My husband, John Waterhouse, who has died of lung cancer aged 67, was a consultant psychiatrist and lead clinician for addictions for Dumfries and Galloway primary care trust.
His consultant career began in 1988 at the Crichton Royal hospital, Dumfries, where he remained for the rest of his working life.
From 1994 he was medical director of the Dumfries community trust, then became associate medical director for Dumfries and Galloway primary care trust, where he stayed until 2001.
Thereafter, he was lead clinician for addictions until retirement in 2015. He devoted those latter years to the implementation of a modern addictions service, instigating a practice in which all staff took responsibility for clients, with help and support where needed.
He was also a college examiner from 1994 and was made a fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 2004. John was a medical adviser to the General Medical Council from 2001 and to the General Dental Council from 2017.
Born and brought up in Accrington, Lancashire, John was the son of Frank and Jenny (nee Court), both teachers. In the early years it was his paternal grandmother who looked after him.
John had a happy 1950s childhood, which involved much playing outside until it got dark – a mixture of innocence and mischief. He went to Accrington grammar school, where he was put into an express stream, taking some of his O-levels at 14. Trainspotting was an early passion, followed by football and music. John decided to study medicine, although his heart was always with the arts.
After graduation from Dundee University, where I met him in 1972, we travelled around Europe for several years, doing odd jobs, including grape-harvesting in France, where he developed a lifelong interest in red wine. We married in 1979.
John decided to pursue a career in psychiatry and gained his MRCPsych and MSc in 1983. He then went to Edinburgh, where he received his MD in 1986.
His great love was home and family – he was a tremendous host – but travel followed closely. He possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of sports, literature, geography and music. Reading the Guardian was one of his biggest pleasures.
John was a man of integrity and honesty. Though quiet and unassuming, he was also great fun.
He is survived by me and our three sons, Felix, Toby and Eliot.
