Bern Meyer was born in the Mossel Bay district on 6 March 1919 and died peacefully, after a short illness, in Pretoria on 30 March 2008. He obtained a BSc degree in Chemistry and Physiology at the University of Stellenbosch in 1937. This was followed by a Doctorate in Physiology in 1946, an MBChB degree in 1951, and an MD in Pathology in 1963, all at the University of Pretoria where he became Professor and Head of the Department of Physiology until his retirement in 1984. He then joined the Department of Nuclear Medicine as Associate Professor and Acting Head for several periods until just a week before his death.  Not only was Bern a dedicated professor of generations of medical students but also an accomplished researcher as Director of the Medical Research Council Units of Electrophysiology and Cellular Physiology. However, his greatest interest and achievement was writing the many books on Human Physiology, in English and Afrikaans, which became the prescribed textbooks of many medical faculties in South Africa. During his academic life he was honoured with distinctions by many national and international institutions for his exemplary sense of duty and dedication to medical education. He received the dux docens laureatus and MD (honoris causa) from the Universities of Pretoria and the Free State, Pretorian of the Year from the City of Pretoria, and Special Distinction by the Medical Research Council. He was a member of SAMA for 54 years.

Excerpt obtained with permission from the South African Medical Journal.