Dr Thomas Rees died yesterday.

He died peacefully in his home with his children and his dog by his side.

There will be much written about this man.  He was handsome and witty and generous of spirit. He was an incredible plastic surgeon who could have rested on his very successful laurels but chose not to.

He and his wife Nan co-founded and worked tirelessly for the Flying Doctors of East Africa, a division of what is now the African Medical Research and Education Foundation (AMREF), which is based in Nairobi, Kenya, and which is the largest NGO in healthcare and development in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Dr. Tom lost his beloved wife a year and a half ago. This was a romance of the ages. Everyone wondered how Dr Tom could ever go on without her.

But he wasn’t alone. This loving man was loved in return. His daughter, Liz spent much of the past year and a half helping him through the loss that they both felt.

It was wonderful seeing them together. They were inseparable.

As time passed and Dr.Tom became a bit more frail, Liz felt his needs before he saw them himself and made sure that the path he followed was softer than it might have been without her.

This time was a gift to both of them. They got to know and count on each other in a way that fathers and daughters rarely do.

Liz was tireless in the support and love she gave Dr. Tom and grateful in the way he returned that love.

Although Dr Tom is with his beloved Nan now, the world is a little less bright without them.