Harry Mond — 27 February 2021

My name is Harry Mond and I am a pacemaker cardiologist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. In the early 1970s, Fredy was working in Cardiothoracics and I was a youngster doing Cardiology training at the Royal Melbourne. My boss, Graeme Sloman insisted that I learn to implant pacemakers as surgeons were becoming reluctant to perform open chest procedures in these critically ill elderly patients. Being one of the first physician implanters in the world, there was no one to train me and my basic surgical skills were negligible. I approached Fredy who was delighted to help. He was kind, patient, skilled and it was never a burden for him. I wonder today that if he hadnt done this whether I would have ever mastered the skills and pioneered many of the basic principles of pacemaker implantation, which are even relevant today. Although he would never have regarded it as a big deal, nevertheless, it was gigantic for me, and I have been forever grateful. He left for PANCH soon after and I never really got to thank him years later, when I achieved my goals.Please accept my sincerest condolences. A wonderful man will be sadly missed.