DOCTOR John Michael Ewart Anderson, known to many in the community as Mike, died peacefully at home in Newton St Cyres on November 25.

Mike was born on the Wirral in 1939 to Dr Harry Ewart and Audrey Anderson.

He grew up with his sister Valerie in a household where medicine and service to others were everyday realities.

He attended Mostyn House, where he served as Head of School and was remembered for his kindness to the younger boys, before moving on to Stowe. He later studied Medicine at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.

He qualified as a doctor during a period of significant change in General Practice and became one of the first doctors in the country to pass the MRCGP.

After early training at St Thomas’s Hospital in London, and a period of work in General Practice in Ellesmere Port, Mike moved to Crediton in 1976 to join Dr John Markby.

Over more than 20 years he became a deeply trusted and familiar doctor in Crediton and the surrounding villages.

Many families knew him not only as their GP but as someone who listened carefully, cared instinctively and supported them quietly during some of their most difficult moments.

After retiring from practice he continued to support younger doctors as a GP Appraiser.

Mike lived a rich life outside medicine. He was a talented golfer from an early age. He learnt the game with his father at Caldy and later won several important competitions, including the President’s Putter at Rye in 1960.

He represented Stowe for many years through the Old Stoic Golfing Society and was part of the Halford Hewitt winning team in 1979.

He loved sailing throughout his life, first at Budworth in Cheshire and later as a member of Lympstone Sailing Club. He was an enthusiastic traveller, reader, skier and painter.

Photography was one of his great passions. He was a familiar member of the Crediton Photographic Society and spent many evenings in his darkroom developing prints with great patience and care.

His craftsmanship was also well known among family and friends. He always kept a workshop and many bowls, benches, gavels and desks he made by hand are still used today.

In the 1980s he was often seen driving through Crediton in his Morgan sports car, roof down, goggles on, and ready to visit patients whatever the weather.

Family life meant a great deal to Mike. In 1966 he married Anna Wingate, a who he met at St Thomas’s hospital, who worked at Crediton Hospital and who was widely respected for her skill and compassion.

They raised their children while he established himself as a GP in the town.

In 1989 (?) he married Vivianne Phaure, with whom he shared the rest of his life.

Their lives became closely intertwined and she remained a loyal and steady presence beside him.

In his later years, and especially during his final illness, she cared for him with quiet dedication and supported him through every stage.

Mike was a father who gave his children steadiness, patience and encouragement.

He was the quiet centre of the family and his children remained close to him throughout his life.

He guided them by example, allowing each to grow in their own way while always being there with reassurance and strength.

His daughter Catherine followed him into General Practice, which reflected the values she saw in him.

Justin and Thom remember him as someone who gave them confidence simply by being himself.

He also fostered Paul, welcoming him into the family home and giving him stability, care and encouragement over many years.

Mike leaves five grandchildren, Harry, Emmi, Ben, Lara and Isabella.

He was also stepfather to Anna Maria, Suzie, William, Jane and David, and leaves many step grandchildren.

Friends, patients and colleagues describe Mike as gentle, steady, thoughtful and good humoured. He was a man who did not seek attention yet whose presence made others feel secure. The family motto, Stand Sure, captures him exactly.

A Mass will be held at Church of the Sacred Heart, South Street, Exeter at 10am on December 23, followed by a wake at the Mercure Hotel.

In place of flowers, the family welcomes donations to South West Ambulance Service or Dementia UK: www.dementiauk.org