The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 271 No 7258 p99
19 July 2003

Society summary

Cooke On 8 January, Raymond Wilfred Cooke, of Flat 1, 11 South Cliff, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN20 7AF. Mr Cooke registered in 1935 and retired from the register in 1996.

Flint On 11 June, Charles Leslie Flint, MRPharmS, of Skule House, Lasham, Alton, Hampshire GU34 5SJ. Mr Flint registered in 1954 (see Tribute).

Higginbotham On 2 April, Albert John Higginbotham, MRPharmS, of Leighton, Frog Lane, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 4PP. Mr Higginbotham registered in 1957.

Waugh Recently, Olga Constance Waugh, née Simpson, MRPharmS, of "Weald Ridge", Rocky Lane, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 4RN. Mrs Waugh registered in 1938.

Wright On 31 May, Keith Henry Wright, MRPharmS, of 13 Lynch Down, Funtington, Chichester, West Sussex PO18 9LR. Mr Wright registered in 1941.

Tributes

Barker In a tribute to the late Bernard Karl Barker (PJ, 5 July, p32), THOMAS STEARNE writes:

Bernard was for many years honorary secretary to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Mersey region. He was also sole staff pharmacist to four hospitals in the Manchester area for many years — Astley Hospital, Firs Maternity, Atherleigh Hospital and Leigh Infirmary (at that time in the process of being upgraded into a district general hospital). When I joined him, in about 1974, he was responsible for and had built up an excellent team of technicians. Pharmacy was becoming recognised as an important and integral part of the hospital. Mrs Barker was "chief" at Warrington General Hospital — if she is still with us, my condolences.

Flint In a tribute to the late Charles Leslie Flint, BILL DAWSON writes:

Les was an active member of the Society's East Hapshire branch and on their behalf I wanted to reflect on the many contributions he made to the community.

Les was immensely proud of his industry background and used it to contribute effectively to debates over the whole pharmacy arena. The past few years have seen immense changes in the profession and although Les had been retired for almost 14 years he followed current affairs in The Journal and elsewhere to ensure his contributions were relevant and constructive. For a number of years he was a good branch secretary and was always a participant in debate after presentations. He contributed effectively to the local pharmacy development group.

He worked in industry all his career, initially with Parke-Davis in Hounslow and then for more than 25 years with Eli Lilly & Co in Basingstoke in analytical science, then in quality assurance and finally in regulatory affairs associated with marketed products. He maintained his links with the company after retirement, particularly on the golf course.

He was an active churchman, supporting the church both in Basingstoke and in his local village of Lasham. He was a tremendous enthusiast in all he did and he will be a great loss to Joan, his extended family and his many friends in the Basingstoke area. We offer our sympathy and condolences to Joan at this sad time.

Madge In a tribute to the late Archibald George Mervyn Madge (PJ, 5 July, p32), PHILIP PAUL writes: Mervyn was a benign and avuncular "character". As a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's Council, he was very helpful to me during my eight years' incumbency as director of public relations there.

Above all, Mervyn was a kind man who never spoke derogatively of anyone — a remarkable characteristic in the frequently stressful world of professional administration.

As fellow freemasons, members of the Chartered Institute of Journalists and the Medical Journalists' Association, we shared several interests. I shall miss him.

NICHOLAS WOOD, general secretary, Institute of Pharmacy Management International Ltd, writes:

Members of the institute will be saddened to hear of the death of Mervyn Madge, a former chairman of the institute. Mervyn was a familiar figure in pharmacy, endowed with boundless energy, and the institute was just one of his many active interests. At the time of his death, he held the position of one of the institute's vice-presidents. Although the post was largely advisory, he continued to take an active interest in the institute and its council, corresponding by means of comments and suggestions through the medium of his uniquely idiosyncratic typewriter.

He regretted that he was unable to travel to meetings in latter times but in the past he had for many years organised an IPMI reception at the British Pharmaceutical Conference. It was held at the beginning of the conference and invitations were keenly sought — you knew the conference had only truly begun after Mervyn, sherry in hand, had stood on a table, welcomed all comers and extolled the virtues of institute membership. He was himself a fellow of the institute and one of the few remaining founder members from 1964. His huge enthusiasm for pharmacy and his contribution to many organisations will be the thing for which he will most be remembered. The institute has been fortunate over the years to have had the unswerving support of such a unique gentleman of pharmacy and his passing will be much mourned.

MARGARET MARTIN writes:

I was saddened to read of the death of Mervyn Madge. He seemed immortal. I remember him well from meetings in Plymouth, and when I did a locum at the Co-operative Chemists in St Budeaux. He did much work in promoting homoeopathy.