Norman Pailthorpe died on 30 January 2007, aged 92 years, after a short illness. He qualified from Birmingham Dental School in 1935 and after a few locums accepted a partnership in general dental practice in Loughborough.

During the war he enlisted in the Army Dental Corps and spent four years in the Middle East which included postings to Egypt, Eritrea, Syria, Haifa and Hadera. He returned to practice in Loughborough after the war and, in 1946, married Gwen, to whom he was happily married for 53 years.

His professional attitude and dedication towards his patients and colleagues led him to become involved in the LDC as Secretary, Treasurer and then Chairman, a founder member of the Sheffield and District Orthodontic Study Circle and Chairman (1966-8), Secretary of his local BDA Section, Chairman of East Midlands Branch, Chairman (1965-6) and Treasurer (1983-92) of the 250 Club and to sit on the national selection panel when the first Area Dental Officers were appointed. His contribution to dentistry, and in particular the BDA, was recognised when he was awarded life membership in 1974. He, with his partner John Coe, will also be remembered as inventors of the Paco bath for the curing of dental acrylic.

In 1972 Norman retired due to ill health and moved to Anglesey, but he couldn't remain idle long. He initially took up breeding rabbits commercially and quickly became Chairman of the Commercial Rabbit Breeders Association. However his love of dentistry continued and he became an SDO doing domiciliary denture work for the local CDS until Gwen's health deteriorated.

He lived a long, full and happy life.

Norman and Gwen had three children, Sheila, Charles and Helen, and five grandchildren. They moved to Reading in 1995 to be near Charles and his wife, Helen. Sadly Gwen passed away in 2000 but Norman remained independent until shortly before his death, even working as a volunteer at the Royal Berkshire Hospital until last summer. He loved travelling and his last trip was aged 91 to spend Christmas with his daughter, and her family! He lived a long, full and happy life and will be missed by his family and friends.