Dr Leonard Sash, who has died aged 89 after a long period of illness, was an NHS GP and consultant physician to the Arsenal football team.
Born in Delmas in the East Transvaal (now Mpumalanga), South Africa, Len was the son of Bessie (nee Liverman) and Max Sash, a GP working in the district of the then Orange Free State. His elder brother, Sydney, also became a doctor, and his sister, Cecily, was an acclaimed artist.
After attending Edward VII secondary school in Johannesburg, Len went to the University of Witwatersrand, also in the city, graduating in 1957. He then went to Britain in order to distance himself from the apartheid system, initially working for a GP in the then multicultural and economically diverse area of North Kensington, London, before acquiring his own practice in nearby Cambridge Gardens. I had the pleasure of working for him there for almost three decades, and we became firm friends.
Soon after arriving in Britain, Len also spent some time working at the Camden Rehabilitation Centre helping ex-servicemen, and it was there that he met Bertie Mee and Fred Street, then both physiotherapists. Bertie later moved to work with the Arsenal football team and, on becoming manager, asked both Len and Fred to join him at the club. Len went on to hold the position of consultant physician at Arsenal for more than 30 years.
In addition to his heavy GP workload, Len also managed to fit in working at the rheumatology clinics at St Charles’ and St Mary’s hospitals. He was influential in pioneering sports injury clinic sessions for amateur sportspeople, and ran a regular sports injury clinic for students and staff at Imperial College health centre for 15 years from around 1991.
During the latter part of his career he became a partner at the London Clinic for Injuries, a centre of excellence for orthopaedic surgery and physiotherapy. Eventually his health deteriorated and, in 2006, with much regret, he relinquished all of his medical responsibilities.
Len and his partner, Paul Hamblin, met socially in 1994, and immediately struck up a close and enduring friendship based on a shared love of the arts. They entered into a civil partnership in 2006. Len loved to draw and paint. Indeed, he was an accomplished artist and his work was often exhibited. His unique style expressed movement and energy incredibly strongly.
Len and Paul loved the countryside of Oxfordshire and, latterly, Gloucestershire, which is where they imaginatively restored a beautiful old property. Their many friends were lucky enough to enjoy the combination of fabulous surroundings, delicious meals and stimulating conversation. Owen, their spaniel, was ever-present. All those who knew Len will miss his directness, enthusiasm, skill, wisdom, humour and warmth.
He is survived by Paul and by his nephew, David.
