Family doctor Sandy Macdonald-Smith — who delivered 1,400 babies in Bermuda during the 1960s and 70s — has died in the UK, aged 75.

Dr. Macdonald-Smith was well-known as the physician for three major hotels, as well as treating injured people at sea and looking after 4,000 East End residents, during his 13-year stint on the Island from 1965.

He is fondly remembered by many for delivering such a huge number of babies, an average of one every three days during his spell on the Island.

An Anglicised Scot, the doctor returned to the UK in 1978, setting up a practice in Kent before retiring 15 years ago.

He died of pneumonia on Monday, August 9. His son Ian Macdonald-Smith, a professional photographer in Bermuda, and former colleague Colin Couper, an orthopaedic doctor, led tributes yesterday.

Ian said the large amount of Bermuda families getting in touch this month, three decades after his father left the Island, shows how much of an impact he made.

"People are still talking about him 32 years after he left. That says a lot about how the community in the East End felt about him; it's an incredible legacy," said the son.

"When we grew up, we knew what he was doing. We didn't see him much but we loved the fact he was taking care of the community."

Ian said shortly after arriving in Bermuda his father was "run ragged" by St. David's Islanders who would often call with very minor complaints.

"They made sure he was kept busy for two years. Then they realised he was all right and left him alone. It seemed they wanted to test him," he said.

He was the doctor for Grotto Bay, Holiday Inn and Castle Harbour hotels, Mid-Ocean Golf Club, the airport, Nasa, Esso and Shell. And in addition to delivering all those babies, he would average one trip a week out to sea to tend to sick people aboard boats being diverted to Bermuda.

Dr. Macdonald-Smith himself described the workload as a "single-handed ordeal" and returned to the UK with his three children in 1978.

His departure was keenly felt in St. George's, with local MPs Sidney Stallard and Lancelot Swan telling this newspaper at that time they didn't think the community could cope without him.

On leaving the Island he wrote off many debts from residents, with Ian explaining: "He knew that a lot of people in St. George's and St. David's couldn't pay him.

"He didn't do what he did for the money; he did if for the community. As a child, that was a good life lesson for me."

Dr. Couper said: "He was a wonderful colleague. He was just a thoroughly good person that cared; a dedicated physician that loved his profession.

"He treated people equally of any age, colour or creed. He had all the wonderful attributes you would want in your family practitioner."

Messages on The Royal Gazette's online obituary page included this from Winston and Marjorie Kelly of Hamilton Parish: "He delivered all three of our children. Missed him when he left Bermuda. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this time of sorrow."

Dr. Macdonald-Smith leaves wife Bunty, daughters Vanessa and Wendy as well as Ian, and five grandchildren.