Dr Andrew was born in March 1933 in Grenada, West Indies, where his father was Archdeacon of the Windward Islands. On his return to UK, he was educated at the Canterbury Cathedral Choir School, and Marlborough College. During his two years of National Service, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Northamptonshire Regiment and seconded to Ghana with the 1st Battalion of the Gold Coast Regiment.
He went to Cambridge in 1953 with a choral exhibition to Gonville & Caius College, and qualified as a Veterinary Surgeon in 1960. Whilst at Cambridge, in addition to his singing as a choral scholar, he boxed for the university, was elected to the Hawkes Club and won his oar in the Cambridge May Races, rowing for a rugger boat.
After qualifying as a vet, he spent a short time in general practice in England before leaving for South America with the Cambridge Trans American Expedition, which travelled, over a 14 month period, from Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of South America to Anchorage in Alaska. Unluckily, he was hospitalised with hepatitis in the north of Peru and had to return to UK while the expedition continued northwards, walking through the Darien Gap before continuing the journey from Panama to Alaska .
On his return to UK, he spent a short time on the Foyles lecture circuit, speaking on the expedition and also working in general veterinary practice.
Having travelled in the Americas and most of Europe, and also in Africa, his attention was drawn to the Far East, where he accepted a contract with the North Borneo Government, through the Department of Technical Cooperation UK, as a Veterinary Officer, in June 1962. He was initially posted to Tawau, in charge of the East Coast, Tawau, Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Kunak and Semporna areas, but moved to Jesselton to act as head of the Vet. Dept. in 1964 while Henry Holland was on leave. He spent time in Kudat, Sandakan and eventually Sebrang, Keningau before the end of his contract in 1965.
He returned to UK, to Edinburgh University, for a post graduate qualification in Tropical Veterinary Medicine. After 8 months in general practice in England, he returned to Sabah in 1967.
After an initial posting to Tawau, he was sent to Keningau as Veterinary Officer in charge of the Interior. Whilst there he married into the Gunsanad family. In 1971 he was called to work in Headquarters in Kota Kinabalu and was promoted to Senior Veterinary Officer in charge of cattle development. In 1977 he was sent to Australia for 4 months to take over the Camfield Station on behalf of the Government for Desa Cattle.
On reaching retirement age in 1988, with no further employment available in Sabah, he returned to UK, working for the Government doing TB and Brucella testing for a short period before going into into general practice. Life in UK was found to be unsatisfactory, and when the opportunity arose to go to Papua New Guinea as Regional Vet, they moved there in 1989. Life in PNG was difficult, dangerous and very poorly paid. He was hijacked by “rascals” and left tied up in the jungle, their house was frequently attacked and life was anything but peaceful, so they were actively looking for other opportunities.
In 1991 he was offered the appointment as project manager for the Dairy Project for the King of Saudi Arabia, a small dairy project supplying dairy products to the Royal Household. He was there for 15 years. After the king died in 2005 there was a major change in the project and his services were no longer required. He and Jane returned to Sabah in 2006 to live in Keningau.
After a fairly lengthy battle with cancer, which he didn’t allow to interfere with living life to the full, he passed away peacefully at home on 11 December at 12.15am. He is survived by his wife, Jane, and daughter Agnes and her family.
My heartiest condolence to Jane and daughter. I came to know Andrew when we got back from Australia in 1973. He was missed when he left Sabah
Being quite close to the late Uncle Andrew, didn’t know that he was quite a sportsman and went through such thing especially in PNG.
Our thought and memory with him on this 40th days of his ‘passing away’ anniversary..
Always,
Val and Clare with family
I worked with Andrew in Sabah over a period of several years, at sebrang and other government station. The exact dates elude me now. My fist assignment was at Sebrang and on my arrival in Sabah i was first met by Dr Tham Vui Ling . and was sent to Keningau as the beginning of a two year assignment. This asingnment was extended an d
Andrew and my wife and i came to know each other very well.
I am greatly saddened by the passing of such a good friend and one who has done so much for the wellfare of Sabah.
I wish to extend my deepest sympathy to Janeand his daughter at the loss of a husband and father . With respect, I am , Russell Coombe QSM.