Laurence Cleeve 1945 - 2024
It is with much sadness that we record the passing of our friend, colleague and great contributor to Urology in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Laurie passed away peacefully on October 25th, 2024.
A funeral service for Laurie will be held on Wednesday 6 November at 10:30am, at the St Ignatius Church (326 Church St, Richmond, Victoria).
Laurie grew up in Bendigo, Victoria and studied medicine at the University of Melbourne. His internship and residency were at St Vincent’s Hospital and general surgical training was there, at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital (Repat) and in Portsmouth UK. Deciding to do his urology training in the USA, Laurie and his family went to Duke University in North Carolina, and he completed the full training program there.
On returning to Melbourne in 1978, Laurie joined the growing Urology Unit at Repat (where he later became the head of that large unit) and subsequently he joined the Urology unit at the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH). It was at these hospitals that he earned his name for excellence in clinical and operative urology, balanced and decisive leadership and quality teaching of students and trainees and he was acknowledged for these by the title of Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne. He, amongst others, was sought after for final RACS examination preparation and out-of-hours tutorials were held at his rooms and his home.
Laurie established his private practice in East Melbourne, and in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. He was an efficient manager and sought-after urological consultant. He saw the benefit of co-operative group practice and established the Melbourne Urology Group with three other similarly minded urologists.
Laurie supported innovation in urological practice. He analyzed the benefits and problems of new ideas and technologies; those he saw with a good future for improved patient care, he supported, even though he may not have added them to his own practice. In 1986 he was a founding member of a small group of urologists to introduce shock wave lithotripsy into Victoria. This innovative project at Epworth Hospital, for public and private patients, had the support of the Urological Society and many urologists but was ultimately aborted when the Victorian Government chose to establish the service at St Vincents Hospital. Laurie was also part of the teams at RMH and Repat that introduced percutaneous renal surgery to Victoria and he was the joint author of several published articles around that subject.
Laurie made a big contribution to Urology through various committees of USANZ, as well as organizing committees for ASM’s and other meetings. He was a member of urology training committees, an examiner for the RACS Part 2 fellowship exam (where he was known by all to be a balanced, fair and firm examiner) and senior examiner from 2000 to 2002. He was Chair of ANZAUS from 1991 to 1994 and President of the Society from 1999 to mid-2000. He was awarded the Society Medal in 2007 for his services to Urology.
Outside his medical life Laurie was closely involved with his family’s life. He also enjoyed golf. He was a member of the Commonwealth Golf Club and the Savage Club, he played bridge, and he was a keen supporter of the Carlton Football Club.
Above all Laurie will be remembered as a warm and friendly person with a ready and cheerful smile. He was an excellent clinician, surgeon, colleague and friend to many, a mentor to young urologists and a role model to us all. He was a committed surgical educator, and a real contributor to the specialty of Urology. Laurie was foremost a caring and loving family man and was wonderfully supported throughout his career and retirement by his wife Joan, their daughters, Lucy, Jessica, Margot, Suzie and Georgia and their families.
Vale Laurie Cleeve
Alan Crosthwaite with contributions from several colleagues
USANZ thanks Alan Crosthwaite for preparing this obituary.