Ronald Alban Cohen

Ronald Alban Cohen, who died on 12th November 2001 at the age of 94, was a leading author in dental history and produced some 100 papers, many of which were on original topics of research. He was born in Birmingham on 7 April 1907, the second of three dentally qualified brothers, and was educated at King Edward's School and the Birmingham Dental School where he qualified LDS in 1930. He became a well-respected and able dentist in Warwick and was also dental surgeon at the Warneford Hospital in Leamington Spa and at the Central Hospital in Warwick in the days of the voluntary hospitals which were staffed by the leading practitioners of the area. During the Second World War he worked in the Emergency Medical Service at Warwick Hospital in addition to his other hospital work and his own practice.

His influence on the study of the history of dentistry has been far-reaching...

Cohen's link with Birmingham was maintained when he was Honorary Lecturer and Senior Research Fellow at the Dental School in a Dental History Unit which he founded, and which was later supported by the Wellcome Trust. In 1981 he became MA Birmingham honoris causa and in 1997 the library at the Dental School was renamed The Ronald Cohen Dental Library in his honour.

Cohen was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, one of the first to be created a Tomes Medallist by the BDA and the first recipient of the Lindsay Medal of the Lindsay Society for the History of Dentistry, of which he was a Founder Member and later an Honorary Member. He was also an Honorary Member of the American Academy of the History of Dentistry and of the Société Française d'Histoire de l'Art Dentaire. At various times he was a president of the Birmingham Dental Students Society of which he wrote a history, of the Central Counties Branch of the BDA and of the Odontological Section of the Royal Society of Medicine. He became chairman of the Leamington Medical Society and for 17 years chaired the Family Practitioner Committee of Warwickshire.

Cohen lectured to lay and professional audiences on dental history in Britain, France, the Netherlands and in Ireland where for 21 years he was extra-mural lecturer at Queen's University Belfast. He gave the Menzies Campbell Lectures at the Royal Colleges of Surgery of England and Edinburgh, was Wallis Lecturer at the Royal Society of Medicine and the MacGregor Lecturer in Birmingham. To mark his 90th birthday in 1997, the Lindsay Society reprinted a selection of his major historical papers covering over 60 years of authorship. Cohen also wrote the Introduction to a facsimile edition of Charles Allen's Operator for the Teeth, 1685, the first dental book written in English, and he edited The Advance of the Dental Profession, a history of the BDA produced for its Centenary. His influence on the study of the history of dentistry has been far-reaching, and many of those now interested in the subject owe their inspiration to his example of precision and accuracy and their perseverance to his never-failing support and encouragement.

In 1934 he married Beatrice Campbell with whom he had a son and two daughters and who died in 1976. In 1981 he married Muriel Spencer, the then Librarian of the BDA, who survives him with his three children.

E. Muriel Cohen

Anne-Marie Redcliffe (nee Sedgwick)

Anne-Marie Redcliffe died peacefully at home on 4th October. The melanoma, originally diagnosed eight years ago, returned at the end of last year. Anne-Marie crammed an enormous amount into the 42 years of her life. She was born on May 1st 1959 in Lincolnshire and she attended The Convent of the Cross School, Boscombe, followed by St Peter's School, Southbourne. She was bright, talented and excelled at ballet and danced with the Murilova Ballet school in Bournemouth from 1962-1975 and almost joined the Royal Ballet School until her headmistress persuaded her to take A levels.

...she realised that she loved every aspect of dentistry...

Arriving at Guy's Hospital, Anne-Marie's bubbly character and keenness to excel in her dentistry soon made her liked and well known. The dance and theatrical side of her character meant that she threw herself into her roles in the hospital reviews. Before qualifying in 1982, she spent her elective at The University of California in San Francisco and also learnt to ski, extend her circle of friends, use her father's credit card and find time to visit four other dental schools, all in six weeks. The highlights of her elective had to be tamed before being given in a lecture to the Dental Society! After qualifying, Anne-Marie stayed at Guy's as a House Officer and although she considered specialising, she realised that she loved every aspect of dentistry and that general practice was the place for her. Initially she worked in Poole, and then Boscombe. In 1987 she joined her father in his well-established practice in Southbourne, which made him extremely proud. Anne-Marie and her father opened a new practice together in Highcliffe and the night before the doors opened in 1994 they were hanging the final piece of wallpaper together.

In 1987, Anne-Marie married David Redcliffe. She lived for David and their four children, Charlotte, Alexandra, James and Thomas, while continuing to run her own practice. Her love of life and boundless energy meant that she was capable of juggling her many talents. Her deeply caring, friendly nature and natural openness meant that her staff and patients adored her. And her deep love and kindness to her family and friends meant that she was appreciated by many and this was only too evident at her wonderful memorial service. At this service her daughter Charlotte not only sang an unaccompanied solo but also read a moving address. To quote, 'Unfortunately, no one can replace such a wonderful, dedicated, bubbly, strong, bright, compassionate, friendly, loving, loyal and just plain brilliant woman. She made those dark days light and the sad days happy.' Anne-Marie was enormously proud of her beautiful, talented children. Ironically they were her last patients before their wonderful family holiday in Portugal, which meant so much to her and was a credit to her strength, determination and courage. Anne-Marie's memory will live on in the lives of her children. She will be deeply missed by her husband David, her family and all who knew her.

Bridget Green