Denzil Stalford

Denzil 'Danny' Stalford was born 19th February 1915, son of a London dentist, and qualified in March 1938. He reopened his father's dental practice at 93 Camberwell Road until he was called-up in May 1941 to serve in the Royal Army Dental Corps. He was promoted to Captain in 1942 and served at home for two years. He volunteered for service with the Invading Forces and landed, with mobile dental equipment, at Arromanches on D Day + 11.

He served with an infantry division until the final surrender of the German war machine. In spite of everything, Danny enjoyed his days in the army and the many experiences shared with his comrades brought them very close. He loved to reminisce about his army days with hilarious tales of the exploits of himself and his friends, so much so that his family grew to know all the stories off by heart.

In 1946 he returned to civilian life and in 1947 opened a squat practice in Horley. After this, he built up a flourishing surgery in Massetts Road, Horley, and only retired at the age of seventy-six, when his daughter, Nikolia, took over.

Danny was forever trying to help others. His goodness made everyone like him at first sight, and doing good was what gave him the most pleasure in life. He was lucky to be in a profession in which he could do this for a living, but this was not enough and he dedicated his spare time to it too. As a member of the Socialist Medical Association he attended meetings concerned with the formation of the National Health Service. Outline plans for the dental part of the scheme were debated and were eventually adopted into the Act of Parliament. In May 1948 the bill for the new National Health Service was passed and Danny was proud to have been involved and was delighted at the boost it gave to modern dentistry and free treatment to the masses.

Danny was also a very active supporter of the peace movement and frequently joined their marches for peace. He also hated political injustice and wanted to help political prisoners the world over. It was this that led to his discovery of Greece. Through the League for Democracy in Greece, Danny met his wife Maria.

Danny will be sadly missed by his wife Maria, daughter Nikolia and son Manolis.

S.E.G.

David Shone

David Shone, who was born in Surrey and educated at Whitgift and Sheffield University, died on June 6th 1999, just a few months short of his 60th birthday.

Academically able, he passed theory examinations effortlessly, but it was in his clinical and technical work that he excelled. His practical skills (he built himself a sports car while a student) and wide-ranging interests were too great to be contained within dentistry and gave the clue to how his life was to develop.

After graduating he practiced in Edenbridge, Kent, and Worthing, Sussex, before moving to Falmouth to join his brother-in-law and classmate Derek Lamb in A. Gordon Mann's practice. The 'right person having arrived', a period of expansion followed, taking the group to four dentists and three technicians. However, David was soon looking outside dentistry and took over a remote small holding part-time, raising pigs and cattle. He was a keen fisherman and sailor and a skilled woodworker. He made a new mast for a 19th century oyster boat in the workshop he built himself.

Very popular locally, he took the early retirement option and continued to live in Falmouth in a quaint house stuffed with antiques. David then worked intermittently as a valued locum when he needed to, supporting a simple but convivial lifestyle which was increasingly devoted to the Cornish countryside. He became an expert naturalist and travelled in the area to study the flora and fauna which he loved. Seldom seen without a camera and binoculars, he was a fount of knowledge about the birds and butterflies of the area.

Personally David had great charm. He remained on friendly terms with his ex-wife Gail and other partners, and with friends from school and university. He was a good father to the two children of the marriage, Thomas and Genevieve, and to his other daughter, Demelza. With his sister Elizabeth he was close to his parents until their deaths, but the experience left him saddened and convinced that old age held few delights. He sought no treatment for the cirrhosis of the liver, acute complications of which caused his sudden death. His estate was divided equally between his three children and the Cornish Wildlife Trust. He was the antithesis of the stereotypical dentist and is mourned and missed by all who knew him.

E.P.