- Jack Suchet
Jack Suchet (10 May 1908 - 9 September 2001) was an
obstetrician ,gynaecologist andvenereologist , who carried out research on the use ofpenicillin in the treatment of venereal disease withSir Alexander Fleming . He was father of the actorDavid Suchet and newsreaderJohn Suchet [ [http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/323/7323/1255 Obituary of Jack Suchet, father of David Suchet, inBritish Medical Journal ] ] .Early life
Jack Suchet was born in
Johannesburg ,South Africa , in 1908 to Isidor Suchedowitz, a Lithuanian Jewish immigrant fromMemel . His father, who had changed the family surname from Suchedowitz to Suchet, wanted Jack to go into business, and he studied Business Administration at theUniversity of Cape Town in South Africa.Move to England
He arrived in
England in 1932 and had to struggle a lot initially. He soldice cream s atPaddington Station , sold his own blood, played bridge for money and carried out doping tests ongreyhound s' saliva. The game of bridge remained his hobby of choice even in his retirement.tudy
He started as a student at St Mary's Hospital Medical school (the school is now part of
Imperial College London ). After starting as a junior resident, he chose to move to the field ofobstetrics .Career
He worked at St Mary's Hospital in the department of obstetrics, and later as director of the department of
venereology . DuringWorld War II , he worked with Sir Alexander Fleming on the use of penicillin for the treatment of venereal disease. He also worked with theRoyal Army Medical Corps and later returned to St Mary's. In 1953, he became a consultant and started practice onHarley Street , as well as working in East London hospitals.Death
He died in
Watford ,Hertfordshire , aged 93. [ [http://www.findmypast.com Deaths England and Wales 1984-2006] ]Family
He was the father of three sons: Peter Suchet,
John Suchet , the newsreader, andDavid Suchet , the actor.References
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
