Obituary first published in BMJ 1998;316:1613, republished with permission.

James Maryons (“Jim”) Stansfeld:  Former consultant paediatrician County Durham 1950-82 (b Hailsham 1917 to a general practitioner father; q Cambridge (double first)/St Bartholomew’s 1941; MD, FRCP), died of a stroke on 15 March 1998. During his wartime service he first did research into the treatment of the common cold, and then served as medical specialist in Nairobi where he organised a brothel for the soldiers to reduce the spread of infections. In 1946 he accepted a post in the child health department at Newcastle upon Tyne, where he quickly fell under the spell of (Sir) James Spence. In 1950 he was appointed the first consultant paediatrician in Durham. He pioneered the treatment of children by challenging the status quo, establishing the first regional neonatal intensive care unit and publishing numerous articles on the treatment of urinary tract and related infections in children. His diverse interests included gardening, sculpture, French wines, and hippopotamuses. He leaves four children and five grandchildren.