Tribute to Chris, read at his funeral by David Kennedy Chris Baldock was an extraordinary and inspirational man. Through his professional life he grew from being a struggling egg farmer and student into a global champion in veterinary science and epidemiology. Chris graduated with honours from the University of Queensland in 1971 and, after several adventurous years in rural and city practice here and in Britain, he started his research career with Bayer. To further develop his understanding and skills in population health, he and wife Trish moved to California where he completed his masters and PhD in 1987, before returning to Queensland as the State’s veterinary epidemiologist. Back in his beloved Brisbane, with a young family, he blossomed - not only in his work, but also in the broader veterinary profession. The experience and friendships he had developed in his early career helped him excel as President of the Queensland Division of the Australian Veterinary Association, as a long-term member of the Queensland Racing Codes Advisory Board, and as an epidemiology examiner and then Chief Examiner for the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists. He was a great mentor in the College, encouraging and facilitating high academic achievement in the full range of veterinary specialties. He submitted himself to examination, becoming one of the first Fellows in Epidemiology, mainly to provide a course and pathway for others to follow. In the mid-90s we established AusVet, which was largely Chris’s vision of how the private sector could make a greater contribution in the changing environment of animal health services in Australia. As a small private company, AusVet has grown to play above its weight in teams that manage the health of terrestrial and aquatic animals, both here and overseas. The many of us who have worked with Chris, even for short periods, have been blessed and enriched by that experience. Chris possessed amazing self-confidence and vision. When he saw a goal that was worthy, he applied his personality, planning and persistence to forge a pathway towards it. But he was not a lone ranger. He imbued others with similar optimism and self-confidence, pursuing now-shared goals with passion, compassion and, we thought, boundless energy. Going with him was sometimes unpredictable, often exciting, and usually good fun – accompanied always by a litany of his legendary … and lengthy… stories, friendly banter and laughter with a few glasses of red wine. Chris respected his fellows, was generous and open-hearted. He warmed naturally to people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures … and they embraced him. The most recent people to share his world have been a group of Iraqi vets, struggling to rebuild their animal health services. Chris enthusiastically fostered international relations and development, not only through work projects, but also as President of the Federation of Asian Veterinary Associations, and as convenor of next year’s [2006] International Symposium on Veterinary Epidemiology in Cairns … one of the many challenges his sudden death has bequeathed us. I’d like to close by referring to Chris’s greatest gift to us. In his formative years he was educated at a school dedicated to St Paul. St Paul told his friends 2,000 years ago that, to make a real difference, you had to apply your knowledge, understanding and skills with love. He’d be proud of Chris, who devoured life in a web of loving relationships with his family, friends and colleagues. Chris’s legacy to us is to grasp the gifts that he shared with us and use them lovingly in our lives.