Eric Anderson

22nd December 2022 

Obituary by Ian Winson and Don McBride

It is with great sadness that we write to commemorate the life of our friend and colleague, Eric Anderson, who died shortly before Christmas 2022. Eric was one of the great leaders of the revolution in foot and ankle orthopaedic care over the last 50 years world-wide.

He passed his FRCS in 1971 in London. He was appointed to his consultant post in the Western Infirmary, Glasgow in 1978, where he continued in his NHS practice until 2006.

As a trainer he inspired many that he taught to take up his beloved speciality. As a mentor his common sense and practical approach to problems meant that he was a go to for opinions on difficult cases.

His leadership was evident in the growth of the interest in foot and ankle surgery in the UK. He joined the British Orthopaedic Foot Surgery Society (as it was known in those days) in 1979 and became President in 1982. He was indeed President twice, also having that honour in 1995, at what might be described as the start of the modern era and the evolution to the British Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society in 2006. At a time of a little bit of an internal revolution, where the growing number of younger surgeons flexed their voting rights at an AGM, it was notable that Eric with his air of quiet common sense (particularly in matters of finance!) spanned the generations. Always an absolute gentleman in all senses of the phrase, you would however often see a little mischievous smile appear when these events unfolded.

In the early to mid-1990s he very much saw the importance of a united voice for foot and ankle surgery in Europe. He was heavily involved in bringing together the then two European societies (ESFAS and EFFAS) with the formation of EFAS in 1998 and was their first Treasurer.

He continued to contribute to the foot and ankle world in his later years not missing a BOFAS meeting for 40 years.

Sadly he lost his wife Liz only three months before he died, leaving his three children Colin, Heather and Fiona.

All who knew him will have a quiet smile at our fondest memory of him.