Dr. Attilio Rocchi, Dr. med. vet., Dipl. ECVAA
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Attilio Rocchi on 26 December, following a long and serious illness borne with courage and dignity. Dr. Attilio Rocchi was a dedicated veterinarian, respected academic, and passionate clinician whose career and life left a lasting impact on colleagues, students, and the veterinary profession.
He studied Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pisa, Italy, earning his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1999. After graduation, Dr. Rocchi moved to Kenya, gaining valuable international experience, and later worked in several small animal clinics in Italy, where he developed a strong interest in veterinary anaesthesia and emergency medicine. In 2004, he moved to Austria to complete a residency at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, finishing in 2010. He then held academic positions in Madrid and Zurich before returning to Vetmeduni Vienna in 2013. A Diplomate of the ECVAA since 2014, he served as Lecturer and Clinician in Anaesthesia and Perioperative Intensive Medicine and coordinated the ECVAA residency programme, playing a key role in postgraduate education. In 2022, he joined Mindray Animal Medical as a Clinical Application Specialist, where he shared his extensive clinical expertise and teaching skills.
Beyond his professional achievements, Dr. Rocchi was deeply devoted to his family and his three children.
Dr. Attilio Rocchi will be remembered by colleagues and friends as a remarkably kind and gentle person, an inspiring mentor, and a constant source of support to many young anaesthetists. His legacy lives on through the many students, colleagues, and patients whose lives he touched.
Elizabeth “Liz” Leece, BVSc, CertVA, DipECVAA, MRCVS
It is with profound sorrow that we announce the passing of Elizabeth “Liz” Leece, a distinguished veterinary anaesthetist whose warmth, leadership, and dedication touched countless colleagues, students and patients. After a long illness, the veterinary community has lost one of its brightest lights.
Liz was a visionary in the field of veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia, and her career was marked by excellence, innovation and mentorship. She graduated from the University of Liverpool (BVSc, 1994) and went on to complete a residency in veterinary anaesthesia there.
In 2006, she joined the Animal Health Trust as Head of Anaesthesia, a role in which she contributed significantly to the advancement of safe anaesthetic and pain-management techniques in animals. Over the years, she held appointments in both university and referral hospitals and served as a consultant across clinics in Europe. At Paragon Veterinary Referrals in Wakefield, she led the Anaesthesia & Analgesia team, supervising care, teaching, and clinical research.
Liz was a diplomate of our college and a recognized specialist by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). Her research and professional interests included areas such as brachycephalic dog anaesthesia, neuroanaesthesia, chronic pain, and refining analgesic protocols in small animals.
As an educator, she lectured worldwide to veterinarians, veterinary nurses, and occasionally even to human anaesthetists, sharing her passion for teaching and her belief in continual learning. She also held a leadership role in the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists (AVA), serving as Past President and making major contributions to the community.
Beyond her academic and clinical achievements, Liz was beloved for her mentoring spirit, her enthusiasm, her warmth, and her ability to inspire. Her presence empowered those around her—students, nurses, and peers alike. She encouraged curiosity, excellence, and kindness in all she encountered.
Liz was also a person of many interests outside the hospital walls. She loved cycling, walks and mountaineering, often accompanied by her dog Ogwen—who served as her hypo-detection dog, ensuring her safety on long explorations in Yorkshire’s hills.
She will be remembered not only for her scientific contributions and leadership, but for her generosity of spirit, her mentoring of the next generation, and her capacity for empathy and encouragement.
Professor Dr. Evert Lagerweij (1932-2022)
Professor Evert Lagerweij qualified as a veterinary surgeon from the Utrecht Veterinary School in the 1959. He joined the staff of the Veterinary School as a lecturer in surgery and his early work was on surgery of the bovine abomasum. This was “the organ of the moment” as my own early interests were in that area. He soon developed an interest in anaesthesia.
In 1963 he joined the staff at the University of Zurich under the direction of Professor Amman, returning to Utrecht in 1965. In 1966 he joined the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland (AVAGBI), as a corresponding member (full membership was not open to overseas residents) where I first met him. He developed a liaison with Dr Leslie Hall and spent some time at Cambridge Veterinary School. In 1968 the first examination for the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (London) Diploma in Veterinary Anaesthesia (DVA) was held and Evert was successful. In 1973 Evert was awarded his PhD and organised a meeting of the AVAGBI in Utrecht. In 1980 it was decided to hold the 1st International Congress of Veterinary Anaesthesia in Cambridge in September 1982. Evert was appointed a member of the organising committee and made regular trips to Cambridge for meetings and played a valuable part in that group. In 1991 he chaired the organising committee of the 4th International Congress of Veterinary Anaesthesia in Utrecht.
In the early 90’s there was considerable debate over the future of the AVAGBI and a possible formation of a European association to further the development of a diploma. Professor Lagerweij together with Professor Urs Schatzmann were the main movers of this development which led to a satisfactory outcome. The two individuals were amongst the six “Grandfathers”, with responsibility for establishing the European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia. Evert was president of the Association of Veterinary Anaesthesia from 1995-98. He retired in 1994 which meant that he could devote more time to sailing which was his main hobby.
We have lost a good friend and a professional colleague who made a major contribution to our speciality and extend our sincere and deepest sympathy to his wife Elska and family.
Ronald S. Jones