John Bruce Russell Wells

John Bruce Russell Wells, FRCS FRCS(Ed) FRACS
28 April 1922 - 21 August 2016
General Surgeon

John Bruce Russell Wells (known as Bruce, throughout his life) was born in Ashburton to John Russell Wells, a doctor, and Phoebe Maslin. He had a younger sister, Jeanette, and brother, Guyon. Commencing at Ashburton Borough School in 1927, he subsequently boarded at Waihi School in Winchester 1933-35. Secondary schooling was at Christ College 1936 - 1940, where he was a boarder in Jacob's House. Bruce was a capable scholar receiving a science academic prize and being made a prefect in his final year. He excelled in music, especially as a pianist. (He once played with Maurice Till!) While a career in music or farming appealed he eventually chose medicine - feeling just a little coerced by his father and several uncles in medical practice.

Bruce commenced at the University of Otago in 1941, residing at Selwyn College. He gained entry to the Otago Medical School in 1942 completing his final year at Christchurch Hospital in 1947. Bruce remained in Christchurch as a house surgeon and there he met his future wife, Katherine Wickham (known as Kath), a nurse at Christchurch Hospital. On gaining his MB ChB registration he had a three-month stint as Medical Officer on the Chatham Islands with his dear friend Lindo Ferguson. He next secured a position as Clinical Assistant at the Royal Melbourne Hospital 1949-50, working also as private assistant to Sir Hugh Devine. Moving to the UK in 1951, Bruce worked as a surgical registrar at Borough General Hospital, Ipswich 1951 - 1952, and at Stourbridge, Birmingham and the Canadian Red Cross Hospital, Taplow, Windsor in 1953. In 1953 he obtained his FRCS - Edinburgh and England.

Bruce returned to New Zealand in 1954 with Kath, now his fiancée, accepting an appointment as Visiting Surgeon at Ashburton Hospital, where he worked as the senior surgeon alongside his father. He married Kath the following year and they subsequently had five children - Robert, Janet, Rachel, Richard and Rebecca. In 1961 Bruce was appointed Visiting General Surgeon at Kew Hospital in Invercargill. He gained his FRACS in 1965. He developed an increasing interest in urology to meet local needs and in 1980 became an Associate of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand. In 1980 he was appointed Director of Surgery at Kew Hospital and although he resigned in 1987, he continued to work until 1991 when a suitable successor commenced. (He joked that he enjoyed five retirement dinners).

Bruce was the quintessential gentleman who was a very good clinician and, in addition, possessed outstanding technical skills. His professionalism was of the highest order and he cared deeply about his patients. An excellent role model for junior medical staff, he was a great mentor and teacher to many young surgeons. His particular strength in teaching was operative technical skills where he fostered and encouraged good technique, giving generously of his time and demonstrating enormous patience as his registrars learned. Bruce was very busy in both his public hospital and private practice (the latter organised and managed by Kath).

Good with his hands, Bruce spent many weekends helping to build a family crib in Queenstown. This became the family getaway place - the base for many happy family weekends and holidays with the associated skiing at Coronet Peak, where he skied until the age of 84. Converting a double garage into a workshop, and with every tool imaginable, Bruce built craftsman quality furniture and 'fixed' things - he kept everything because he always found some part of it useful to repair something else! In his later years he took up golf and had a wonderful circle of golfing friends, initially in Invercargill and then in Queenstown where he moved permanently, following his retirement. He played golf until the ripe age of 91, boasting a hole in one on his final round.

Following Kath's death in 2001, Bruce spent more time in Christchurch with his family, residing there with his daughter. He continued to play the piano until his final months - playing for at least 2 -3 hours each morning followed by 30 minutes on his 'exercycle'. Bruce retained a keen interest in medicine, local and international politics.  Adept with modern technology, he communicated with his children and grandchildren by email and social media.

Bruce is survived by his children, Robert (lawyer), Janet (nurse), Rachel (marketing), Richard (artist) and Rebecca (school teacher), 10 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild.

Janet Reeves and Bruce's medical colleagues contributed to the preparation of this obituary.