FORMER honorary physician to the Queen Air Marshal Sir David Atkinson died peacefully in hospital on June 28.

Born in Hartlepool, County Durham, David William Atkinson attended Stockton Grammar School before studying at Edinburgh University and graduating on July 5, 1948. He joined the RAF in 1949 and took up medical officer appointments in the UK, Jordan and Egypt.

Sir David was in the Air Ministry from 1959 until 1962 and a student at RAF Staff College from 1963 until 1964. He was a senior medical officer at RAF Bruggen in Germany from 1964 until 1967, working at HQ Air Support Command, HQ British Forces Gulf Bahrain and the RAF hospital Wegbert in Germany.

He was director of RAF Health and Research from 1974 until 1978 and honorary physician to the Queen from 1977 until 1984. Sir David served with RAF Strike Command and became a Freeman of the City of London in 1984. He was also a Liveryman for the Society of Apothecaries and director general of the RAF Medical Services.

After retiring from the RAF Sir David became director general of the Chest Heart and Stroke Association, a post he held until 1993. Under his leadership the charity came to recognise that stroke, while a major cause of death and disability, was too often regarded by many as an inevitable consequence of ageing.

Sir David recognised that if stroke was to be taken seriously, a separate charity was needed to lobby and campaign for more research into its treatment and care. This led to the Chest Heart and Stroke Association being disbanded to form the Stroke Association.

The Association become a major force in the bid to establish stroke units in hospitals and played a vital role in reducing the number of stroke deaths in the UK. The charity’s wide and innovative range of services has ensured that many more stroke survivors and their families enjoy a better life.

Sir David moved to Lymington in 1992 and was founder of the Woodside Association, set up in 1995 to protect the Lymington public area of Woodside, where he lived, from development.

With tremendous enthusiasm, he mobilised residents to protest against activities which were threatening to change Woodside’s natural beauty.

Sir David leaves his dearest companion Prue and is much missed by both their families and friends.

His funeral service was held at Hinton Park Woodland Burial Ground on July 18.