ONE of Didcot’s best known GPs, Dr Frank Asbury, who served patients for more than 30 years, has died aged 85.

Dr Asbury was born in London in 1926 and trained as a doctor at The Royal London Hospital. He came to Didcot in 1956, to take over a small practice from Dr Barker, who carried out visits on horseback.

The practice was based at 7 Haydon Road, a semi-detached house adapted into three surgeries. Dr Gordon Lennox joined the practice in 1959 and Dr William Couldrick in 1961.

With diligence, the practice grew and moved to a purpose-built health centre in Britwell Road in 1971 when Dr Keith Beswick joined. At this time, Dr Asbury lived in Britwell Lodge, a large house in the same road which was later demolished and is now Rymans Court sheltered home.

Before he came to Didcot, Dr Asbury married Scottish midwife Christine Ross. They had three children, all accomplished musicians – Jean and Richard played with the National Youth Orchestra and Eve was a talented cellist.

In the late 1970s, Jean, Dr Asbury’s eldest daughter who had diabetes, died, followed a few months later by the death of Mrs Asbury from a heart attack.

Despite this, Dr Asbury continued his work as a GP.

In 1980 in Didcot he met Alice Bock, from Lembach, France, and they married at the village church in Alsace.

The Asburys moved into a bungalow in Lydalls Road and lived there happily for the remainder of Dr Asbury’s life.

Dr Asbury is remembered with great affection by many of his trainees. He finally retired from practice in 1987.

The practice opened a surgery on the new Ladygrove estate in 1988 and it was named The Asbury Medical Centre.

During his retirement, he took up pottery and presented Didcot Health Centre in Broadway with plaques representing the seven ages of man, which still adorn the walls.

Throughout his life, Dr Asbury read widely on the subject of medicine and had a fund of valuable information which he was always happy to share with his colleagues at meetings, long after retiring.

He died peacefully at home on January 19 and leaves wife Alice and daughter Eve. His son Richard died in 1990.

The funeral was held at All Saints’ Church in Didcot last Friday.