Colin Iskander obituary
My father, Colin Iskander, who has died aged 87, was a doctor who ran his GP practice from his home in Chelmsford, Essex.
Born in Solihull, West Midlands, he was the third son of Margery (nee Baker) and her husband, Nagib Iskander, who was also a GP. Colin attended Solihull school and studied medicine at St Andrews University, where he met fellow student Elspeth Whitley. They married in 1962, two years after his graduation.
The newly wed couple soon moved to Chelmsford, where Colin joined the practice of his father-in-law, Theo Whitley. When Theo retired, Colin moved the surgery to his family home in 1964. In the 1990s he moved the surgery to a much larger site nearby, naming it Whitley House in memory of his father-in-law.
From early in his career, Colin was company doctor for several large businesses in Chelmsford and was for many years a course organiser for GP training schemes in Essex.
A man with a progressive mindset and excellent communication skills, he took a keen interest in preventive medicine, and gained additional qualifications in hypnotherapy, reflective writing and group facilitation.
In the 1960s he was invited to participate in a BBC TV series on midwifery, joining Joan Bakewell in the studio for question and answer sessions. The programmes were later used for sex education lessons in schools.
After retirement in 1999, Colin continued in a part-time role he had undertaken for some years previously, teaching communication skills to medical students, and pursued his great interest in sailing. A kind and gentle man, he was always excellent company and enjoyed being around people.
He is survived by Elspeth, their children, Susan, Mark and me, and grandchildren, Theo, Lizzy, Felix and Tom, and his siblings, Roma, Nigel and Barry.