FAMILY and friends have paid a warm tribute to a skilled New-port surgeon who died last week.

Gwilym Griffith, aged 70, was a well-known and respected surgeon and former medical director of Newport's Royal Gw-ent Hospital. He retired in 1997.

Mr Griffith was born in Denbigh, North Wales, and served in the NHS for 41 years after training at St Mary's Hospital, London, when he was just 17.

During his national service he served in Cyprus as an army surgeon.

He moved to Newport with his wife Elan in 1972, and had three grown-up children Lowri, Catrin and Mari, and two grandchildren, Tomos, 6, and Alys, 2.

Mrs Griffith yesterday paid tribute to her husband, who she said was a "caring family man and proud Welshman".

"He was very much a family man, very loving and caring. He loved Wales and was very proud of his Welsh roots", said Mrs Griffith

Mr Griffith was chairman of the Eisteddfod's literary committee when it was last in Newport, in 1988, and was last year made honorary president of the 2004 Newport Eisteddfod.

As a surgeon he helped advance a number of surgical techniques including endocrine-thyroid and up-per gastro intestinal sur-gery. His exceptional service to the NHS was rewarded in 1998 with an OBE from the Queen for services to medicine.

Mrs Griffith added: "He was tremendously hard-working, very committed and dedicated to his job. He felt the OBE was a tribute to the hospital too." Consultant surgeon at the Royal Gwent Hospital Ken Shute worked with Mr Griffith from 1982 until his retirement in 1997.

Mr Shute said: "He was a brilliant man, just fantastic, and a huge asset to the Gwent, not just surgically but managerially.

"He made a huge contribution and he was very well respected. You cannot extol his virtues too much. He was an ace surgeon."

Since his death Mr Griffith's family have rece-ived dozens of letters and cards from his former colleagues, friends and patients, paying tribute to his hard work and dedication.

Close friend and fellow surgeon Eric Sturdy said: "Newport's medical fraternity was considerably saddened by Gwilym's death. I personally lost a true friend for life. He was quite an amazing man."

A service to commemorate Mr Griffith is being held on Thursday at Mynydd Seion Chapel, in Hill Street, Newport, wh-ere Mr Griffith served for many years as a deacon.