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Dr David Graeme Sinclair

20th March 1958 – 15th May 2016

The inspiration for reviving The Rainbow Ball in 2017 was a desire to commemorate the life and work of Dr David Sinclair. The driving force behind the 2017 revival was Dr Mel Hearn, David’s 2nd wife, whose enthusiasm has been continued since 2018 by Rob Elford and team.

In remembering David, Mel said, "We loved going to the ball. We were a lively sociable couple, and the ball was the best event in our social calendar. We had ballroom dancing lessons for 12 years and spent most of the evening on the dance floor."
"David made a truly moving and inspirational speech when lighting the World AIDS Day candle one year, and we were both terribly sad when the ball ceased. We were soul-mates and had 16 amazing years together. I felt that I just had to do something to mark David’s fantastic input into HIV disease and our local community."
Standing at 6’ 5’’, David was not only a giant in stature, he also carried a level of gravitas and confidence rarely encountered in life.
Dr Mel Hearn
David started as a Consultant in Respiratory Medicine and Intensive Care at Torbay Hospital in January 1996. He trained in Birmingham and joined the Royal Army Medical Corps as a medical student so that he could afford to indulge his love of cars! He did 16 years in the army which included tours to Germany, Northern Ireland, Saudi (1st Gulf war) and Angola.
Standing at 6’ 5’’, David was not only a giant in stature, he also carried a level of gravitas and confidence rarely encountered in life. His clear thinking nature and integrity made him ideal to work in healthcare management. He held several posts including Director of Cancer Services. His work in this field was recognised by the hospital when they named the new cancer facility the ‘Sinclair Oncology Centre’. We were all so glad and proud that David was able to attend the naming ceremony a month before he died.
Out of work David was a whirling Dervish! His passions included socialising with friends, holidays, rugby, dancing, spinning, gardening, good food, all varieties of alcohol and of course cars. He had vintage and modern cars within the collection including a couple of old Jaguars (1950 Mark V and 1956 XK140), a beast of a Mustang (5.7 litre Shelby GT500 conversion – Eleanor) and latterly his beloved Ferrari. David and Mel travelled far and wide in the cars, with Goodwood Revival being the high point of each year.
After he died  a close colleague said of David that in life he lacked a ‘rear view mirror’. David never looked back, he always moved forwards in a positive way. When diagnosed he said ‘I’ve had a ball! I have no regrets, I’ve done everything I wanted to do, I just wanted more of the same!’ One of his favourite sayings in adversity was ’Man-Up’, and that is what we all need to do for him. David was such an amazing person. He leaves a massive hole in the hearts and lives of so many people. Let’s make a difference for him by having a ball and raising lots of money for 2 very worthy charities.

Help us remember David - Join us at the Rainbow Ball