William Brian Singleton CBE DVM&S FRCVS ARPS former President and co-founder of the BSAVA, sadly passed away aged 95 on 18 September 2018. Bruce Vivash Jones first met Brian in 1952 and worked with him in the early BSAVA days. Here he pays tribute to a man who has not only had a long, distinguished and influential impact on the veterinary profession but has been his friend for the past 66 years.