Hundreds of people attended a special ceremony yesterday to celebrate the life of a hero doctor who died last month.
Around 300 gathered at the North Headquarters of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) yesterday to remember Mark Bloch, who died suddenly at his Aberdeen home on October 18.
The 48-year-old was remembered as a “true gentleman” by family, friends and colleagues.
The crowd that gathered at the city celebration included paramedics, staff from the emergency services, and leading clinical staff from the health sector, as well as representatives from various organisations Mr Bloch worked with including The Sandpiper Trust.
Guests listened to stories and anecdotes about the medic and watched a slideshow of his life, before sharing their own stories in a book of memories.
SFRS Aberdeenshire and Moray area manager David Rout was impressed with the turnout.
He said: “I think it’s fantastic, I think it’s endearing, and it reflects the admiration and the utmost respect that people have for him, in particular the wider emergency services family. The bottom line for me is he’s one of a kind, very caring attitude, very caring and very supportive. He was a true gentleman.”
Mr Rout added: “He had a close affiliation with the fire service. Often he spoke to me and said “Davey, I’ve got the utmost admiration for your staff, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with your teams” and that relationship went from strength to strength.
“He came in and delivered presentations to our staff, he delivered talks, he provided training to our staff, and any multi-agency exercise, including the biggest one Aberdeen city has ever seen, he was right there at the front.
“He wanted to participate, and all he wanted to do was help people. He was the type of person that went out in the car and provided the pre-hospital emergency care to those that were in need, and many people across the north-east won’t even know who he was.
“He was the doctor or he was the paramedic that saved their life, he was the one at the forefront of emergency medical care in the north-east.”
His wife Vannin said yesterday: “Work was not something he went to do and came home from, it was a part of him
“Mark’s work is not finished but all those who worked alongside him will continue on.”