Victor Cecil Erskine Harrington passed away peacefully in Edinburgh on Friday 6 January 2012 at the age of 97. He was born on 17 May 1914 in Pietermaritzburg, Kuazulu Natal, South Africa.

Victor's first four years were spent in Hlabesa, where his first language was Zulu. His independent spirit and respect for the people and their culture were shaped in those early days. Victor's father worked as a Zulu interpreter with Ghandi in the Durban courts and Victor remembered hearing Ghandi's lectures. Having attended Maritzburg College, in 1929 Victor sailed to England with his scout troop and in 1934 Victor headed for Edinburgh to study dentistry.

He was introduced to Bettine Ewart at a badminton club at the Princess Margaret Rose Hospital and they married on 3 May 1941, a union which lasted more than 50 years.

Victor had graduated in dentistry in June 1940 and joined the Royal Army Dental Corp. Arriving on the east coast of Africa, he spent the next four years serving in the deserts of Egypt and Syria, accruing a lifetime of stories. He proudly earned a number of medals for his service in the war. Victor then returned to Edinburgh where he set up in dental practice and worked there until retiring fully at the age of 70. He was a well-respected and caring dental practitioner and also spent one day a week working in Saughton Prison. He was a past president of the South East of Scotland Branch of the BDA, served on the Lothian Health Board, was chairman of the Area Dental Committee and the GDP sub-committee and was a staunch supporter of the NHS.

He was an elder at St George's West Church for many years, a regular golfer in Edinburgh and Elie, and had a keen interest in cars.

Victor managed to live a full and independent life until he had a stroke in 2010. Victor was predeceased by his wife Bettine. He will be greatly missed by his four children, Joyce, Pamela, Michael and James and seven grandchildren. He instilled in all his offspring the principles of hard work and integrity. He was lucky enough to be able to speak a few words of Zulu with two African nurses in his nursing home, taking him full circle back to the Africa he knew as a child.

He will be fondly remembered by family, friends, colleagues and patients.