Alexander Fraser Dukes (QM 1938-45)

Died 6th May 2020

A tribute to Dr Alexander Fraser Dukes by his surving children, son Tim and daughter Catherine.

A retired general practitioner and Old Marian, who was widely respected and honoured for his humanitarian work internationally, has died at home one day after celebrating his 93rd birthday. Dr Alexander Fraser Dukes, "Fraser", was a much loved GP of 37 years with practices in Penn and Wombourne, Wolverhampton. He had a genuine interest in his patients and their lives, and his ability to listen and communicate with his patients earned him his position as a highly respected family doctor until his retirement in 1992.

Born in Willenhall, West Midlands, in 1927, he attended Queen Mary’s Grammar School in Walsall from September 1938 to July 1945. In addition to his academic work, he also played in the schools Rugby 1st 15 and played the piano in the jazz band. It was at a school dance, where he was playing, that he met his future wife to be, Beryl Jean. Fraser had very fond memories of his school years during the War, including fire-watch, and had kept a keen interest in his old school over the years. He was the Oldest Old Boy at the last annual Dinner.

After graduating in medicine in Birmingham in 1950, he was due to be deployed to Korea for his National Service. However, an error in military records resulted in him being transferred as the Medical Officer at Copthorne barracks in Shrewsbury where for two years he put his medical training to good use. He declined the offer of an army career but did continue in the Herefordshire Light Infantry Regiment of the Territorial Army where he rose to the rank of Major.

He had initially planned a career in surgery but was offered a locum GP post in Wolverhampton whilst waiting to start a training course, and within a short period of time he had been offered a permanent partnership which he accepted. A decision he never regretted.

Alongside his clinical work, Fraser became well known in medical circles across Wolverhampton. In the early 1960s, he chaired the steering committee that successfully raised funds for the Medical Institute at Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital which now houses the Post Graduate Centre. He was the Medical Director of the Wolverhampton out of hours GP service from the late 1960s until 1988.

He married his childhood sweetheart, Beryl Jean in 1953 and their rock-solid marriage lasted over 60 years until her death in 2015. They had three children, two of whom became doctors including Tim, with whom he worked as a GP in Wombourne.

Fraser had many interests outside of work but his involvement in the Rotary Club of Wolverhampton was a huge part of his life. He played a significant role on the Rotary committee established for the formation of Compton Hospice in Wolverhampton and in raising the considerable funding needed before the first patient was admitted in 1982. His support for the hospice continued until his death.

In 1984, he chaired a public meeting that lead to the establishment under Rotary leadership of the Wolverhampton Multiple Sclerosis Centre where he was able to convince Rotarians and the general public that Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) represented a breakthrough in the relief of suffering associated with MS. The centre, which opened in 1986, continues to provide therapy for an average of 150 patients every week.

In 1986 he took up the chairmanship of the Rotary District 1210 Polio Plus Committee, a post he held for the rest of his life. He continued to deliver talks and seminars on the Rotary campaign to eliminate Polio until a week before his death. District 1210 has raised over $700,000 during his time. His contribution to the End Polio Now campaign was recognised internationally with a number of Rotary awards, including the Rotary International Service Above Self Award in 2014, the highest international honour in Rotary.

One of his fellow Rotarians commented "He has been behind so many humanitarian projects down the years we have shared. Thousands of the world's children have been spared catching polio because of his tireless work. Humanity owes him a great debt of gratitude."