Dr Geoffrey Tovey was a highly regarded figure in the field of Blood Transfusion, Tissue Typing and Organ Matching. David Anstee was appointed to a Scientific Officer post in the late 1960s. Dr Tovey had privately forecast that this young scientist was going to have great future in scientic research. Many famous researchers used to visit Dr Tovey in Bristol and when appropriate he would invite Dave to join in the discussions. Dr George Bird was one of the first experts to meet him and they discussed the use of lectins. Dave.s research was centred on the red blood cell. As his work was progressing he was introduced to two out standing research scientists from the Lister Institute, namely Professor Winifred Watkins and Professor Walter Morgan who took a great interest in his research. Dave’s research was moving at a pace when he faced a dilemma. The Blood Group Reference Laboratory had moved from London to Oxford but the Director left. Dr George Bird came out of retirement to act as temporary head. He suggested that Dave was the right person to take over but it would mean that he would have to move to Oxford. He worked two to three days a week there initially ,but clearly wished to stay in Bristol . Eventually space was found that could accommodate the Reference Laboratory at the Bristol Centre and it was agreed that the Oxford laboratory would move .This was good news as it meant that some outstanding scientists would move as well. I retired in 1992 but still kept in touch with him. A further reorganisation of the National Blood Transfusion Service was about to take place. The Bristol Centre was going to be transferred to new building on the outskirts of Bristol which would also house NHS Transplant and all the reference and research laboratories. Dave was Appointed as Director of the Institute for Transfusion Sciences. It was a great honour to have known Dave. His career started as a junior Scientific Officer and ended in a top Scientific post. On the way up he obtained a PhD, became a Professor wrote 296 scientific papers and co-authored one of the top books of Transfusion I.e. Mollison’s Blood Transfusion in Clinical Practice. His family must be immensely proud of him. He will be sorely missed.