1928–2010

Gaining a scholarship to Southend High School for Boys, the headmaster wisely encouraged Henry to take up a career in dentistry. He qualified in 1951 at Guy's Hospital, where he became a dental house surgeon. National Service followed, and Henry became a Captain in the Royal Army Dental Corps whilst serving in Egypt. On returning he gained Fellowship in Orthodontics at Eastman Dental Hospital.

Henry then became Chief Dental Officer of the Shetland Islands. Travelling between the islands on the various ferries developed a love of the sea and birds. Whilst there, he found his dental nurse to be struggling with her dental nurse examinations. Asking to see the textbook Henry found to his surprise one had not been published. During a winter spent with the School Health Services mobile dental unit, the text was prepared. Henry's book was published in 1960 – 'Textbook for dental nurses'.

The book was written in Henry's style; meticulous in detail and presented in a dogmatic fashion. The first edition in 1960 had 140 pages. It became a best-seller as the standard textbook for dental nurses and went through nine editions, growing to some 435 pages. Each revision was scrupulously researched to ensure the book was kept up-to-date as dentistry evolved.

His next post was in Anglesey and as an accomplished hill walker Henry scaled every peak in Snowdonia. However, the achievement of an 'O' level in Welsh must have been the really serious challenge. A move to Staffordshire General Hospital as Consultant in Children's Dentistry was followed by a return to Essex; his final post as Chief Community Orthodontist. Upon retirement, he became Emeritus Examiner for the National Examining Board for Dental Nurses.

Outside of dentistry Henry was a family man with a reserved character but had a wicked English sense of humour. He particularly enjoyed the Gilbert and Sullivan operettas and Johann Strauss. Living in Southend brought back an interest in sailing, first gained with a catamaran off Anglesey. In seeking to promulgate his astronomy and sailing skills led to the publication of 'Astro-navigation by calculator - a handbook for yachtsman' (1984). His passion for sailing on the inland waterways of the Netherlands led to the 'Dutch inland sailing pilot' (1988), the first guide in English.

Despite Henry's passing in 2010, 'Levison's textbook for dental nurses' has continued into its 11th Edition in many languages under the direction of Carole Hollins. Fifty-five years on, Henry's 'bible' for dental nurses has helped generations to pursue their career and will continue to do so for many years to come.