Francis Hugh Dominic Breslin 19.8.21

It is with sadness that we note the passing of Frank Breslin on 19 August 2021 after a period of ill health. He was almost 90 years old. Frank was a good friend to many of his colleagues in Sydney. He was generous to many of us in the early days of our careers when he invited us to assist him in surgery and act as locums in his practice at St. Leonards.

I first met Frank in 1979 when I was a surgical registrar at the old Mater Public Hospital in North Sydney. He was a kind and careful urologist from whom I learnt many “pearls”. We became colleagues at Royal North Shore Hospital when I joined the Urological Department there.

Frank’s father was a GP on the lower North Shore. He was educated at St Ignatius College Riverview and Sydney University Medical School from where he graduated with honours in 1955. Subsequently, he was a RMO at St Vincent’s Hospital Darlinghurst and then was a Surgical Registrar/Medical Superintendent at Lewisham Hospital where he came under the influence of Alban Gee who was a contemporary of the Harris brothers who revolutionised open prostatic surgery in the pre-antibiotic era leading to a significant reduction in mortality. They were foundation members of the Urological Society.

In 1958 Frank travelled to the UK for further Urological training at St Phillip’s, Hillingdon and St Paul’s Hospitals in London obtaining FRCS(London) in 1959.

He returned to Sydney in 1962 and became a VMO in Urology at the Mater, Lewisham and St Margaret’s Womens Hospitals. Upon closure of the Mater in 1982 he joined the staff at Royal North Shore Hospital where he was a valued colleague. He became FRACS(Urology) in 1966. He was the Treasurer of the USANZ  in 1972-1973 and was NSW State Chairman in1986.He retired from Urological practice in 2001 and continued in Medico-Legal Consulting.

Frank had many interests outside of Urology. He was a keen golfer, a sailor and he farmed in Junee for a time. He grew canola and raised sheep and cattle. Frank played the piano. He loved jazz and sing-a-longs around the piano with family and friends.

He was devoted to Gabrielle, his wife of almost 60 years and to his two daughters and two sons and many grandchildren. To Gabrielle and the family we extend our heartfelt condolences.

Vale Frank. We will miss you.

Obituary prepared by Dr Ken Vaux.