It was 1997, in the cool early morning hours of Karachi, I, along with a coworker from Aga Khan University went to convene with a German urologist who was joining us as lecturer. Karachi a city of over 20 million is as unsafe as any large cosmopolitan city in the world. The driver, drove us to our destination with great care and precision as to any traffic, albeit he did run over three red lights. Noor narrated this unique welcome to Karachi many times to his friends around the world. My estimation at the time, was that he would have quit the job in a few weeks. He would go on to stay with us for more than a year and developed a personally unique link to this city which lasted his whole life since he had arrived, his beloved wife Saima was at the time a young doctor working at Aga Khan.

Niels Peter Noor Buchholz, consultant urologist, master trainer in endourology educator and academician par excellence, passed away February 13 of 2024, after having to battle pancreatic cancer for the last 2 years with great fortitude. Affectionately known to his friends and family as Noor Arabic for The Devine Light, was born in Munster, Germany. Educated in Switzerland, trained in Switzerland, Australia, and Pakistan, went on to practice in Rotterdam (Netherlands), eventually being appointed as a consultant in Lincoln (UK) before assuming the position of director of endourology and stone services at the Royal London Hospital for 14 years. For the past over 5 years working in Dubai as a part time consultant, cutting down his busy practice to focus on furthering the cause of academics in urology around the world.

Noor was kind, a sociable man with an easy-going attitude, well-mannered with a smile that could make you crack a smile on your face and an immeasurably sweet twinkle in his eye. Noor enjoyed the respect and camaraderie of his friends. He was greatly involved with and devoted to bringing experts in stone disease from the Far East corners of the world to as far as the North Americas, he aimed to bridge the gap at all costs. Being the founding director of U Merge (urology in emerging countries) and its flagship meeting, the ESD (experts in stone disease) his academic contributions are a testament to the devotion he upheld for his profession and the cause of urolithiasis.

Noor was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer when he almost finalized the preparation of IUS-ESD meeting in the summer of 2022 held in Athens (Greece) and carried on until the next ESD (Jan. 2023) meeting which, he, again organized along with Thanos (Prof. A Papatsoris), despite not being able to attend these meetings due to health issues. One of his last endeavours was a meeting in Istanbul on “Integrative Urology”, scheduled for end of January, meeting was cancelled night before as Noor the main force behind taken very seriously ill. His life, his work, his journey, and his devotion are a true example of a man on a mission to make the world a better, safer, and happier place.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to his devoted wife, Saima his children, Ruy and Nelson and their families.

Mr Noor Buchholz 1957-2024, director of U Merge (Urology in emerging countries) and Expert in stone disease (ESD), educator and researcher, courtesy Mrs Saima Buchholz