It is with sad regret that I write this post after hearing the news that one of New Zealand’s most distinguished, respected and loved diabetologists has passed away - Professor Don Beaven or ‘prof’ as he was known.

The diabetes community in New Zealand and indeed, all over the world has suffered a huge loss at Sir Beaven’s death so I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge him and the enormous contribution he has made the diabetes care, treatment and research during his life.

Prof held a number of positions and honors as a result of his decades of incredible, untiring work for us including Emeritus Professor of the Christchurch School of Medicine, Commander of the British Empire, Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, recipient of the New Zealand Commemorative Gold Medal; the Hon Condliffe Memorial Medal; the Sands Memorial Medal; the Christchurch City Council Greenstone Award; Fulbright Fellow at Harvard; an Eli Lilly International Fellow and Professor Invite in Geneva.

Professor Beaven has also been a New Zealand Diabetes representative to the World Health Organization working parties (Africa, India, and the Pacific) and the International Diabetes Foundation for over 20 years and was enormously respected all over the globe.

To quote Hon. Tariana Turia:

“Sir Don has been the paramount authority on diabetes in New Zealand” … His enormous enthusiasm was evident to us all – he had a fierce passion for making a difference for the lives of people with diabetes”.

To try and sum up the contribution Sir Don has made for us would be impossible. Instead, I’d simply like to say “Thank you Sir Don, thank you”.

- Aaron