Michael Gent

On the morning of October 20, Mike Gent peacefully left us at the age of 86 at home in Sherborne, England in the company of his girls, just as he would have wished. Mike was born in Stanley, County Durham and spent his formative years in Newcastle, Northumberland, retaining a subtle Geordie accent throughout his life. He was a keen supporter of Newcastle United football club even in the lean years. Although considered somewhat politically incorrect nowadays, Mike continued to use the typical Tyneside term of endearment "Pet" when addressing female family members and close friends, always with a twinkle in his eye. Mike studied physics initially but switched to statistics before graduating with an MSc degree from Durham University; he was subsequently awarded a DSc by Durham for his world class contributions to medical research. Mike married the love of his life, local girl Betty Purvis just before the newlyweds moved to Cheshire in 1957 to allow Mike to take up his first appointment in ICI's pharmaceutical research facility. While in Cheshire Mike and Betty were blessed with a son Steven and daughter Heather. His career in academia was initiated a few years later as a lecturer in what became the University of Bradford but blossomed after the family emigrated to Canada in 1969 where Mike was appointed to the faculty of the embryonic new medical school at McMaster University in Hamilton. One of Mike's greatest qualities was his ease in establishing warm relationships with everyone he met, whatever their social standing. The students he taught praised his relaxed teaching style, those he mentored, the quality and extent of his help and encouragement. Many of these trainees went on to establish impressive academic careers. However, it was in clinical research that Mike made his biggest contributions by building on initial faculty collaborations to establish a team dedicated to the design and execution of randomized controlled trials. During the 80's and 90's the Clinical Trial Methodology Group conducted over 25 large high-impact therapeutic trials helping to cement McMaster's reputation as a world leader in clinical research. After 33 years of stunningly successful teaching, medical research, and university administration at McMaster, Mike retired from his illustrious career and, with Betty, settled in Scotland primarily to fulfil their love of golf being surrounded by some of the finest courses in the UK. Mike and Betty's son Steven moved to the UK in his early twenties to attend Sandhurst and subsequently established a long and successful career in the British army. Steven married Kate Alderman and raised three sons, Freddie, Hugo and Charlie. Their daughter Heather, a hospice nurse, stayed in Canada raising four children, Nick, Bronwyn, Sean and Maggie with her husband Mike Best. A modest, witty and kind gentleman, a respected researcher, a wonderful husband, an adored dad, an admired father-in-law, a very much loved granddad, and best friend to his dog Annie, Mike will be greatly missed by all who knew him. Remember him with a smile.