Obituary: Dr John Ross, world-renowned vet and parasitologist

In a long and varied career at the top of his field, he was best known for devising a pioneering method to determine the risk of liver fluke disease, which threatened to devastate cattle stocks. Dr Ross was responsible for giving farmers the tools to prevent the disease and worked tirelessly on methods to prevent parasites attacking livestock.

As a boy he won a scholarship to Allen Glen's High School in Glasgow, entered Glasgow Veterinary College in 1942, and studied for his Diploma at the Royal (Dick) Veterinary School in Edinburgh.

After graduating from Edinburgh he moved to Uganda with his new bride Edith, and the couple were soon celebrating the birth of their baby daughter Susan.

While working in the African nation he fostered an interest in livestock parasites, and moved to a career in research.

He then moved to Nigeria and joined the newly-formed Department of Animal Production at the Federal Nigerian Laboratories in Vom.

He returned to the UK with his young family in 1961, and son Iain was born. He moved to a senior research post at the Stormont Laboratories with the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture.

It was here that he undertook his ground-breaking research into liver fluke in sheep and cattle, a disease that was of great concern to farmers in Northern Ireland in particular.

Among other successes he devised a chart called the Stormont wet day system that allowed farmers to determine when their animals were most susceptible to the disease.

Close friend Ian Sutherland worked with John on the project in Northern Ireland.

The 79-year-old, who lives in Aberlady, East Lothian, said:

"On a personal level it was very easy to get along with John, and he was very well respected for his work.

"He would speak at international conferences, and we first met at a conference in Lyon in the late 1960s.

"But I think we both shared an affinity for the north of Scotland, because his parents were from Sutherland, and mine from Caithness."

Sadly, by the mid-60s, his wife Edith had developed MS, and she died in 1976.

Friends say that despite the enormous strain on him he somehow kept everything in balance at home and at work.

As well as becoming director of the government's Veterinary Laboratory in Lasswade, Midlothian, he also travelled around the world speaking at conferences.

Two years after Edith died Dr Ross met Vera, through their respective daughters Susan and Yvonne. Their relationship blossomed and they married in 1979, later moving to North Berwick.

Dr Ross became a member of St Andrew Blackadder Church and found the time to catch up on watching football and rugby.

He was also passionate about golf, and spent the rest of his days happily playing at Royal Dornoch in Sutherland, Gullane and North Berwick.

Mr Sutherland said: "I think he was looking forward to retiring and spending his days playing golf in North Berwick and seeing his family. We used to see each other often when I lived there, and he had a very happy retirement."

Five years ago John developed dementia, and two years ago his daughter Susan died, which was a great blow to him. A few months later he moved to Greenfield Park Home. His condition deteriorated over the winter and he died on Easter Monday.

He is survived by Vera and her daughters, his son Iain and four grandchildren Liam, Mhairi, Kirsteen and Lorna.