Howard Wall

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1923–2017

James Howard Wall died peacefully in Chatburn, Lancashire on 27 June 2017, a month before his ninety-fourth birthday. Born on 1 August 1923, a scion of Jim Wall, a prominent Preston dentist.

He was educated at Preston Grammar School then graduated from Liverpool University where he then stayed on as a junior house surgeon for 12 months. He worked in the periodontal department then for his final six months was invited to be a 'demonstrator' of general anaesthesia.

Howard was called into the army, based at the artillery camp at Oswestry where as a dental officer, he examined the teeth of the new intakes being admitted to the services.

After the army, he opened up his practice in Preston, where he worked for the next 35 years. He was a lifelong member of the BDA and was elected Chair of our local dental committee for many years.

Cast in the classical mould of his generation, Howard was an exemplary clinician and held the twin virtues of an astoundingly sharp mind and a sound understanding of dental procedures. He embraced the philosophy of the NHS through which he almost exclusively channelled his considerable clinical skills with his specialist interest being in dental prosthetics.

He married Alma in 1964, 'the love of his life and soulmate', and they were happily married for 50 years before she died in 2013.

He had boundless energy, was fastidious and a great lover of order, was eccentric and quirky, a most forthright character, often pedantic, but very charismatic, humorous and charming!

He was a well-read wordsmith, loving books of all kinds especially literature, grammar, poetry and Shakespeare.

Outside his distinguished career in dentistry, he enjoyed life to the full. His interests being far reaching and highly informed, including an incredible interest in cars and motor racing. From 1953 to 1966 he was an official at Silverstone for the British Racing Drivers Club.

He also enjoyed ballroom dancing, bird watching and photography, clay pigeon shooting, and then into retirement he took up computer skills and woodturning. Being the master craftsman that he was, he produced hundreds of exquisite pieces, all perfect of course!

He still maintained his love of motoring, and set about collecting an impressive number of advanced driving certificates!

A cruel blow when Howard was 80, he became blind in one eye and sadly over the following years lost his sight almost completely.

As his dental nurse for the first ten years of my lifelong career in dentistry, I had the great fortune to be influenced by his integrity, commitment, dignity and charm. I implicitly trusted his wisdom and judgement in all aspects of life.