Chris Sangster was born in Burra, South Australia, the son of Dr & Mrs J I Sangster. His father and grandfather both practised medicine in Burra. On the death of his father in 1915, he, with his mother and two brothers, moved to Adelaide.

Educated at St Peters College, he had an outstanding sporting career. He was head prefect and captain of cricket, football, tennis and athletics in 1925. Subsequently he continued his sporting interests at Adelaide University where he captained the cricket and football clubs, represented South Australia at Sheffied Shield Cricket and captained the SA amateur football team for four years. In later life he continued as an active tennis and golf player and was elected to life membership of the Royal Adelaide Golf Club in 1979.

He completed his medical degree by winning the Everard Scholarship for highest marks in final year, emulating his father's similar feat in 1896. After completing his RMO year at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, he travelled to London where he passed his MRCP examination in 1934. On return to Adelaide in 1935 he commenced private practice as a consultant physician from which he retired 50 years later. In the same year he was appointed honorary physician to the Royal Adelaide Hospital, a position he held until his retirement in 1968. He was awarded his MD from the University of Adelaide in 1941 for his work on rheumatic fever. He was the research officer and compiler of a report on the epidemiology of rheumatic fever in South Australia instigated by the Central Board of Health of South Australia and the NHMRC (Med J Aust 1940, 1 461-482).

At the Royal Adelaide Hospital he was a much loved and respected teacher of generations of medical students and served as President of the Students Society. He was one of the earliest Members of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians in 1938, and gained Fellowship in 1947. He was a member of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand from its inaugural meeting in 1952 until his death. He was a College Censor from 1955-57, and a member of the SA Committee from 1948-1970. In addition he served as visiting physician to the Home of lncurables for 46 years, was a visiting physician to the Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park, and Chief Medical Officer to the CML Insurance Company for 17 years. He served as a councillor of the Royal Automobile Association of SA for 35 years, including 5 years as Senior Vice-President.

During World War II he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the AAMC, with service at Alice Springs, New Guinea and Bouganville, where he was chief physician with the 2/1 AGH. He then served as CO 121 AGH Northfield, and CO RGH, Daw Park, before demobilisation and was mentioned in dispatches and awarded the OBE for his Army Service. He published a paper on hookworm disease in Australian soldiers (Med J Aust, 1946, 1, 385-393 ).

In 1939 he married Helen Elizabeth Burston, daughter of Major-General Sir Samuel and Lady Burston; she pre-deceased him in 1992. He was survived by his four children, Robin, John, Andrew and Helen.

He will always be remembered with great affection as a warm and friendly gentleman, with all the social graces, a natural leader, and dedicated to his profession and his family.