The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 270 No 7254 p873-874
21 June 2003

Society summary

Alexander On 26 April, Jean Gray Helen Mary Alexander, née Stewart, of 388 Ferry Road, Edinburgh EH5 3QG. Mrs Alexander registered in 1942 and retired from the register in 1995.

Appleson On 20 January, Harold Isidore Appleson, MRPharmS, of 2 Lime Court, Grayton Road, Harrow, Middlesex HA1 2YD. Mr Appleson registered in 1943.

Bale On 21 May, William Malyn Bale, MRPharmS, of "Ty-Syriol", 23 Camberley Drive, Wrexham, Clwyd LL12 7AN. Mr Bale registered in 1944. He was well known and respected in the area, having been a medical representative with Glaxo for 25 years and on retirement working as a pharmacy manager for five years with L. Rowland & Co.

Battersby On 26 April, Frank Battersby, MRPharmS, of 1a Station Road, Haddenham, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB6 3XD. Mr Battersby registered in 1949 and was a former secretary of the Cambridge, Huntingdon and district branch of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. He was also involved at a national level in promoting rural pharmacy via his role as rural pharmacy secretary of Chemists' Action Group of Great Britain.

Benton On 21 April, Gerald Keith Benton, FRPharmS, of "The Red House", North Street, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 5DX. Mr Benton registered in 1955 and was a former committee member and officer of the Lincoln branch of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Bratt On 10 October 2002, Bertram Edward Bratt, MRPharmS, of PO Box 27903, Yeoville 2143, South Africa. Mr Bratt registered in 1932. At the age of 14 Mr Bratt became an errand boy in a pharmacy. He later won a Boots scholarship for the Nottingham University College and after qualifying worked as a community pharmacist for Boots The Chemists. After the 1939–45 war, Mr Bratt went to work for British Drug Houses in South Africa, later leaving to join Adcock-Ingram. Mr Bratt then moved to Cape Town and started his career as a manufacturing pharmacist with Petersens and later founded Pfizer South Africa. After leaving Pfizer he founded, along with Barney Hurwitz, a company called Remedia.

Brean On 6 May, Frank John Brean, FRPharmS, of 105 Bushey Hill Road, London SE5 8QQ. Mr Brean registered in 1936 and was a former chairman and secretary of the South East Metropolitan branch of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. He was also secretary of the South East London branch of the National Pharmaceutical Association from 1962–81. In 1934 he was awarded the England prize, Fairchild scholarship, and in 1936 he won the Edmund White medal while at Brighton Technical College.

Burgess On 15 April, Peter William Burgess, MC, of "Heronsdale", 54 Glen Eyre Road, Bassett, Southampton SO16 3NJ. Mr Burgess registered in 1948 and retired from the register in 2001. He was a medical representative for May & Baker in Hampshire. During the 1939–45 war he served in the Royal Artillery and was awarded the Military Cross (El Alamein).

Chapman On 7 January, Reginald George Chapman, MRPharmS, of 9 Bush Row, Haverfordwest, Dyfed SA61 1RJ. Mr Chapman registered in 1955.

Chester On 1 May, Albert Colin Chester, MRpharmS, of 40 Swan Mews, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 6TU. Mr Chester registered in 1941 (see Tribute).

Cumming On 16 April, Christian Farquhar Cumming, MRPharmS, of Flat 18, Home Royal House, 2 Chalmers Crescent, Edinburgh EH9 1TP. Miss Cumming registered in 1939.

Dinwiddie On 8 May, Frederick James Dinwiddie, FRPharmS, of 37 Hatfield Road, Ipswich IP3 9AF. Mr Dinwiddie registered in 1939.

Dorren On 14 May, Robert Dorren, of 27 Swan Spring Avenue, Edinburgh EH10 6NA. Mr Dorren registered in 1942 and retired from the register in 1996.

Fell On 26 March 2001, Bruce Fleming Fell, FRPharmS, of "The Breeze", 11 Coast Road, Redcar, Cleveland TS10 3NJ. Mr Fell registered in 1937.

Fell On 23 May, Margaret Morey Fell, c/o Peggy Fell, Av Cala Llombarts 47, Santanyi, Mallorca, Spain. Mrs Fell registered in 1940 and retired from the register in 2002.

Hennigan On 24 May, William Hennigan, of Grenoside Grange, Grenoside, Sheffield. Mr Hennigan registered in 1948 and retired from the register in 1987. He was one of the founders of the British Pharmaceutical Students Association.

Knight On 3 November 2002, Robert Henry Knight, MRPharmS, of 81 Mickleburgh Hill, Herne Bay, Kent CT6 6JX. Mr Knight registered in 1943.

Knowles On 17 May, Jean Fawcett Knowles, née Armstrong, MRPharmS, of "Seaways Cottage", Marine Parade, Hoylake, Wirral, Merseyside L47 2BC. Mrs Knowles registered in 1942.

McKim On 23 April, Josephine Ramsden McKim, MRPharmS, of 20 Bryanstone Close, Guildford GU2 6UJ. Miss McKim registered in 1961.

O'Driscoll On 4 May, Ethel Louise O'Driscoll, née Sweeney, of 71 Torrington Park, London N12 9PN. Mrs O'Driscoll registered in 1947 and retired from the register in 1999.

Olsen On 23 December 2002, Leslie Edward Olsen, MRPharmS, of Woodford Lodge, 55 Birchill Road, Clehonger, Hereford HR2 9RF. Mr Olsen registered in 1941.

Owen On 6 May, Thomas Eirwyn Owen, MRPharmS, of 3 Woodville Gardens, Raikes Lane, Sychdyn, Mold, Clwyd CH7 6LR. Mr Owen registered in 1958.

Palmer On 30 April, Philip Graham Palmer, MRPharmS, of "The Links", 60 Langland Bay Road, Mumbles, Swansea SA3 4QR. Mr Palmer registered in 1951.

Quayle On 19 May, Harold Stanley Quayle, MRPharmS, of St Georges Nursing Home, Croxteth Avenue, Wallasey, Merseyside CH44 5UL. Mr Quayle registered in 1938.

Sim On 6 June, Sylvia Joan Sim, née Webb, of Coquet Lea, De Merley Road, Morpeth, Northumberland NE61 1HZ. Mrs Sim registered in 1941 and retired from the register in 1984.

Spink on 28 January, John Daniel Spink, MRPharmS, of Pettys Farm, Ludgershall, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP18 9PB. Mr Spink registered in 1946.

Steel Recently, Robert Fleming Steel, FRPharmS, of 130 Seafield Road, Aberdeen AB15 7YP. Mr Steel registered in 1950. He was a senior lecturer in pharmacy at the Robert Gordon University until his retirement in 1992 after 30 years on the staff. He was also a former chairman of the Aberdeen branch of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (see Tribute).

Strachan On 9 May, Thomas White Strachan, of 16 Lade Braes, Dalgety Bay, Dunfermline, Fife KY11 5SP. Mr Strachan registered in 1930 and retired from the register in 1995.

Turton On 15 April, Gordon Cecil Turton, FRPharmS, of 3 Arthur Road, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 7EA. Mr Turton registered in 1944. He trained at the School of Pharmacy, University of London, and after a short period in pharmaceutical production at Glaxo, Barnard Castle, he moved to community pharmacy in Beaconsfield, Winchester and Stockbridge before settling in Kingsclere where he remained until his retirement in 1988.

Van Abbé Recently, Norman Jonas Van Abbé, FRPharmS, of "Ulverscroft", 67A Manor Road North, Hinchley Wood, Esher, Surrey KT10 0AB. Mr Van Abbé registered in 1944 after training at Chelsea Polytechnic. He was pharmaceutical development manager at Genatosan Ltd from 1952 to 1961. He then joined Beecham Products (UK) as basic research manager and progressed to become special research services manager. Mr Van Abbé was a former chairman of the London pharmacists' branch of the Association of Scientific Workers.

Tribute

Chester In a tribute to the late Albert Colin Chester, STEVE BULLOCK writes:

More than 40 years separated us and yet, soon after our first meeting, Colin and I became firm friends. We shared many common interests, among them music, cricket, gardening and, in particular, a love of anything powered by steam, especially if it happens to run on rails.

His daughter, Carol, lived in the village where we had just opened a pharmacy and he called in one day on the off chance that we might need the services of a locum. I agreed, he joined us and stayed until his eventual (reluctant) retirement just a few years ago, by which time he was well into his 80s.

Colin was a rare animal indeed, a happy, contented pharmacist, immensely proud of his chosen profession and pleased to be just ordinary, which, to me, made him extraordinary. He was a true gentleman. I shall miss him. My thoughts go to his wife Barbara, son David, and daughter Carol.

Dix In a tribute to the late Philip Arthur Dix (PJ, 14 June, p842), SHEILA WESTON and PHILIP SCHIMMER, write:

We were saddened to hear of the death of Philip Dix in May. We first met Philip during our apprenticeships at University College Hospital, London, where he was senior pharmacist in charge of the manufacturing department at the time. We found his genial manner and quiet, confident explanations of manufacturing processes most reassuring and useful.

We did not meet him again until 40 years later when he and his wife, Maisie, were on the same National Trust holiday as ourselves and it transpired that they lived only half a mile away from us in Romsey.

After qualifying he worked his apprenticeship at Bodies Chemists in Chelmsford and took the Diploma in Biochemical Analysis. He was sent to Egypt during his National Service. After about 10 years at UCH he went on to work for the Pharmaceutical Society He then had a short spell in community pharmacy before joining the staff of Glaxo in 1962, where, I understand, he worked as a product registration executive in the overseas section.

He met Maisie while on holiday at Lake Maggiore in August 1957 and they married in 1959. Maisie was a social worker at St Martin's Hospital in Bath. During their life together they enjoyed many further holidays with the National Trust and also travelled to New Zealand and Alaska.

Phil had a stroke in 1985, so retired from Glaxo and moved to Romsey where he enjoyed a quiet life tending his garden and quite a large allotment, which provided a bounty of fresh vegetables for the house. Maisie got involved with the medical equipment loan section of the local Red Cross. Last year Phil moved to a nursing home and shortly afterwards they both moved to Truro where Phil spent his last days in an excellent nursing home and Maisie visited him daily from her nearby flat.

Fletcher In a tribute to the late Charles Fletcher (PJ, 14 June, p842), ANTHONY BLASEBALK writes:

Charles Fletcher was the first son of Jack and Fanny Fletcher. He excelled at cricket, football and other sports and represented Britain in the second annual World Maccabiah Games in Israel in 1935 where he won a gold medal at bantamweight boxing.

He was also exceptionally gifted at art and was interested in philosophy, astronomy, ancient civilisations, photography and latterly he had been learning French and Italian.

He enrolled in the Royal Air Force and served from 1939–45 as a draughtsman and mechanic in Naples, Italy. On demobilisation he worked in advertising.

In 1947 he studied pharmacy at Richmond College and after graduation opened his own pharmacy in Kensal Rise, London.

He will be sadly missed by his cousin Daphne Freedman and daughters Sharon, Caroline and Melanie.

Steel In a tribute to the late Robert Fleming Steel, GEORGE DOWNIE writes:

On a warm morning in May, a large turnout of friends, neighbours and colleagues paid their last respects to Bob Steel in Beechgrove Church, Aberdeen. The minister's words reflected the thoughts of the congregation — noble, upright, humble, a pillar of society, someone who could combine science with religion, humour with reality.

Bob had studied at the University of Glasgow and also the Royal College of Glasgow, graduating BSc with honours in 1949. He became a fellow of the Pharmaceutical Society in 1954 and received an honorary fellowship of the Robert Gordon University of Aberdeen in 1995. He undertook his apprenticeship at the Western Infirmary, Glasgow, in 1949–50, where he became senior pharmacist following his national service with the Royal Army Medical Corps. He then worked in community pharmacy in Glasgow, then in Aberdeen, and in 1962 was appointed lecturer at the Robert Gordon Institute of Technology, progressing to senior lecturer and latterly head of pharmacy practice.

It was while he worked at RGIT (1962–92) that he became a father figure and confidante to many of the students who passed through this seat of learning. Never flustered and always in control, Bob would provide encouragement to a student whom he could see in distress during the rigours of a practical examination with a quiet "Don't panic". He supported all the student functions and dinners, invariably turning out resplendent in his Highland attire.

Not only was he an exceedingly popular person with the students, but also with the staff who much appreciated Bob as an ever-ready source of help and advice.

A staunch supporter of the Society's local branch, he provided new direction and novel ideas during his chairmanship and in his role for many years as public relations officer. It was rare that he would miss a meeting of the branch. Bob had diverse interests, such as the church and Rotary club, but to all of these he gave his total commitment.

He will be sadly missed by his many friends. Our thoughts go out to his daughter Fiona and son Ronald and to their families.

Welsh In a tribute to the late Robert Welsh (PJ, 17 May, p704), GRAHAM BRACK writes: Bob Welsh introduced me to community pharmacy by tolerating my presence in his dispensary while I was gaining work experience from school and, subsequently, as a vacation student. This alone testifies to his patience and good humour.

An ex-soldier who claimed that his military service consisted largely of waiting for successive army aptitude boards to concede that graduation from a school of pharmacy might fit him to be a sergeant dispenser, Bob was a convivial companion, a fund of anecdotes, a much-loved figure in our district and a wise and knowing teacher. I doubt if I learned much pharmacology from him, but I learned a lot about pharmacy and even more about patients.

We shared a love of football that survived the disappointments of watching Scotland together and although I tell people that I applied to the school of pharmacy in Aberdeen because it was the first one on the list alphabetically, I realise now that Bob had been pushing its merits quietly for some time before I made my choice, and was a more decisive influence on my career than I suspected at the time.

He was not a leader of the profession, but he was a lovely man.