1937–2018

Mary was born in 1937 in Birmingham and went to Roedean School in Brighton where she excelled both academically and in sport. Students at the Royal Dental Hospital studied other medical subjects at other medical schools and Mary was one of two women in a group of ten students who were accepted to study anatomy and physiology at the Royal Free Hospital. She qualified in December 1959, when she was only 22 years of age.

Her boyfriend during her undergraduate years was John Reeves and they married after qualifying in the summer of 1960 and moved to Birstall taking over the practice there. As a dental surgeon, she was meticulously careful, a skilled operator who earned the respect and affection of her patients. John Reeves, as a member of the Representative Board, was very involved with the BDA. They travelled extensively to dental conferences all over the world. John tragically died in 1987 and Mary carried on the practice with an associate until she retired. Mary was President of the East Midlands Branch of the BDA in 1994/5. They are the only married couple to be presidents of the Branch.

She had a busy social life; belonging to two tennis clubs, a golf club, a bridge club and a luncheon club. She also kept strong links with the Leicester Lions Club, which John Reeves had joined and where she met John Vesty, whom she married in 1996, and they both retired a year later. They shared a love of rugby and cricket and watched both at home and abroad. Their love of travel over the next 22 years took them to more than 60 countries and 24 states in the USA.

Mary was an enthusiastic member of the organisations to which she belonged and besides her work for the BDA, she was treasurer of Rothley tennis club for ten years (with a little help from John), Secretary of the Ladies' Section at the golf club for two years and also Fixtures Secretary of the Leicestershire senior ladies' tennis for several years, serving on the committees of all these clubs.

Both Mary and John Vesty belonged to The Lindsay Society, named after Lilian Lindsay who was the first lady to qualify as a dentist in England. Mary possessed an intellect unsurpassed and integrity beyond most. Her equanimity, cheerfulness, warmth, generosity and friendship will be my lasting memory of her. I am richer for my involvement with her and her family.

Their four children, Richard, Tim, Philippa and Joanna, were never tempted to follow in their parents' vocation, but chose a variety of careers at which they have excelled most successfully.