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It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dr Michael Rochford on January 14, 2024. Described as a ‘Renaissance man of urology,’ Dr Rochford made extraordinary contributions to the field. After completing his medical degree in 1961, he spent time in the UK, gaining experience in the surgical treatment of kidney and bladder cancers. Returning to Australia, he brought not only his surgical expertise but also a passion for teaching and mentoring and an understanding of the value of professional community. He was instrumental in upgrading the level of service provided by the hospitals with which he was associated, recruiting urologic experts and developing training programs. Today, they are major teaching hospitals, sought after for both training appointments and senior consulting urology posts. Dr Rochford had a long association with the Executive and Board of Directors of the SIU and was President of the SIU from 2002 to 2003. He played a significant role in the establishment of the SIU secretariat office in Montreal, which was the start of the “professionalization” of the organization as we know it today. Many of the strong relationships the SIU enjoys with professional organizations were developed and maintained in large part thanks to Dr Rochford. His vision and hard work were key to the development of the annual SIU Congress, enabling urologists from all over the world to benefit from the exchange of ideas and information. He was also an enthusiastic supporter of the scholarship scheme, considering it emblematic of the SIU philosophy—and his own. He was an active mentor of many urologists who are in practice today. He espoused breadth as well as depth of training, and placed a good deal of emphasis on common sense. Many people in urology and beyond have fond memories of him as a kind and intuitive teacher. He will be greatly missed, but his influence will continue to be felt through those he mentored and supported and through the professional and institutional alliances he created. A profile of Dr Rochford by his colleague and friend Dr William J. Lynch was published in the March 2023 issue of the SIU Journal and can be read here. The SIU extends sincere condolences to Dr Rochford’s family, friends, and colleagues around the world. |
