Diana Sims

Diana was born in Aylesbury in 1947, before departing at 4 months old to Singapore, returning to the UK at age 3. The family eventually moved to Plymouth, where Diana grew up and started to show off her talents in music and academia.She won a place at Plympton Grammar School before achieving entry to Liverpool University Medical School at age 17, becoming the first of her family to go to university.Qualifying in 1969, she started a peripatetic career: starting with house jobs in Liverpool, she then moved to St Bernard's in Gibraltar before starting anaesthetics back in the UK.She returned to Gibraltar, where a blind date for a naval party aboard ship would change her life.There she met her future husband, Gavin Lane.Trading travel for marriage, she returned to the UK to continue her anaesthetics training and achieved her diploma, before deciding to become a GP to better fit in with family life.Making her way as a GP, initially in Barrow-in-Furness before moving back to Plymouth, she worked diligently before settling into becoming a part time salaried partner in the Barton Practice in Plymstock, which was walking distance from her home.Balancing bringing up two children with a husband who was away at sea, she settled into a happy work-life balance, where good colleagues became good friends.She retired in 2012 after 26 years in the same practice-on the same day as her long term GP colleague-for a life of leisure and learning.Diana kept up to date in retirement, and she soon decided that she needed new medical books because her son's ones were so interesting.She was remembered by those she had cared for, even in her final illness: a fellow patient remembered her with fondness as her favourite doctor, despite Diana having been retired for 13 years.Her love of seeing new things led her all over the world: she sang in the Plymouth Philharmonic Choir for over 40 years, performing in the UK and beyond.Family was important, and she took every opportunity to spend time with her children: birthday parties, Christmas shows, theatre trips, horse riding, and swimming at the beach.She never passed up an opportunity to experience something new.Diana was a keen member of the Liverpool Medical School's "'69ers," looking forward to each reunion, aware that each meet-up was a privilege.