Bill Jeans – a former professor of radiology at Sultan Qaboos University

Prof William “Bill” Jeans, a former professor of radiology at Sultan Qaboos University, has died.

He passed away on November 2 after suffering a retroperitoneal sarcoma secondary to radiotherapy.

Born in 1928, Bill Jeans completed his National Service as an Air Mechanic (Engines) in the Fleet Air Arm before going to St Thomas’s Hospital in London.

After qualifying he did his house jobs and was a medical registrar at the Lister Hospital (then in Hitchin, Hertfordshire) before joining a practice there.

He became interested in research in general practice and did a number of projects before joining the radiology training programme under Sir Howard Middlemiss in Bristol in 1968.

There he became involved with student and postgraduate teaching as well as research, and transferred from the NHS to the University of Bristol as a lecturer in 1973, eventually being appointed Reader. He was involved during this period in helping to establish CT scanning and interventional vascular radiology in the Royal Infirmary.

In 1990 he became the foundation professor of radiology at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, helping to create the curriculum for the new medical school, as well as a radiological service.

This photograph was taken in 1990 at the opening of the SQU Hospital.

After retirement in 2002 he joined his wife Maggie in developing her wholesale book importing business in Oman, Al-Manahil Books, and continued working until shortly before his death.

He leaves four children by his first wife.