Tributes to 'influential and respected' family GP Edward Cockayne

A long-serving GP who ‘worked tirelessly for his patients’ has died aged 80.

The family of Edward Ernest Cockayne, who passed away peacefully at home on Friday, have paid the following tribute to the ‘influential and respected’ family doctor:

Curious and adventurous, Dr Cockayne was passionate about his patients, teaching trainee doctors and pioneering ways of attracting GPs into West Suffolk.

Born in Broken Cross, Macclesfield, in 1940, he grew up to love being outdoors, particularly gardening, long-distance walking and fishing.

Educated at King’s School, Macclesfield, his parents Ernest and Sarah Cockayne, both of whom had worked in at the local psychiatric hospital, supported his dream to become a doctor.

He studied medicine at Guy’s Hospital (1958-1963) where he met nurse Elizabeth who became his wife in 1964.

Dr Cockayne worked at four hospitals around London before deciding to become a GP and taking up the post in Woolpit in 1965.

Over the next 33 years he worked tirelessly for his patients, holding to mantras such as ‘listen to the patient’ and ‘run toward your troubles’.

He was witty, gruffly kind and dogmatic when puzzling out difficult diagnoses.

Dr Cockayne enjoyed rugby, playing for school, teaching hospital and eventually for Bury St Edmunds.

He was a tower of strength to families when 18 members, supporters and players died in the air crash in March 1974. He was secretary at that time, and much later served as club president.

Before he retired, he wrote a book about his experiences called An Apple a Day under the pseudonym Cornelius Slater (Headline Book Publishing: 1987), which is still handed to new doctors in West Suffolk as an example of what caring for people in a country practice is like.

Far-sighted as he was, he secured funding to build the current health centre in Woolpit, and developed and ran the trainee GP scheme at West Suffolk Hospital.

Crucially in the 80s, when there were too few people wishing to train to be doctors, he created opportunities for overseas doctors from Germany, the Netherlands and South Africa to learn in Suffolk.

This ensured that there were enough doctors to serve the community.

When he retired he did his History of Medicine Diploma. In the next few years, together with Noel Stow, he set up Suffolk Medical History Society.

They also co-authored two books, Stutter’s Casebook, a Junior Hospital Doctor 1839-41, published by Suffolk Record Society (St Edmundsbury Press: 2005) and An 18th Century Physician’s Handbook (Mac Slaytor: 2012).

He expanded work by Dr van Zwanenburg to make a comprehensive record of the medical practitioners in previous centuries which is available at www.suffolkmedicalbiographies.com.

He wrote for journals about medical history.

A long-distance walker, he completed paths across the world, including the UK, France, Italy and New Zealand.

A keen gardener, he grew fruit and vegetables, and kept rare breed sheep.

Dr Cockayne was diagnosed with prostate cancer four years ago.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Elizabeth and his devoted daughters Sarah, Frances, Claire and Isabel. He was loving grandpa to Laurie, Flora, Daisy, Rosie, Anna, Max, Billy, Tom and Eva.

A memorial will be planned for later this year.

A fund-raiser in his memory for Médecins Sans Frontières has been set up. To donate, click here.