I went to Kangaroo Island to work at the Kangaroo Island Medical Clinic in July 2005. I was still to finish my final term in GP training. Even though I had only travelled from Victor Harbor, it was still very scary going to K.I. to work, as it was “Remote”, and quite frankly, I was terrified. I had heard of all the stories of bad accidents and wondered how I would ever cope “on call”.
Then there was Alf. My first night on call, there he was at the hospital to meet me, “just to run a few things by you, and if you need any help, please call me”. I already knew at this time that he had been diagnosed with cancer, and the last thing I wanted to do was take up his time, but there he was, helping me to make sure my on call went smoothly.
I cannot count the number of times he came to my rescue and helped me out over the next 2 years that I was on the Island, always with that wonderful reassuring smile and tilt of the head, that silently said, “this will be OK, we’ll sort it out”, and he would calmly and expertly help me, and in an unassuming way, teach me, because thats what Alf did, effortlessly.
Alf was an amazing man, not only a talented and gifted doctor, he could turn his hand to anything, fix things, build things, grow trees, cook, and most of all he was our friend and we loved him.
We cannot even begin to imagine the enormous loss to Tracee, Mia and Delphi, Alf’s family and Tracee’s family.
Alf touched us all, we will miss him always,
Vale Alf
Love from Mary and Colin Liston