Richard Marx

Richard Marx died peacefully at his home near Bath on October 23 1998. He had moved there in April and was still commuting to his former practice in Watford when he learned he was suffering from a malignant brain tumour. He faced the following weeks with tremendous courage and outward cheerfulness and with the short remission which surgery afforded him, he managed to fulfil a lifetime's ambition to visit Pompeii.

Richard was born in Cologne in 1929 and escaped from Germany with his parents when he was only eight years of age. He qualified at Birmingham in 1953. Deciding to specialise in orthodontics, he obtained his DOrth in 1960 and embarked at first on an academic career at the Royal Dental Hospital. After a short while he established a specialist practice but continued to teach part-time for almost the whole of his practising life, moving to Guy's when the Royal closed.

In his younger days Richard had been a 3As gold medallist in both the hammer and discus and in later life became an accomplished squash player and an enthusiastic golfer. But he will be remembered above all as an outstanding practitioner of the Begg fixed appliance technique. He attended the first Begg course held in Europe at Groningen in 1967 and contributed greatly to the introduction of the Begg technique into the United Kingdom. His enthusiasm for this benefited from an outstanding practical ability and a questioning approach to all he did. He was a founder member of the European Begg Society, to whom he gave the 15th Begg lecture in Strasbourg in1991.

In 1988 the Royal College of Surgeons introduced the Membership in Ortho- dontics which established UK training standards at a level which matched the best in the world, and Richard wished to be associated with this move. He therefore took and passed the examination at the age of 58, although for most of its duration it was impossible to distinguish the examiners from their candidate.

Richard was an active and forward looking member of the British Society for the Study of Orthodontics for almost 40 years. It was fitting that he should be its last President and that he should have had the honour of installing the first President of the new British Orthodontic Society in 1994.

Those who were privileged to work with him will remember the warmth of his personality, his outstanding clinical acumen and his self-effacing modesty. He will be sadly missed by his colleagues who extend their deepest sympathy to his four children and their families.

A memorial service is being held on April 24, at 10.30 am at the Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, Holborn.

PSE, CDS

Alistair Thallon Campbell

Alastair Campbell died on Wednesday, January 13, aged 76, after a short illness.

He was educated at Dumbarton Academy and Glasgow High School. During the Blitz, he was wounded by shrapnel from a landmine while serving with one of the auxiliary services, and some of the shrapnel remained with him until his death.

After qualifying in Glasgow, he served in the Army Dental Corps, mainly on hospital ships in the Middle and Far East. After demob, he joined his father in Dumbarton where he worked until his retirment in 1982. However, there was an interruption of almost two years when tuberculosis was diagnosed during the Mass Radiography campaign in the 50s. His treatment included a long stay in a sanatorium in Leysin, Switzerland. During these long months, he was encouraged by visits from his brother, Leslie, and his other partner. Alastair seldom complained — just sometimes about the monotony of the food. He was never seen to eat a French bean from then on.

Alastair was a member of a remarkable dental family. His grandfather practised at the turn of the century and when he died Alastair's grandmother took over. She dealt with emergencies at any time of the day or night until she was over 90.

Alastair's father, uncle, brother and three cousins all became dentists, and at one time almost had a monopoly in the Dumbarton area with three practices.

Sadly, he was the last of the Campbell dynasty, although there are three dentists in his step-family; his step-son, Douglas Reilly, whose father was also a dentist, is now senior partner in Alastair's grandfather's original practice.

Alastair was a founder member of the Rotary Club of Dumbarton, convener of all its major committees and was elected president in 1968. He was president of Dumbarton Burns Club in 1966 and a member of Dumbarton Salmon Club for many years. A keen golfer, he joined Cardross at the age of eight and became a life member in 1987. He was also a member of Newtonmore Golf Club and a past member of the Scottish Western Dental Golf Club.

Alastair married comparatively late in life but made up for lost time. He married Gwen in 1973 and had his first grandchild in the same year. He had six more over the next ten years and was much loved by them all.

His family, his friends, and his patients will remember him as a caring and gentle gentleman.

DB