A man of 'diligence, charm and humility': Wick surgeon Pradip Datta remembered at celebration of life
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The late Pradip Datta was described as a man of "diligence, charm and humility" and "a great inspirational teacher" at a celebration of his life at the weekend.
Friends, family members and former colleagues gathered in Wick St Fergus Church to remember the highly respected consultant surgeon who died in March at the age of 81.
Born in India, Mr Datta spent 25 years working in Wick – first at the Bignold Hospital and then at Caithness General. Young surgeons travelled from around the world to be trained by him.
A renowned sportsman, he was Wick Squash Club's only lifetime member and court one at the club was named in his honour last year.
The service on Saturday afternoon was conducted by family friend William Miller and was streamed live online so that people in other parts of the world could see it.
Professor John Duncan, a retired professor of surgery, spoke about Mr Datta's work as a surgical trainer as well as a Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh council member and secretary.
Prof Duncan told the gathering: "With you, the college would wish to celebrate the life of someone who, as a young man, travelled halfway around the world with next to no money in his pocket but, based on his intellect, his drive and his personality, went on to make a huge contribution to his profession and to the community."
Prof Duncan said of Mr Datta that humility was "part of his DNA". He added: "Throughout his professional life, his ability and skills became known through word of mouth rather than any self-publicity."
Mr Datta's courses enabled surgical trainees to pass their fellowship exams and go on to become surgeons themselves.
"We are here to celebrate the life of a remarkable man who gave a lifetime of service to his community and who supported the education of countless students across the world with diligence, charm and humility," Prof Duncan added.
Roy Mackenzie, a former squash adversary and long-time friend, recalled how Mr Datta "set new standards" on the local squash scene and fostered a healthy, competitive relationship between the Wick and Thurso clubs.
"It took me five years to beat Pradip in a final," Mr Mackenzie said. "I remember very little of the game itself but I do recall how gracefully he accepted his defeat.
"This was a golden era for the game of squash in the north."
Mr Datta arrived in the UK in 1967 with £1 and 10 shillings and had spells in various parts of the country before taking a job at the Bignold, despite having no idea where it was when he applied in 1980.
Mr Datta and his late wife Swati settled happily in Wick and his mother lived with them in the town for a number of years.
He suffered a life-changing stroke in 2017 at his home in Wick and was supported afterwards by his friend Dr Loretta Reynolds along with carers. Mr Datta spent his last few months at Pentland View care home in Thurso.
Mr Mackenzie added: "He always appreciated the support he received from family, friends, neighbours, hospital staff, carers and many others who contributed to his progress."
Professor Rajamiyer Venkateswaran, a consultant heart surgeon, highlighted Mr Datta's contribution to surgical education, tutoring, mentoring and career guidance.
Mr Datta's son, Dr Sandip Datta, a child psychiatrist who lives in Perthshire, told the gathering: "I only realised what a truly great man he really was once he had passed away. To my dad, his family was the most important thing in his life."
Mr Datta was a keen angler and when his son was growing up they would often go fishing together.
"During the fishing season we would share many magical moments on the shores of Loch Watten, fishing for wild brown trout, or on the banks of the Wick and Thurso rivers, chasing salmon," Dr Datta said.
He recalled a "special moment" when his father caught a salmon on the River Thurso on his 75th birthday.
"He was very typical of an Indian father where providing the best education for their son or daughter was the biggest priority," Dr Datta said.
"My dad always did his best for his patients and would do anything to help at a time of crisis. I heard a story recently about my dad that even when he was not working, if an emergency ambulance had pulled up to the hospital and he was walking past, he would always pop into A&E to see if there was anything that he could do to help.
"That showed to me how truly dedicated he was to helping others. He put patient care to the forefront of everything that he did."
Dr Datta also spoke of his father's passion for surgical training. "The courses that he ran became so popular that people from all over the world would come to Wick to learn from my dad and many actually went on to do part of their training at Caithness General Hospital," he said.
Dr Datta said that his father remained very positive despite spending months in hospital following his stroke.
In 2020 Mr Datta published his memoirs, The Naked Mountain Lands, sales of which have raised more than £7000 for his chosen charities.
"Getting his book published was one of my dad’s greatest achievements in later life," Dr Datta said.
"As my dad’s health deteriorated he would never complain or feel sorry for himself and continued to remain positive, happy and cheery."
He added: "My dad was a man of principle, generous to a T, and would always want to help others less fortunate than him.
"I suppose this was why he never claimed his state pension. I only found this out recently, and the reason was because he believed there were others out there that needed the money and help more than he did.
"Every single penny that my dad earned from teaching over the years, and also all the proceeds from his book, have gone to his chosen charities.
"The people of Caithness, especially Wick, meant so much to him and he felt like he was an adopted Wicker."
The sum of £630.30 was raised for the Stroke Association at the celebration of life service.
Related stories:
- 'An unbelievable human being' – tributes paid to retired Wick surgeon Pradip Datta
- Wick marks India Independence Day with garden party
- Court at Wick club is named in honour of Wick squash veteran Pradip Datta
- A surgeon's journey, musical memories, village tales and circus stories
- Surgery, sport and fishing forays among the topics in retired Wick consultant surgeon's biography
