“He was passionate about being a doctor and about rural health. He loved Kangaroo Island because it was somewhere remote where he could practise all the aspects of medicine he loved and we could have a wonderful life,” Ms Smith said this week.
“He was a real city boy but we had been looking and working in many rural communities around Australia until we came here. All that he worked for is here now. He had the career he wanted, we built a house and had our children here.”
Dr Rombout, along with Drs Gerome van der Linden and Ben Abbott and practice manager Carys Ingram, was instrumental in establishing the new Kangaroo Island Medical Clinic with Ms Smith involved heavily in the design aspects.
He also worked tirelessly to attract new doctors to the island to re-establish obstetric services earlier this year, making a promotional DVD and lobbying politicians and health bureaucrats.
Dr Rombout officially retired from medical practice about a year ago but he was still involved in the Kangaroo Island medical scene.
His funeral service will be held at the Kingscote Town Hall this Friday at 2pm.
Dr Rombout is survived by his widow Tracee and daughters Mia and Delphi.
Shauna Black
-Reprinted from The Islander – 16th October 2008-