The Pharmaceutical Journal Vol 267 No 7159 p176-177 4 August, 2001

The Society

Obituaries & tributes

Barnes On 10 June, Peter Barnes, MRPharmS, of 3 Edwin Avenue, Walton, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S40 3JD. Mr Barnes registered in 1984. Booth On 5 June, Howard Walter Booth, MRPharmS, of 23 Boreland Road, Kirkcudbright DG6 4HL. Mr Booth registered in 1957. Buchanan On 21 June, Gavin Buchanan, MRPharmS, of 9/1 Anderson Street, Hamilton, Lanarkshire ML3 0QL. Mr Buchanan registered in 1933. Curry On 27 June, David John Curry, MRPharmS, of 1 Craig Lea, Kingston Road, Taunton, Somerset TA2 7SY. Dr Curry registered in 1976. Fuller On 12 July, Peter Donald Fuller, of 123 The Knares, Lee Chapel South, Basildon, Essex SS1 5SB. Mr Fuller registered in 1956 and retired from the register in 1995. Gordon On 11 June, James Gordon, MRPharmS, of 1 Albany Place, London Rod, Stranraer, Wigtownshire DG9 8AH. Mr Gordon registered in 1928. Graham On 6 July, James Graham, MRPharmS, c/o Cuthbert, Rutherglen Farm, Burke Road, No 3 RD, Kaukapakapa, New Zealand. Mr Graham registered in 1939. Heath On 10 July, Sidney Heath, MRPharmS, of “Forest Lodge”, Goodley Stock, Crockham Hill, Edenbridge, Kent. Mr Heath registered in 1942. Hébert On 18 June, Brian Eugene Hébert, FRPharmS, of “The Bund”, Church Lane, Yapton, Arundel, West Sussex BN18 0EH. Mr Hébert registered in 1943. Matheson On 7 March, Peter Jack Combe Matheson, of 1 Fairside, Higher Ansty, Dorchester, Dorset DT2 7PS. Mr Matheson registered in 1934 and retired from the register in 1990. Peel On 22 June, James Cyril Ingham Peel, of Flat 8, Ashmede, 56 West Cliff Road, Bournemouth. Mr Peel registered in 1933 and retired from the register in 1974. Robinson On 23 July, Charles Walter Robinson, of Kenfield Hall Nursing Home, Kenfield, Petham, Canterbury, Kent CT4 5RN, aged 90 years. Mr Robinson registered in 1934 and retired from the register in 2000. He was apprenticed in pharmacy in Norwich, qualifying from the “Square”. He commenced his professional career as a sub-editor on The Pharmaceutical Journal, leaving in 1937 to take up an appointment with Bayer in Germany, and thence to Bayer in Australia. After the 1939–45 war, he joined the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (then known as the Wholesale Drug Trade Association) as secretary. His next move was to Evans Medical as pharmaceutical development director. He left the company when it was taken over by Glaxo. Finally, he became central administrative officer with Runcorn Development Corporation, retiring in 1970. His autobiography, ‘Twentieth century druggist’, was published in 1983. Robinson On 16 May, Douglas William Robinson, of 6 Manor Garth, Riccall, York YO4 6QX. Mr Robinson registered in 1944 and retired from the register in 1986. Rogers On 7 July, Muriel Marcie Rogers, of 101 Hempstead Road, Watford, Hertfordshire WD1 3HE. Miss Rogers registered in 1937 and retired from the register in 1998. Scott On 6 June, James Duncan Scott, of 22 Evesham Avenue, Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear NE26 1QR. Mr Scott registered in 1974 and retired from the register in 1985. Simpson Recently, Keith Bellas Simpson, FRPharmS, of Buzon 914, Apartado de Correos, Altea la Vella 03599, Alicante, Spain. Mr Simpson registered in 1951. Snellgrove On 9 June, Laurence Sidney Snellgrove, of 1B Beales Barton, Bradley Lane, Holt, Trowbridge, Wiltshire. Mr Snellgrove registered in 1936 and retired from the register in 2000. He had his own business in Portsmouth for nearly 40 years, before working as a manager for Boots. After he retired, aged 70 years, he continued to work as an occasional locum. Stow On 28 May, Gladys Stow, née Kenny, of Halfboys, Norton, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. Mrs Stow registered in 1950 and retired from the register in 1984. Swift On 29 April, Esther Swift, of The Pharmacy, Box Chippenham, Wiltshire. Mrs Swift registered in 1935 and retired from the register in 1978. Twinberrow On 15 January, Ernest Charles Twinberrow, of 68 Meadowland Road, Henbury, Bristol. Mr Twinberrow registered in 1938 and retired from the register in 1984. Williams On 5 June, John Spencer Williams, of Denham Manor Nursing Home, Halings Lane, Denham, Buckinghamshire. Mr Williams registered in 1934 and retired from the register in 1990. Womersley On 12 July, David Michael Womersley, 79 Church Road, Urmston, Manchester M41 9EJ. Mr Womersley registered in 1957. Wright On 7 June, Reginald Wright, of 115 Farmcombe Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Mr Wright registered in 1936 and retired from the register in 1990.

Tributes Smith In a tribute to the late Walter George Smith (PJ, 14 July, p71), BILL BROOKES writes: It was with deep sadness that I received the news, after my return from holiday, of the death of Walter Smith and realised that I had been unable to attend his funeral and to pay my last respects to a longstanding friend and colleague. How thankful I am that towards the end of last year I was able to make a long promised visit to him and see again those ruddy cheeks and that beaming smile and receive his usual warm welcome. Although we subsequently spoke on the telephone, particularly on the occasion of his 60 years on the pharmaceutical register, that is my last memory of yet another of that fine group of pharmacists who kept the flame of hospital pharmacy burning brightly in the dark days of the 1950s and 1960s. Pharmacy is the poorer for his passing. My first meeting with Walter was in Nottingham in 1959 at the first weekend school of the then Guild of Public Pharmacists. Although a member of the guild council for only two years, he was responsible for its organisation. It was a great success and he was justly proud to have laid the foundation for what was to become the guild’s major professional and educational event. Within six months I had moved to Nottingham, not to the General Hospital, Walter’s base, but to the City Hospital. And so began a professional association and a fierce but friendly rivalry that lasted 13 years and saw hospital pharmacy in Nottingham progress by leaps and bounds, despite periods of acute staff shortages. Others have written of the developments, many of them “firsts”, commonplace today but unheard of 40 years ago. I like to think that that friendly rivalry, allied to Walter’s vision, determination, knowledge of the system, administrative skills, ear-bending par excellence and the ability to attract and retain enthusiastic young pharmacists was the stimulus to those developments which has led to the excellent pharmaceutical services which exist at the Queen’s Medical Centre and City Hospital today. And in the end it was that rivalry which saw Walter’s appointment as area pharmaceutical officer for Nottinghamshire and my move to Cheshire in 1973, although we kept in touch for nearly 30 years. Walter also served his profession with distinction via the guild. Elected to the guild council at his first attempt in 1956 — no mean feat in those days — he made a great contribution to its growth. His time on the council saw the setting up of the Noel Hall inquiry, of which he was a passionate advocate. He was a proud recipient of the Evans gold medal, an award he richly deserved, and a first-rate president. After his retirement Walter kept in close touch with hospital pharmacy and colleagues. An avid reader of the PJ, he followed their progress with pride and interest, recalling their early days under his fatherly eye. Like others I will miss his Christmas homily, written in that distinctive hand. The last occasion I recall Walter and Bea gracing a pharmacy event was in November 1992 when Nottingham City Hospital celebrated 20 years of its residency service. We spent a happy evening down memory lane recalling the days of Noel Hall when the world was at our feet. His beaming smile is still in evidence on the photograph of five guild presidents taken for Guild News. It was good to see him in such good form. Hospital pharmacy exists today because of the dedication and vision of those like Walter who fought and won those crucial battles in the 1950s and ’60s. His memorial is the service he pioneered and the pharmacists he inspired. I mourn a true professional and a good friend. DAVID W. CARRINGTON writes: It was with great sadness that I learned of the passing of Walter Smith. I had the privilege of being his first ever preregistration student during his period as chief pharmacist at the Leicester General Hospital, and I owe a great deal to his mentorship and example. Walter had a gift for inspiring and encouraging his younger colleagues and was delighted at their success. He was a role model of all that was best, both in hospital pharmacy and in the NHS, to which he was committed. Colleagues in pharmacy and in the wider health service recognised in him a true professional with a visionary outlook and the ability to get things done. He had a cheerful, positive personality, a keen sense of humour and fun, and an ability to communicate with patients and with staff at all levels. The pharmacy at LGH had a constant stream of visitors calling in for morning coffee and afternoon tea, and his students learned a great deal from the in depth discussions on health service matters and therapeutics. Walter practised networking, forming alliances and creating partnerships long before these became buzz words. He will be remembered for his achievements which, over nearly 40 years, made an enormous impact in the development of the service, but more importantly he will be remembered with affection and gratitude for his kindness, his integrity, his tolerance and his unstinting support for his colleagues. He will be missed, and our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Bea and to their son David in their loss. RON PATE writes: Walter Smith was special. When you worked for him you could not fail to be impressed by his enthusiasm, dedication and foresight. He introduced the first residency and satellite pharmacy services — ideas he got from visiting the United States in the 1960s. Yes, even on holiday overseas he would visit hospital pharmacy departments, and for many years he encouraged all of his pharmacists to do the same. He would frequently regale us with his stories from these visits. Clearly he was ahead of his time and an active and early promoter of clinical pharmacy services. In discussions and debates he had a tenacious style. I remember him telling me how he successfully negotiated some of the developments in Nottingham, one of which was to always telephone the district administrator (or hospital secretary) at or near the end of a working day to raise or revisit a point. As someone who has been on the receiving end of such one-hour-plus phone calls, I can see how, if the power of your argument did not win, the duration did! Yes, even his son David at Walter’s funeral described his father as a long-winded storyteller — but they were always enjoyable stories. Such was the respect, admiration and warmth in which Walter was held that, even though it was nearly 20 years after his retirement, many of his former pharmacists and technicians turned out at his funeral to pay their respects, despite the short notice. Even more impressive, perhaps, is the fact that some of them had partners who had known him and also wanted to attend. It was a pleasure to see them all. Walter achieved much in his professional life of which he was rightly proud and the profession is very grateful. We have lost a giant from our past. JOHN MYERS writes: Walter Smith became a chief pharmacist when hospital pharmacy was suffering from years of under-financing, when the pharmaceutical industry was expanding and when young doctors, who were making a career in the hospital service and were specialising in a single branch of medicine, needed a far better pharmaceutical service to meet their needs. The energetic and well-qualified Walter Smith, faced with this situation, started to build up the services. It was a heart-breaking task that needed the co-operation of dedicated pharmacists. Hence his concentration on attracting more and more members to the Guild of Public Pharmacists, a body of keen pharmacists determined to create a far better pharmaceutical service in United Kingdom hospitals. In the 1960s, Walter Smith invited me to give a lecture describing the recently modernised pharmaceutical department at the Royal infirmary of Edinburgh. I stayed the night at his happy home created by Beatrice, his wonderful wife. Sadly we have lost a pharmacist who led by example in developing new pharmacy services in Nottingham. DAVID SMITH writes: My mother and I were touched by the generous amount of space devoted to the announcement of my father’s death and associated tributes in the 14 July issue of The Pharmaceutical Journal (p71). I would be happy to hear from any other of his colleagues who would like to share their reminiscences. I can be contacted at 23 West Side, Clapham Common, London SW4 9AN (e-mail djs@highgate.demon.co.uk). Robinson In a tribute to the late Charles Walter Robinson, ROBERT BLYTH writes: Charles Robinson was a distinguished pharmacist of enormous charm and urbanity. More importantly he was a true member of a liberal profession, a courageous man of principle, as befitted a religious person. For example, his move from Bayer in Germany to Bayer in Australia was occasioned by the publication in the London Times of a letter by him expressing bold anti-Nazi sentiments. Corporate pusillanimity being ubiquitous, it was considered to be undesirable that Robinson should remain in Germany. His principles came to the fore again when Evans Medical was taken over by Glaxo in 1961 and in 1965 the famed Sir Harry Jephcott retired as chairman of Glaxo to be replaced by Sir Alan Wilson. “The ways of the new chairman were not my ways,” said Robinson, as he left. From there he went to the Runcorn Development Corporation. In due course he was by chance in a position, with his principled approach to the practice of pharmacy, instrumental in the launch of a remarkable system of planned distribution of pharmacies in the new town, combined with some limitation upon the range of goods to be sold. This was in the late 1960s, 20 years before general limitation was achieved. Clearly, there were others in Runcorn involved in advancing the project, but it would not have happened without Charles. The experiment was not, so far as I know, repeated. As Sir George Godber, a former chief medical officer at the Department of Health, said in a letter to The Journal (19 March 1977, p227): “It is sad to reflect on the way in which Milton Keynes lost a similar opportunity to that which was grasped at Runcorn.” He went on to comment that the system needed to be developed generally and supported a view expressed in a PJ leading article (12 March 1977, p203) that that might require professional reorientation. I should add that commercial interests in pharmacy were, to my knowledge, less than supportive of the Runcorn experiment. Possibly his most remarkable achievement was not only the writing of his autobiography but also its publication as a book. Like so many budding authors, he had difficulty in finding a publisher, so he sent me his typescript for my comments. I concluded that the pharmaceutical core should be serialised in the PJ. So about one third of the book saw the light of day and was seen by Dr Michael Day, a pharmacist who owned a publishing company, Galen Press. He undertook to publish the complete memoirs. For me, Charles was one of the lights of the world. The extinguishing of that light and the loss of a friend cannot but be sad.

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