Professor John Blennerhassett (MB ChB (NZ) FRCPCan FRCPAus Pathology, Emeritus Professor since 1997) was a consummate academic, a devoted family man, a voracious reader and a gentle man with an active and busy social life. 

He died peacefully at home in Wānaka on June 29, 2022 at age 89. 

John was born in Auckland in 1933 to Mary and Ray (Blen) Blennerhassett, both teachers, who instilled in him a love of learning, words, cryptic crosswords and reading.

He spent his early years around the North Island, particularly Northland. John’s early schooling (years 1-5) were spent in Matauri Bay where his father was principal at the school. 

John remembered with great pleasure spending time with the kaumatua. "I was four or five-years-old and occasionally my parents had to remind me to speak English at home.” 

When Blen enlisted in 1940, John's mother returned to teaching and he went to boarding school.

At the tender age of seven John realised his ambition was to be a doctor. He was encouraged by his teacher, Dulcie Vadanovich, to attend a bigger school that would provide the environment needed to reach his potential. 

He went to Mount Albert Grammar and then on to Otago University for his undergraduate studies, supported throughout by his parents. 

At Otago he met Jill, who was studying Phys Ed, and the two married two days after John's graduation. 

Children soon followed: first twins, John and Jennie, then Nicola, and Stewart. After graduating, John and Jill moved to Wellington where John spent several years as a house surgeon at Wellington Hospital, where he realised pathology was his calling.

In order to chase his dreams and specialist studies the family embarked on a journey to North America, firstly Boston to a position at Mass General Hospital and as teaching fellow at Harvard University. There another two children were added to the family: Robyn and Hamish. 

John then secured a position as associate pathologist at Royal Victoria Hospital with appointment as associate professor of pathology at Magill University in Montreal. Returning to Boston and Mass General as head of surgical pathology. John was appointed assistant professor at Harvard University. 

The family spent eight years in North America. 

In 1969, John was called by a couple of old classmates to let him know a position as professor of pathology was open at his alma mater, Otago Medical School. The family returned to Dunedin in 1970, Jill taking the family 9,000 miles over nine weeks from Boston to San Francisco, camping along the way, while John remained behind to finish the year at Mass General.

John introduced two important regular teaching sessions into the Dunedin medical scene.

He directed the development of clinico-pathological conferences, held weekly in years four and five of the medical degree, and developed a wealth of teaching resources, including thousands of 35mm colour slides comprising clinical photographs of gross and microscopic pathology. 

In addition, the grand round was instituted, modelled on that of Mass General. It was held weekly, and acted as a forum at which difficult cases were presented and debated by medical staff. 

John continued in his positions until his official retirement from the chair of pathology in 1996, and finally his resignation from Dunedin Hospital in early 2000s. He continued teaching and examining both in NZ and Australia for some years after. 

John's passion was for teaching, and he had a way of weaving a tale which made even the most bland microscopic dots feel like they were worthy of our attention - then would come the great reveal when he unfurled the diagnosis. 

John was an active member of a number of organisations including; Cancer Society, Rotary, Probis and U3A. Community service and contribution were important to him. His social groups also held a great enjoyment for him; The Wānaka Experience, AOK biking group and the Knotty Points tennis group. 

John and Jill built a holiday home in Wānaka in the early 1970s and retired here in 2002.

They have enjoyed their retirement in Wānaka, which has featured travel, starting a new business (wedding venue 'the Olive Grove'), and time with friends, family and particularly grandchildren were the highlights of his latter years.