| Baker On 23 September,
John Edward Baker, aged 73, of 21 Woodstock Drive, Little Aston, Sutton
Coldfield, West Midlands B74 4HX. Mr Baker registered in 1955 and retired
from the Register in 1998.
Rusling On 5 October, Craig Steven Rusling, MRPharmS, aged 30, of 42 Eastcote
Road, Liverpool L19 7NS. Mr Rusling registered in 1999.
|
Tribute
Rusling In a tribute
to the late Craig Steven Rusling, ADAM WILLIAMS,
STEVEN ROBERTS, PAUL SWIFT and ANNA SWIFT write:
Sometimes
in life there seems to be no justice and the death of Craig Rusling is
one of those things. Craig died recently, aged 30, after fighting a brain
tumour for over 12 months, during which he handled his condition with
a determination to live life to the full. Craig was a dear friend of
ours and we can only hope that, with time, his death will become easier
for us to bear.
We first met Craig at Liverpool John Moores University while studying
for our pharmacy degrees. Craig loved pharmacy and had worked as a Saturday
student for his future business partner Eric Goodwin since he was 16.
Craig did his preregistration training at Lloydspharmacy in Widnes and
then went to manage Eric’s pharmacy at Booker Avenue in Liverpool,
near to were he lived. While working there he also met his long-term
girlfriend Rachael. After a few years he and Eric bought Green Lane Pharmacy
on Allerton Road in Liverpool, which was not far from his home. When
he bought Green Lane Pharmacy he had realised his dream of owning his
own pharmacy and was extremely proud of his achievement. Craig built
Green Lane Pharmacy into a thriving business with his friendly, caring,
professional and businesslike service to his patients.
Outside work Craig was active, and enjoyed playing squash, badminton
and going to the gym. His main passion outside pharmacy was mountain
climbing and he would spend most weekends either in the Lake District
or in North Wales. Another of his proudest moments was when he went on
a trek to Everest. Craig and Rachael were together for almost five years
and were planning to get married and buy a house together.
Adam remembers: “I visited Craig at his pharmacy and was so impressed
at how he cared for his patients and always went that extra mile for
all of them. I was also, admittedly, a little envious of how much his
customers adored and respected Craig and would pass three or four competitor
pharmacies to take their prescription to him. Craig was the finest person
I knew. He was also the finest pharmacist.”
Paul adds: “Craig was the hardest working young pharmacist I have
known, and through this quality, he had realised his ambition to own
his own pharmacy, a feat that is often reported as being almost impossible
for a young pharmacist. Craig worked for almost all his short career
within the same community in Liverpool and the love and concern shown
by his customers was evident whenever we helped in his store”.
Craig was well looked after during his illness by his devoted parents
Linda and Terry, his girlfriend Rachael and also by his Auntie Anne.
His death leaves a void for his family and friends, especially Linda
and Terry, Rachael, his brother Iain, his best friend Andy and numerous
friends and customers.
His father Terry said: “If you measure a man’s riches in
friendship then Craig was extremely rich.” And rightly so.
ERIC GOODWIN writes: The south of Liverpool mourns the premature passing,
at just 30 years of age, of an exceptionally well respected young pharmacist
following a brave, year-long battle against a rare brain stem tumour.
Craig first came to me as a 14-year-old Bluecoat School pupil on a two-week
work experience programme, and I was immediately impressed by his refreshing
attitude and desire to become a pharmacist from this young age. When
Craig was 16 years old he became my first “Saturday boy”,
working between Penny Lane Pharmacy and Booker Pharmacy in South Liverpool
during his holidays while studying for his “A”-levels and
then his degree at Liverpool John Moores University School of Pharmacy.
It was a great pleasure to see him mature from a boy to a man and gain
so much admiration from all who worked with him and from customers alike.
Craig was extremely proud to have qualified as a pharmacist and he immediately
took up the position of manager at Booker Pharmacy, where he quickly
gained recognition in his own right as a kind and caring pharmacist who
was dedicated to his job, was ever so obliging and never let anyone down.
Craig qualified as a mountain leader, enjoyed mountain walking in the
Lake District and in Scotland, and went on expeditions to Nepal, Mount
Everest and Slovenia.
In March 2004 Craig’s dream was realised when we became business
partners and co-directors of Green Lane Pharmacy Ltd, again in the south
of Liverpool. With the help of Craig’s inimitable, dynamic yet
caring style, the business quickly exceeded our expectations and became
a big success. He was chuffed to bits, but his meticulous planning could
not account for how terribly unlucky he was to become with his illness.
He will be sadly missed not only by me but also by his huge fan base
of customers and friends, who sent him hundreds and hundreds of cards
and letters, and by his heartbroken mother Linda, father Terry, brother
Iain and girlfriend Rachael, with whom he planned to settle down.
Craig was more than just a business partner: he was like a son, a brother
and a good friend all rolled into in. May God bless you and look after
you pal. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal