Dr. Archibald John Grace was born at Allahabad, India, of Canadian parents who were missionaries, on 24 January 1905, he won a scholarship to the University of Saskatchewan, graduated with silver and gold medals, and was a demonstrator of physiology. He won a Rhodes scholarship to St John’s College, Oxford, where he graduated with first class honours in physiology, and also played hockey for the University. He received his clinical training at Guy’s Hospital, and held resident posts at the Dudley Road Hospital, Birmingham, the Royal Victoria, Montreal, and the Humber Clinic, Cornerbrook, Newfoundland. Returning to England he was surgical registrar at the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, and at Guy’s.

He was appointed Associate Professor in 1936 and later became Professor of Surgery at the University of Western Ontario, London, Canada, where he practiced for the rest of his life. He was a pioneer of thoracic surgery in London and Southwestern Ontario. He published a number of papers on clinical surgery, but his major contribution was in teaching and improved clinical care. He became Chief of the Thoracic Surgery Department at the Victoria Hospital and the War Memorial Children’s Hospital,and was consulting thoracic surgeon to St Joseph’s Hospital and the Beck Memorial Sanatorium.