furthering the health of all South Africans was when he persuaded the Minister of Transport to ban smoking on South African Airways aeroplanes, which was a first in those days!

Peter served as a voluntary board member for at least two Durban hospitals that provided care for the less fortunate - for 29 years at one, and 17 years at the other - and was recognised for this when he received the Order of the Holy Nativity from the Bishop of Natal, the first time this unique and prestigious honour had been awarded for many years.

After his retirement, Peter and Joan moved to Vancouver Island, Canada, to be nearer their children and grandchildren.

Although he worked long, hard hours, Peter had other interests apart from his family, and South African birds, indigenous South African trees, and wildlife conservation were close to his heart. Ndumu Game Reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal was Peter's favourite conservation area, and he and Joan spent time there every September for 36 consecutive years. For many years he also collected seeds of indigenous trees and germinated them at home. The little trees were then either donated or planted on the grounds of some Durban hospitals. He also planted one near the Durban High School rugby field on behalf of his classmates who matriculated with him in 1941.

Peter was certainly a very special man. A professional doctor and skilled anaesthesiologist, he was also the epitome of a true gentleman and family man, kind, thoughtful, intelligent, and non-judgemental.

Peter leaves behind his loving wife Joan, three children, Sally, Neville and Murray, and their families, which include numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Allan Hold, Allan Gorven

The authors are partners at Drs Beck Danchin & Partners Inc., Durban, South Africa holdfam@iafrica.com agorven@gmail.com