David Charles Rule

The sudden death of David Rule aged 63 years at his home in Beckenham on 29th August, 2000 has taken from the dental profession a UK leader in the fields of postgraduate education and paediatric dentistry. David's early life was spent in the Medway, Kent where he attended Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School, Rochester. He progressed to Birmingham University to study dentistry. After a house appointment in the Birmingham Dental Hospital he served a short service commission in the Royal Army Dental Corps.

On demobilisation he joined the Eastman Dental Hospital as a registrar to the Department of Children's Dentistry in February 1964, serving the hospital and associated postgraduate institute over the next 37 years. He became full-time consultant/honorary senior lecturer in February 1970. His clinical reputation increased to the point where he was given honorary consultant appointments at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children, St Mary's Hospital and the Hammersmith Hospital.

He was appointed President of the British Society of Dentistry for the Handicapped in 1980/81, President of the British Society of Paediatric Dentistry in 1988/89 and President of the International Association of Dentistry for the Handicapped in 1988/90. Towards the end of the 1980s, David Rule devoted his undoubted energies to the pursuit of postgraduate education and training in the UK. He was appointed Dean of Postgraduate Dentistry to the British Postgraduate Medical Federation; now known as Thames Postgraduate Medical & Dental Education within the University of London. He continued as a part-time Consultant at the Eastman and served as acting Head of Departmert of Paediatric Dentistry in 1994/96. He was elected to the Board of Faculty of Dental Surgery, Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1989, the General Dental Council in 1992, Consultant in Dental Education to the Defence Dental Agency, chairman of two working parties for the Standing Committee on Postgraduate Medical Education, member of the Standing Dental Advisory Committee and President of the Metropolitan Branch of the British Dental Association. Within the Faculty of Dental Surgery he chaired on a number of committees dealing with postgraduate education. He was appointed Vice Dean of the Faculty during 1999/00. On the General Dental Council he became Chairman of the Postgraduate Education Committee ard Chairman of the Career Redevelopment Working Party. David Rule was known for his overt love for all his family and friends and for his exceptional kindness and compassion for the disadvantaged in society, particularly children. In his spare time his passionate interest was for cricket. Another passion was for sailing which he shared with his long-time friend Brian Williams. David will be remembered with great affection by his many colleagues and friends and will be sorely missed by his wife Lindy, and children Charlotte, Rebecca, Matthew and Katy.

G B W

Richard Haskell

Richard Haskell, consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon to Guy's and Greenwich Hospitals died unexpectedly on 12 June 2000. Richard Haskell, known to his friends as Dick, was born in Petersfield on 19 June 1936, the second son of Jack and Marjory Haskell.

His dental career started in 1955 at King's College, where he achieved honours in all subjects in the final BDS examination. It was here that he met Marion, a fellow dental student who was later to be his wife. In 1959, he returned to King's as part of the vanguard of oral surgeons who sought double qualifications. He qualified in 1963 with honours and was awarded the University gold medal in medicine – remarkable for a man who made a late career decision and had studied no science at school. His daughter Greer was born in 1964, the year he finished his medical degree.

The Sowray/Haskell mid line osteotomy stands as a testament to his ingenuity and endeavour at an early stage of his surgical career. In 1968, the year he published an account of this procedure, he moved to the Eastman Dental Hospital as senior registrar. At the Eastman he produced two books on clinical oral medicine and orofacial disease. He was later elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians – a unique honour for an oral surgeon. In 1971, he returned to King's as a consultant in oral surgery and dental casualty, and in 1974 took up the post as consultant oral surgeon at Guy's and Greenwich Hospitals. He worked on a range of national committees including the Joint Consultant Committee, the Central Committee for Hospital Dental Services, the Central Consultants and Specialist Committee and Special Advisory Committee in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. He became vice-dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgeons, chairman of the examining board for Fellowship of Dental Surgery and treasurer to the British Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons. In the mid 1980s, he pioneered cranial access surgery with the neurosurgeon Neil O'Dywer, and later Mike Sharr. He also published 16 scientific papers and latterly contributed to Gray's Anatomy.

In 1996, soon after he retired, Dick was struck down by a minor stroke. He demonstrated his resilient qualities by writing a book on wisdom teeth. The essence of his character was to be quiet, retiring and always modest. His high principles and generous nature made him one of a small class of patricians. Yet despite all these achievements he would probably want to be remembered as a happy family man. Richard Haskell will be missed for his warmth, intelligence, humour, wisdom, altruism and generosity of spirit.

M M