1941-2019

figure 1

Jane Rhodes, who died on 16 January 2019 aged 77, was a highly creative and far-sighted strategic thinker with attributes in dentistry, voluntary work and art.

Jane qualified from Guy's Dental School in 1965 and gained her diploma in dental public health in 1972. Most of her professional career was spent in Buckinghamshire, as a consultant in dental public health. Over 20 years she built up the community dental service in Milton Keynes from just two clinics treating children, to a city-wide, modern special needs and public health service. In the 1980s, she led the campaign to introduce water fluoridation to the city, eventually managing to gain support and commitment from all local political and statutory bodies, although ultimately the water company prevented this from happening.

A firm believer in the value of developing staff through lifelong learning and postgraduate qualifications, Jane became regional adviser in community dentistry to the British Postgraduate Medical Foundation. She was the first regional dental officer to be appointed to the North West London Regional Health Authority.

In retirement, Jane moved to South Wales and became a trustee of the Wallich trust, a charity which provides services for homeless people across the region. She was appointed as treasurer when the trust was a small organisation wishing to expand its activities. Her advice was greatly valued and her organisational ability and questioning of important decisions helped the trust to reach its current highly regarded position. It was for this work that she was awarded an MBE in 2011.

Art was Jane's passion and she was an accomplished and prolific painter of abstract landscapes, studying under Kenneth Webb in Ireland. Her paintings in oils and acrylics were displayed on the walls of her office and home, and she exhibited at a number of galleries across the UK. She continued to paint and regularly attended masterclasses in Devon and Ireland until her Parkinson's disease was too advanced to allow her to continue.

She is survived and greatly missed by her brothers and sisters: Sally, Susan, John and Mark and their families, to whom we extend our condolences.

By Helen Falcon, Sue Gregory and Alan French