Abstract
Cedric Gordon Bremner was born 3 March 1929 to James and Ida Bremner. He was the fifth of seven children and grew up in Rosebank, Johannesburg. He attended Parktown Boys High School and then University of the Witwatersrand. After spending two years in teaching units of the University of the Witwatersrand he proceeded to the United Kingdom to pursue post-graduate surgical training where he trained in London (Hammersmith Hospital) and Edinburgh (St Andrews University). He met his wife of 63 years while training, and Cynthia (Sally) and he returned to South Africa after his training to begin a family and a career. He worked under the leadership of Professors DJ du Plessis and JA Myburgh and was awarded the degree of ChM in 1968 for his thesis on the pyloric muscle. He was awarded the Michael and Janie Miller Fellowship award in 1968 which enabled him to spend a year at the Mayo Clinic in the laboratory of Dr CF Code under the direction of Dr Henry Ellis, a giant in the world of oesophageal surgery. During his tenure there he worked on a novel model of gastroesophageal reflux where he proved that Barrett’s oesophagus was indeed an acquired and not a congenital disease. His interest in the oesophagus continued throughout his life, and his contribution to his understanding of Barrett’s oesophagus has been internationally recognised.