John Leonard Wilkinson, known to all as Len, was the son of a Methodist minister, theologian, and academic. He entered Manchester University Medical School in 1942, followed by a doctorate in Tropical Medicine from Liverpool.
In 1954 Len left for Sierra Leone as a medical missionary, taking the position of medical superintendent and surgeon at the Nixon Memorial Hospital. He stayed for 18 years, dedicating himself to surgery, the treatment of tropical diseases, and research. He established a network of outreach …