A new website has been set up in memory of the obstetrician Jim Dornan for his family.
Staff at Kings College Hospital in both Dubai and London created 'Remembering Jim Dornan' for Samina, his widow, and his three children after the Co Down man lost his battle with Covid-19 while living in the United Arab Emirates.
He was 73.
One tribute from Arthur McMurray read: "I first came across Jim in 1970 when we were medical students, since then we became friends, housemates and worldwide travellers. I will miss him terribly. It has been my privilage to have had him as a friend."
Des Compton wrote: "Thank you for your friendship over 54 years and the enrichment that you gave to my life in so many ways. You never changed from day one. You always said, Desi we have to move on. You don't know how difficult that is now."
Dr Sana Kausar described him as "a true friend for womankind!".
Posting on social media, his daughter, Jessica Dornan Lynas, said: "Thanks alone could never be sufficient to honour the multitude of condolences, gestures, soups, lasagnes, bouquets, tributes, stories and majestic outpouring of love and admiration our family have experienced in the past 6 days."
Jessica added: "It is the greatest understatement of my life to say that our hearts are shattered. We will never be the same. He is and was my father, my mother, my best friend, my partner, my teacher, my mentor, my utter pride and joy and I was oftentimes his date [] I never felt more like a movie star than when I was on his arm.
"We take comfort in the fact that no one, absolutely no one, grabbed life with the zest, vigour and sense of fun and curiosity that dad did. It is my life’s privilege to have learned from the very best. We will never see his like again.
"Someone said to me that they often find themselves telling themselves to ‘be more Jim’. We can all serve ourselves with that motto."
Mr Dornan moved to the Middle East two years ago to join his wife, where she headed up the maternal foetal medicine department at King's College Hospital in Dubai. He was appointed to oversee the department at the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland in Bahrain.
Professor Dornan was admitted for routine knee surgery last month and had already received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
His oxygen saturation level dropped three days later and doctors diagnosed a pulmonary embolism and pneumonia.
He then tested positive for Covid-19, despite obtaining a negative result two days before his surgery. As his condition deteriorated he was put on a ventilator and suffered a fatal heart attack.
Professor Dornan is survived by his widow, daughters Liesa and Jessica, and son Jamie, the actor.
Professor Dornan was a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist with the Belfast trust from 1986 to 2012, professor of Foetal Medicine at Queen's University, Belfast from 1995 to 2012 and senior vice-president of the Royal College of Gynaecologists from 2004 to 2006.
He was chair of Health and Life Sciences at Ulster University and head of department with Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland - Medical University of Bahrain.
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