'His impact will be felt for generations': David Watson, founder of Leeds charity Heart Research UK, dies aged 104
A Leeds-based national charity has issued a heartfelt tribute following the death of its founder
Mr David Watson MBE, founder of Heart Research UK, has died at the age of 104, the charity has confirmed.
Paying tribute, Heart Research UK said everyone at the charity was "deeply saddened" by the death of its founder.
A spokesperson said: "David was a pioneering heart surgeon, an innovator and the driving force behind the creation of Heart Research UK. But to those who knew him, he was so much more than his achievements.
"He was a man of immense compassion, determination and vision, who never accepted that the status quo was good enough when lives were at stake.
"For nearly six decades, Heart Research UK remained at the heart of David's life. His passion for improving heart health never diminished, and neither did his belief that research has the power to change lives.
"While we mourn his death, we also celebrate a life of extraordinary service and achievement. David's vision transformed heart health in the UK and beyond, and his impact will be felt for generations to come."
The charity said Mr Watson's legacy could be seen in "every breakthrough, every innovation and every life saved through safer cardiovascular research".
Mr Watson made a significant contribution to heart research, beginning his career in 1945 after training at hospitals in London before moving to what was then the regional cardiothoracic centre at Killingbeck, Leeds.
In 1967, after losing a young patient at a time when heart surgery was still considered highly dangerous, he launched an appeal with the Yorkshire Evening Post to fund research aimed at making heart surgery safer.
His vision led to the creation of the National Heart Research Fund, which later became Heart Research UK.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Post on his 100th birthday in 2022, Mr Watson said: "So I decided to found a new charity, specifically to try and reduce this risk of heart surgery.
"Now, of course, from a small beginning it has grown considerably and I'm very proud that at the present time they contribute something like over £2 million a year to research, development, education and treatment of heart disease."
In 1976, Mr Watson developed an artificial heart valve that helped set the standard for future heart surgery technology. Renowned for its durability and reliability, the valve remained in use for three decades.
In 1979, Heart Research UK funded six of the first eight successful heart transplants in the UK, carried out by Sir Terence English at Papworth Hospital. The breakthrough helped end a long-standing moratorium on heart transplants, which had been considered too risky since the late 1960s.
Mr Watson retired from heart surgery in 1987, remaining a trustee and chairman of Heart Research UK for a number of years. He continued as the charity's president until his death.
In the 2012 New Year Honours, Mr Watson was awarded an MBE for services to research and cardiothoracic surgery.