1945-2025

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Charles Andi, Ugandan-born dental surgeon, educator and philanthropist, died on 17 April 2025, aged 79, after a long spell with illness. Born in Okokoro, Maracha District, on 7 September 1945, he was the eighth of eleven children and attended local primary and secondary schools before completing A-levels in Kampala. In 1967, he travelled with a scholarship to the UK to read dentistry at the University of Birmingham, later gaining the LDS from the Royal College of Surgeons of England and, in due course, an MSc from the University of London.

Returning home in 1972, he served as a government dental surgeon in Arua and, later, as senior dental surgeon for northern Uganda. His work on Burkitt's lymphoma with the World Health Organisation, together with his stewardship of the dental school at Mulago Hospital, reflected a lifelong commitment to public health and training.

In 1982, Charles relocated permanently to the UK. After a spell with the Greenwich Health Authority, he opened his own surgery, quietly waiving fees for patients who fell between national and private provision. He co-founded the West Nile Welfare Association, offering friendship and practical help to compatriots newly arrived in the UK, and from 2008 was a familiar figure at Baldock Rotary, where his ready smile and formal handshake reassured visitors on reception duty. Declining health saw him awarded honorary membership in 2023.

He was blessed with four children, to whom he preached education, integrity and service by example. In retirement, he funded scholarships for countless disadvantaged pupils in Maracha as well as supporting village welfare projects, earning him descriptions such as ‘a beacon of hope' and ‘a selfless pillar'.

Even in illness, he preserved the measured courtesy that endeared him to patients and colleagues alike.

Charles's journey from rural classroom to metropolitan clinic embodied his conviction that knowledge is a calling. He reminded those around him, gently but persistently, that the worth of a life lies not in its length but in its gift. He leaves a family who mourn him and a continent of admirers resolved to continue his work.

May he rest in eternal peace.

Kavin Amagu Andi, Jacque Adiru Andi, Bryan Seku Anguzu Andi and Allan Candia Andi