A long-serving Hove family doctor has died at the age of 80.
Nicholas Bodkin was a GP (general practitioner) at Hove Medical Centre, in West Way, Hangleton, for 36 years, caring for thousands of patients over that time.
His funeral is due to take place at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, in Norton Road, Hove, at 10am tomorrow (Saturday 6 April).
He died peacefully at home on Tuesday (2 April) surrounded by his family, including his wife Joan, who also practised as a GP at Hove Medical Centre – five days shy of his 81st birthday.
Nicholas Liam Bodkin provisionally qualified as a doctor in 1969 at the National University of Ireland and was fully registered in 1970.
Known to his colleagues as Nick, he met his wife during his medical training and she was provisionally registered as a doctor in 1970, becoming fully qualified in 1972.
Dr Bodkin became the senior partner at Hove Medical Centre and his picture hangs at the practice with a caption that reads: “Nick Bodkin joined the practice in 1972 and retired in 2008.
“During those years he worked with 10 great colleagues.
“He still lives in Hove, enjoying his painting, gardening and golf. Also he frequently visits his grandchildren in Rhode Island USA.”
Some staff at the surgery joined during his time there and remembered him as a lovely man.
When another former doctor at the surgery, Mike Sharman, died in 2018, Dr Bodkin remembered how they donned Brighton and Hove Albion shirts and scarves when the Seagulls reached the FA Cup Final in 1983.
They ended up on the front page of the Evening Argus – now The Argus – under the headline: “Doctors go down with cup fever.”
Dr Bodkin said: “We had great fun together. I shall miss him.”
Dr Bodkin’s family said that he would be missed too: “He will be very sadly missed by his wife Joan, his daughter Sheenagh, his sister Margaret, his grandchildren and all his family, friends and former patients.”
A sad loss a very good dr, he looked after me through my life along with Dr Sharman who brought me into this would many years ago
My GP for many many years a very likable person.
I joined Hove Medical Centre after we moved to the area early in 1972 and he became our family doctor. He must have been newly qualified then, but we didn’t know that. He was a lovely doctor and very funny. Saddened when he retired and heartbroken now he’s gone.
Was a superb doctor with actual normal people skills
👌
Loads of love Nick. Hope you have fun in the next life.
Many thanks for all your medical help and mischievous
fun.
So sad to learn this….he, and Joan, were our family doctors for so many years & was sadly missed when he retired. A lovely, kind man and caring, wonderful doctor. condolences to the family.