Members of the West Australian medical community who worked with Dr Barry Hopkins are remembering the well-known cardiologist.
The co-founder of Western Cardiology, who passed away in late April, had taught and influenced many in the industry.
Dr Philip Cooke from Western Cardiology trained under Dr Hopkins at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
“Even though he trained a lot of cardiologists he was very patient,” he said.
“He was knowledgeable, had a good sense of humour and was really well respected and loved by staff who worked with him because he was very approachable.”
Born in Midland in 1938, Dr Hopkins grew up in the area before going on to study pharmacy and then medicine at UWA.
“He had a stellar undergraduate career and went on to be a highly sought after junior doctor at Royal Perth Hospital,” Dr Cooke said.
Dr Hopkins then went on to do a PhD, which focused on aortic regurgitation and was awarded an overseas fellowship to research at Harvard, Massachusetts, where he became an associate professor of cardiology.
“He impressed the New England medical fraternity while there,” Dr Cooke said.
Upon returning to WA in the 1970s, Dr Hopkins spent time as a professor at UWA’s medical school, and as a consultant physician, instituted echocardiography services in WA and directed what was the new cardiac catheterisation unit at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.
“He was instrumental in bringing new procedures to SCGH and did the first angioplasty for that hospital,” Dr Cooke added.
After establishing a private practice with Dr Brian Lloyd in the late 1970s, in 1988 they relocated their private cardiology consulting rooms to St John of God Healthcare in Subiaco, founding St John of God Cardiology, which is now Western Cardiology.
Dr Hopkins focus was his work at Western Cardiology in the later stages of his career before he retired in 1999.
His daughter Lara Hopkins said while not at work “he loved flying and gliding, accumulating thousands of hours in the air and teaching many glider students”.
Dr Hopkins leaves behind six children and eleven beloved grandchildren.
A service to celebrate Dr Hopkins life will be held at Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park, East Chapel, on 15 May at 2.30pm.
Attendees are asked to dress in bright colours.
The service will also be live streamed online here.
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