Thomas Cecil Gray born 11 March 1913; Prep School 1923-25; Junior House 1925-27; St Aidan's House September 1927-July 1931; novice Ampleforth Abbey 21 September-14 November 1931 - clothed as Br Thomas; University of Liverpool 1931-37; general practice 1937-41; Medical Corps 1942-44; Hon Anaesthetist to various hospitals 1940-47; Reader in Anaesthesia, The University of Liverpool 1947-59; Professor of Anaesthesia, The University of Liverpool 1959-76; Dean of Postgraduate Medical Studies 1966-70; Dean of the Faculty of Medicine 1970-76; author of medical books; appointed CBE; appointed KCSG; married Marjorie Kathleen Hely (died 1978) 1937 (2 children); married Pamela Mary Corning 1979 (1 son); died 5 January 2008.
Professor Cecil Gray was the pioneer of modern Anaesthetic techniques. Born in Liverpool in March 1913, he was in the Valley at Ampleforth for 8 years from 1923 to 1931. He was firstly for two years in the Prep School (1923-25), then two years in Junior House (1925-27), and then in St Aidan's House. He would have come to St Aidan's House in the second year after the foundation of the House system in 1926, being there from September 1927 to July 1931. After leaving school, he was a novice at Ampleforth, probably in September 1931 - staying for two months. There is an interview on a website [it appears to be dated 2007 and headed "The man who revolutionised anaesthetic practice"], he was asked if he was always destined for medicine, and he answered: "No, I originally intended to become a man of the cloth. I joined the order of monks at the Benedictine college of Ampleforth in Yorkshire, but after two months it became clear that this wasn't the vocation for me. I rethought my career and returned to my Liverpool home to pursue medicine" Cecil studied medicine at the University of Liverpool from 1931 to 1937, qualifying in medicine in 1937. From 1937 to 1941 he was in general practice. This was before the NHS, and Cecil was determined not to become a hospital doctor. His first job was as an assistant to a GP in a busy Liverpool practice. "I was paid only £50 a week, but I had a marvellous time and learnt so much". In 1938 he became seriously interested in anaesthetics while running my own general practice. It was common practice for GPs at that time to administer general anaesthesia to their own patients so this was his introduction to anaesthetics. He completed the diploma in anaesthesia under the instruction of Dr Robert J Minnitt, at that time the only anaesthetist in Liverpool with any real academic interest in the subject - anaesthesia was still regarded as a Cinderella specialty. In 1941 he sold his general practice to become a full time anaesthetist. In 1942 Cecil joined the Royal Army Medical Corps. "At the start of the second world war, I was training to become a full time hospital anaesthetist. I was accepted into the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1942 and sent over to north Africa, where I was an anaesthetist with a mobile neurosurgical unit. There were some desperate times where we worked through the night to treat the casualties of the battlefield, but there were also some times of great fun and camaraderie. Progress in the 20th century was unparalleled. The two world wars stimulated advancement in areas such as rehabilitation after injury, blood transfusion, anaesthesia, and chemotherapy". In 1947 Cecil returned to the University of Liverpool. He was to become Head of the Department of Anaesthesia and to be Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in 1970, retiring in 1976. Cecil Gray was Professor of Anaesthesia of the University of Liverpool from 1959 to 1976. As Senior Lecturer he established the Department of Anaesthesia at Liverpool University, the ‘Liverpool technique’, based on the triad of unconsciousness, analgesia and muscle relaxation, was developed. " We introduced dtubocurarine hydrochloride to anaesthesia and our Liverpool technique was used for the first open heart surgery. The muscle relaxant effect of curare was so dramatic that the huge doses of anaesthesia that were used at that time to knock patients out were no longer required. The death rate before we introduced this technique was enormous. Patients died from the effects of ether or from inhaling their own vomit. I remember when we first used curare, we saw patients sitting up in bed reading The Echo shortly afterwards, and that was wonderful". Cecil Gray was appointed CBE by Her Majesty the Queen. In 1982 was honoured by the Pope with the award of KCSG (Knight Commander of St Gregory). In an interview he was asked about meeting the Pope and the Queen. He answered: " When I met Her Majesty the Queen in 1976 she was extremely gracious and kind. I was granted an audience with His Holiness Pope Pius XII in the early 1950s. I presented him with bound copies of all my publications to date. He said "For me? You have written all these? I will read them with great interest." Professor Gray was the editor of the British Journal of Anaesthesia from 1948 to 1964. He continued to give occasional lectures at the university into his very late years. In 1937 he married Marjorie Kathleen Hely. They had a son, Dr David Gray (A56) and a daughter. Martjorie Kathleen died in 1978. In 1979 he married Pamela Mary Corning - they had one son. Cecil Gray had four grandchildren. The funeral of Cecil Gray is at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Liverpool on Saturday 26 January 2008.
Pioneer modern Anaesthetic techniques Thomas Cecil Gray, born 11 March 1913 in Liverpool, died peacefully 5 January 2008 at home in Formby. A requiem mass was held at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral on 26 January 2008.

Born in Liverpool in 1913, educated at Ampleforth College, he qualified in medicine at The University of Liverpool in 1937. He began his career as a General Practitioner before joining the Royal Army Medical Corps. 

He later returned to the University to become Head of the Department of Anaesthesia and was made Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in 1970, retiring in 1976. As Senior Lecturer he established the Department of Anaesthesia at Liverpool University, the ‘Liverpool technique’, based on the triad of unconsciousness, analgesia and muscle relaxation, was developed as a result.

Professor Gray was the editor of the British Journal of Anaesthesia from 1948 to 1964. Until recently Professor Gray continued to give occasional lectures at the university.

Professor Gray was presented with a CBE by Queen Elizabeth and in 1982 was honoured by Pope John Paul II who made him a Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great. In 2007 the Liverpool Echo included him in its list of the 800 greatest Liverpudlians, as part of Liverpools 800th anniversary.

Married twice. He married his first wife Marjorie Kathleen Hely in 1937 they had 2 children, she died in 1978; He married Pamela Mary Corning in 1979, they had 1 son. He had four grandchildren.