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Kaye Recently, Ronald Cockcroft
Kaye, FRPharmS, aged 94 years, of Glen Dhu, 6 Belmont Avenue, Baildon,
Shipley, West Yorkshire BD17 5AJ. Mr Kaye registered
in 1937. (Tribute)
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Tribute
Kaye In a tribute to
the late Ronald Cockcroft Kaye,
IAN JONES and GEOF BOOTH write:
It is with great sadness that we learn
of
the death of Ronnie Kaye. He will be long remembered for many outstanding
attributes.
After serving a lengthy apprenticeship in his uncle’s pharmacy in Huddersfield,
Ronnie studied pharmacy at Bradford Technical College. He registered as a pharmacist
in 1937 and remained on the Register until his death.
He spent most of his working life in academia, becoming a lecturer at the Bradford
School of Pharmacy, where he spent many years before moving to the school at
Leeds in the early 1960s.
Ronnie specialised in pharmaceutics and was passionate about both teaching and
research. Despite the demands of a heavy teaching load he found the time to do
research for his PhD, which was awarded in 1952.
He was a pioneer, certainly in pharmacy, in the relatively new field of polarography
and the then mysteries of the dropping mercury cathode! He became well known
both nationally and internationally for his research.
Two of his undoubted talents need to be mentioned here. First, because of the
parsimonious allocation of resources to technical colleges (there were no funds
for research, as such, and anything spent in this direction came from savings
from the teaching budget), he was faced with making much of the electrochemical
apparatus needed himself. Fortunately he had a great interest in electronics.
(He made a television so that he and his family could watch the coronation of
the Queen.) He made, with meticulous precision, a sensitive galvanometer, among
other items. When tested by an independent authority it was found to be equal
to the most stringent specification of anything then available in the market
place.
Another surprising attribute was his ability to tackle foreign languages. Many
of the early research publications in polarography were written in Russian or
Serbo-Croat. This was not a problem for him. Ronnie had ensured he was familiar
with both.
His research interests in pharmaceutics developed into emulsion technology, particle
size analysis and other areas. He was a fundamental pharmaceutical scientist.
He published his research extensively and many research students were fortunate
to have him as their research director.
It is for his teaching that he will be remembered by most. Hundreds of pharmacists
will remember his lectures, which were interesting and well thought out, often
on subjects that on first inspection by students would not have looked exciting.
He always found time for students and was painstaking in his help to them in
practical classes.
He was a capable and efficient administrator and a good manager of those who
in one way or another reported to him whether it was academic or technical staff,
research students or undergraduates.
We suppose his biggest disappointment was the closure of the division of pharmacy
in the department of pharmacology at Leeds in the early 1970s. When he moved
to Leeds (as head of the division) the student intake was six a year, ie, a total
of 18 in the three years — numbers that in 2007 seem unbelievably small.
Despite a tiny allocation of laboratory space and other resources to pharmacy,
he managed to double the student intake by the late 1960s. Just at a time when
unquestionably he should have been awarded a professorship the division was closed.
He stayed on for a few years but retired in the 1970s.
For hobbies Ronnie was an enthusiastic radio ham. He learned to master Morse
code (even in Russian) and made friends all over the world by this means. He
was also an accomplished musician. He played and taught the cello to a high standard
and regularly performed in local groups and theatre orchestras often at short
notice.
Ronnie was devoted to his family — his wife Doris, two daughters, four
grandchildren and eventually four great-grandchildren. Doris died a few years
ago but he enjoyed the love and support of his family and many friends to the
end.
At home Ronnie was a keen gardener and even in his latter years he insisted on
keeping his garden neat and tidy. He enjoyed family holidays in Europe and was
so happy in France he became fluent in French even to the point in his last years
in attending local conversational classes.
Above all Ronnie had a keen sense of humour. At times he was irrepressible with
wit and anecdotes about his many and varied interests. No matter what the adversity
he retained a wonderful, cheerful personality which became infectious to all
around. All who knew him would remember this.
We shall remember Ronnie for the fine example he always conveyed to us and those
he met of a kindness, sincerity and understanding which few of those in senior
positions manage to convey. We owe him a great debt of gratitude which all his
former students will echo.
Wood In a tribute to
the late Robert
Anderson Wood (PJ, 5 May, p536),
WILLIAM RUCKER writes:
I write to pay tribute to Bob Wood, who died recently
after a long illness, which he fought with such courage and fortitude.
It was through his long and much valued membership of the Statutory
Committee that I came to know him well in recent years, although our
paths did cross
when he was the manager of the Plymouth branch of Boots many years ago. His
knowledge and experience of community pharmacy was invaluable to the committee
and without equal among the members. His firm but gentle questioning did
so much to open up the facts of difficult cases. He had a wonderfully
sharp sense
of humour and was always good company both to work with and at leisure.
When he told me of the serious illness diagnosed by his doctors, he said
that he would just like to go on as usual, as long as he could, without any
fuss.
And indeed he did. He attended hearings in between his courses of chemotherapy,
when it would have been so easy for him to have apologised but he had an
inner strength that drove him on. No one would have known he was so ill.
His understanding
and consideration of our cases was as sharp as ever. He was a man who definitely
died with his boots on, working to the end. He enjoyed golf, curling and
jogging and was a regular user of the gym, and his death is ironic when he
was by far
the fittest of us all.
Professionally he had a sparkling career with Boots, finishing up as the
manager in charge of all the large branches throughout Britain, but he and
Isabel had
also spent time in Canada when he was charged with the start-up of Boots
business over there.
Bob leaves his wife Isabel and three children with families themselves and
our condolences go to them all. The family who has spent so much time with
him over the past 12 months will miss him as a caring and loving dad and
granddad. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal