Phillip Justin Markell was born at Point Piper, Sydney in 1902. His father, Alexander Markell, was Canadian, his mother, Ada Ramsay, was English. Justin’s secondary education was at Barker College, Hornsby; from there he gained an exhibition in medicine at Sydney University, and graduated with second-class honours in 1925.

After an internship at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital where he had been a student, he went to England for postgraduate study and obtained the Membership of the Royal College of Physicians. On his return he gained Membership of The Royal Australasian College of Physicians; Fellowship followed in due course.

Justin first conducted a general practice in Newtown and seven years later joined a practice in Kings Cross. During the 1939-45 War when his partner was in the Army, Justin slaved mightily in this practice and at the hospitals where he held appointments as an honorary physician - St Vincent’s, the Royal South Sydney and the Wollongong Hospital. The latter required weekly visits out of town. Justin was a keen and valued clinical teacher at St Vincent’s where he eventually became a clinical lecturer for Sydney University.

Cardiology was his main interest; he reorganised the electrocardiographic department, was chairman of the cardiac department and was an early member of the Cardiac Society of Australia.

Justin was of lean upright build, seemingly tense and wanting to be up and doing somewhere else; but he was a friendly man who liked to talk to his colleagues and others. From childhood he skied on the Snowy Mountains being for many years an active member, and one time president, of the Kosciusko Alpine club. He loved to tour the Main Range and in summer went to his beloved mountains with his family, his wife Nan (nee Nancy Stewart) and his sons Douglas and Bruce, the former becoming an accountant and the latter a radiologist. With his active mind he quickly mastered contract bridge. Correct and businesslike, he enjoyed administration and was active in the management of the condominium in which he lived, doubtless to the satisfaction of the other residents. His relatively early death at the age of sixty-seven in 1969 deprived us of a physician who learnt so much and still had much to give.