Dr Edmund Ronald Seiler

Edmund Ronald Seiler- known as Ronnie- was born in Glasgow in 1934 the second son of Dr Henry Edmund Seiler and Winifred Marjory Seiler. The family moved to Edinburgh in 1939 where his father was appointed as deputy Medical Officer of Health and then Medical Officer of Health. He attended George Watson’s College and then the University of Edinburgh, graduating MBChB in 1959. After posts at Deaconess Hospital and the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, Dr Seiler completed his National Service between 1960 and 1963, serving in Malta, Borneo and Singapore.

Following his return to Scotland, he held SHO positions in Kirkcaldy, Glasgow and Lanarkshire before specialising in General Practice, initially as a trainee under Professor Richard Scott at the University of Edinburgh’s Department of General Practice between 1964-1965. He became a Principal in General Practice at Edinburgh’s Colinton Road/Oxgangs Path Practice in 1966 and moved to the University of Edinburgh’s Student Health Service from 1974. He served with great dedication there until his retirement in 1999, caring for generations of University students.

Throughout his time as a GP, Dr Seiler worked hard to promote and support his specialty. He was a lecturer at the University of Edinburgh’s Department of General Practice between 1969 and 1974 and a highly effective trainer for many years from 1979, proving popular with trainees. Actively involved with the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), he chaired the South East Scotland Faculty’s Education Committee and later was Faculty Delegate to the RCGP’s UK Council. He also chaired the Association of Course Organisers. He was awarded Fellowship of the RCGP in 1985 and in 1996 he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

Having enjoyed his National Service, Dr Seiler joined the Territorial Army (205 (Sc) Gen Hosp RAMC). Dr Seiler would become a Major and received the Territorial Decoration (TD) for long service. He was deployed in Riyadh during the Gulf War in 1991 and as a highly talented piper from his school days who had further honed his skills while serving in the Territorials, he composed the tune “205 General Hospital RAMC in Riyadh” when stationed there. Having also been Pipe Major of the Royal Scottish Pipers Society, he was asked in 2004 by the then RCPE President, Professor Neil Douglas, to become the College’s official piper and he performed this role with great success for years afterwards during key College events like New Fellows’ Days and St Andrew’s night dinners. Dr Seiler was also keenly interested in sport, especially golf, football and rugby.

Dr Seiler died peacefully at home after a short illness having enjoyed a very happy family life. He is survived by his wife, Chris whom he met in 1964 when she was working as a medical social worker in the Department of General Practice, and their four children and eleven grandchildren.

Douglas Pattullo