Church On December 12, 1999, Ellen Joan Church, of 43 Surrey Grove, Sutton, Surrey SM1 3PW. Miss Church joined the staff of the Pharmaceutical Society’s library in 1959 and went on to undertake a wide variety of tasks in the department, including solving many of the inquiries that reached the information service. She also took an interest in the care and display of the the Society’s historical collections, and in the last years before her retirement in 1977 she was responsible for implementing the classification and cataloguing of the collections. Before joining the Society she had worked for 25 years in the Vere Street (London W1) pharmacy of Allen & Hanburys Ltd.
McMullan In a tribute to the late Ronald Gerald Patrick McMullan (PJ,
October 7, p513), Dr MICHAEL H. JEPSON writes: It was with a deep sense of disbelief
and shock that I read of Ronnie McMullen’s sudden death, the more so as
it was so soon after our annual meeting together which had become a feature
of successive British Pharmaceutical Conferences.
Ronnie first came to a BPC in Birmingham in 1968 and Birmingham BPC 2000 sadly
was to be his last. As Edward Mallinson (PJ, October 14, p553) commented in
his splendid tribute, it appears that several of us attempted to persuade, nay
insist, that Ronnie must come to BPC Glasgow next year, irrespective of his
imminent retirement, but it is not to be.
The 1968 BPC was a particularly memorable one. Jean (my wife) and I were host
and hostess, along with Bryan and Annette Veitch, at Aston university’s
only hall of residence, Gracie Hall. Staying there was the whole of the Northern
Ireland contingent, the Republic of Ireland contingent (until 1970 the BPC was
run by a Conference Executive involving both Irish pharmaceutical societies)
and well known pharmacists such as Professors Arnold Beckett and Joe Shellard.
The hall truly buzzed! The Northern Ireland group, with Ronnie as the leading
light, set the pace and a riotous week was had by all. For me, it was the start
of a long friendship with all those from Northern Ireland. The following year
Northern Ireland invited the BPC to Belfast. Ronnie was the accommodation secretary
and, needless to say, we were well looked after. As host he took his duties
most seriously, attending to our every need. Much to our surprise and delight
he was waiting by the car ferry quay at Larne to say “au revoir”.
A particular gift of Ronnie’s was whenever possible to reflect the positive
side of situations. I have never forgotten the way in which he quietly but firmly,
in his own inimitable manner, stated that he had never been subjected to discrimination.
The frank comment was made during that BPC Belfast in 1969 when “the troubles”
had restarted and Ronnie as a committed Christian and a Roman Catholic could
have felt threatened.
In Birmingham in this millennium year on the Sunday at the start of the Conference,
Ronnie attended mass at the Roman Catholic cathedral at 5pm and then hurried
back up the hill to the conference venue to attend the ecumenical service, where
he was especially impressed with the (Anglican) preacher. Ronnie always saw
the positive and never failed to give credit where it was due.
He was a great pharmacy professional, a shining example for us. He showed tremendous
commitment to pharmacy with considerable determination but in a quiet, unassuming
and unpretentious way. He saw the introduction of computerisation of prescription
pricing at what is now the Central Services Agency, many years ahead of that
at the Prescription Pricing Authority in Britain.
His generosity and kindness were extended in great abundance. He was larger
than life, with a strong sense of fun and seemingly inexhaustible energy, especially
on the dance floor.
We not only mourn a great friend but we celebrate and give thanks for the life
of a good person. The sadness and grief felt especially by his sisters and family,
as well as by his many friends, is hopefully countered by our thanksgiving and
memory of his many gifts and energies given in the service of pharmacy over
so many years.