Much-loved retired Morecambe GP and family man passes away

Dr Malcolm Brown was born in Bradford in 1923, where his father was the steward (bursar) of St Luke’s Hospital.

He went to Bradford Grammar School and, aged only 17, gained a place at Edinburgh University to read medicine just before the start of World War Two.

As a medical student in a reserved occupation he spent the war studying in Scotland, whilst going back home to Bradford to assist with work at St Luke’s during the holidays.

He recalled his time at St Luke’s as being a very fast-track learning experience in areas like anaesthesia and taking bloods, with the hospital having its share of war-wounded to look after.

After the war, having gained his MB, ChB, he undertook National Service in the RAMC, being responsible for certifying the health of German prisoners being tried for minor war crimes in Hamburg.

Then, having trained as a GP, he moved to Morecambe to join the local practice of Dr John Milner. It was here that he met Audrey Whitaker, who was to become his wife, whilst staying in the guest house run by her mother in the West End of Morecambe.

On Dr Milner’s retirement, Malcolm ran the practice single-handed from the family home in Regent Road.

Subsequently, the surgery moved over the road to accommodation next to the Park Hotel. These were very different days in General Practice - with home visits occupying nearly as much time as surgeries.

Malcolm saw some of his more vulnerable patients on a regular basis, regardless of whether they were ill at the time. He always insisted that this was time well spent - on the prevention rather than cure of their illness.

He was a genuine 'family doctor', treating several generations of many families, with all the benefits that his knowledge of their medical histories provided.

Later, he was one of the founding GPs of the Morecambe Medical Centre, whose successful planning, construction and running owed a great deal to the time and effort he put in.

Another project to which he showed great commitment was the Rainbow Centre on Clarence Street. He understood the value to older people of somewhere where they could meet, socialise and get help with other needs. He took great pride in meeting the Queen Mother on her visit to the centre.

Malcolm was a very decent sportsman. At school he had been a talented cricketer - and had played golf off a low handicap. After his arrival in Morecambe, he enjoyed tennis at Bare Tennis Club and became a very competitive badminton player in the local leagues - something he and Audrey managed to keep going even during the busiest periods of work and family life.

He later returned to golf as a member at Morecambe Golf Club, gaining great pleasure and valuable relaxation with a pastime in which he enjoyed a genuine degree of success.

In his last years he remained a social member of the club - often to be seen having a light lunch with Audrey in the clubhouse, whilst keeping an eye out for old friends who were still playing.

Family life was always a delicate balancing act versus the demands of work, but Malcolm was a loving father who found time as best he could for his children, Martin, Ann and Heather.

The two older siblings both entered the teaching profession as biologists and remained in it until their recent retirement.

Tragically, Heather, who had rowed for the Women’s Blue Boat whilst studying Modern Languages at Cambridge and who was training for the Olympics as a single sculler, died in a road traffic accident. Though he never alluded to it, this had a profound effect on him and the family, which time did not really heal.

Another enthusiasm which he and the family shared was for walking. Visits to Silverdale, rambling with local groups and trips further afield to the Lake District, other parts of the UK and abroad were undertaken.

This may explain why younger members of the family have been involved in areas like the Duke of Edinburgh Award, mountaineering, long-distance cycling - with one grandson, Rob, now an outdoor instructor in the Scottish Highlands.

His final years were spent with Audrey in their seafront flat in Morecambe, from where they ventured out as often as possible to enjoy the fresh air, finding somewhere for a coffee - preferably with a view.

Though physically frail latterly, he retained a razor-sharp mind and a quirky sense of humour together with an ability, unmatched by any other family member, to complete the Telegraph cryptic crossword. We celebrate his life of service as a doctor and mourn the loss of a wise and much-loved husband, father and grandfather.

Any donations in memory of Malcolm will go to St John’s Hospice and may be sent to Alex Willis Funeral Home, 2 Middleton Road, Heysham, LA3 2QD.