Susan Elizabeth Jean (“Sue”) Munby
General practitioner Wandsworth 1982-91, Coventry 1992-7 (b Wimbledon 1955; q Westminster 1978; DRCOG, MRCGP), died of metastatic cancer of the colon on 20 May 1998. She followed her mother into general practice and became a partner in her training practice, with her identical twin sister in practice nearby. She moved to Kenilworth when her husband was appointed a consultant clinical oncologist. A woman with high standards in everything she tackled, she was a superb cook and hostess, while her practical gardening knowledge was immense. Bird watching, walking, tennis, and skiing (latterly) were all among her interests. She leaves a husband, Andy; two daughters; parents; and three sisters.
Rachael Mary Rosser
Emeritus professor of psychiatry University College London (b Coventry 1941; q Cambridge/St Thomas’s 1966; FRCP, FRCPsych), died in a fall at home on 10 July 1998. She started life in the blitz, growing up in great poverty. She won a scholarship to Cambridge and after qualification held posts in general medicine before entering psychiatry. Deeply versed in both pharmacology and in psychotherapy, she developed her skills with the help of a personal analysis. She introduced liaison psychiatry at both Charing Cross and the Middlesex Hospitals, but her widest clinical impact came with the setting up of a stress clinic after the King’s Cross fire. This clinic, which at its peak had over 1000 victims on its register, subsequently supported patients from the Marchioness and Lockerbie disasters. Her widespread research interests included pioneering with her husband, the now well established quality of life assessment, and evaluating the success of psychotherapies and other approaches. Very conscious of the limits of traditional medicine, she took early retirement to explore new ideas for helping patients. At the time of her death she was planning a research unit at Norwich to explore multifaith health and healing, and had discussed her ideas with, and received support from, Mother Teresa. She leaves a husband, Vincent, and a daughter and a son.
by Vincent Watts
Robert Spencer (“Bob”) Rudland
Former general practitioner Coventry (b Coventry 1905; q Birmingham 1928; MRCGP; MBE), died of old age on 17 June 1998. He came from an unbroken line of doctors for 250 years (an ancestor was a naval surgeon at Trafalgar), and after qualification and house jobs Bob sailed to Japan and the Far East as a ship’s doctor before returning to join the family practice. He also joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and during the war attained the rank of‘ surgeon captain. He served in the battleship HMS Iron Duke and the cruiser HMS Devonshire, mainly in Russian convoys and in the Pacific. After the war he was active in promoting the rebuilding of the bombed city and in particular its cathedral, as well as in the development of the NHS. He served on the executive committee for 23 years, the local medical committee for 25 years, and was chairman of the Coventry Division of the BMA in 1949, being a representative from 1950 to 1968. In 1958 he was appointed honorary physician to the Queen and in 1976 deputy lieutenant of the West Midlands. He maintained his naval interests by contributing to the development of the local sea cadet unit. Excelling at sport since his schooldays, he continued to shoot and play “old man’s” tennis until nearly 60 and golf until nearly 80. His wife, Audrey (a Wren he met in the navy, who was the daughter of Sir Percy Sillitoe, the head of MI5), died aged 28 and he never remarried. He leaves two daughters, six grandchildren, and two great-grandsons.
by John Keenan
Sankar Das Sarkar
Consultant orthopaedic surgeon West Bromwich and Sandwell District Hospitals 1969-92 (b Tarakeshwar, where his father was a physician, 1928; q Calcutta 1951; FRCS), d 6 July 1998. His father died in 1936 and years of insecurity and struggle followed. In 1942 he was declared a “restrictee” and was confined to Burdwan by the political intelligence office for his independence activities. A student leader, he was general secretary of the students’ union from 1945 to 1947. He came to Britain in 1958, helping to found the Calcutta Medical College ex-students’ association 20 years later. He published papers on delayed open reduction of traumatic dislocation of the hip and the use of pulsed electromagnetic fields in healing non-united fractures of the lateral condyle. In retirement he was in great demand performing the songs of Rabindranath Tagore. He leaves a wife, Uma, and two sons.
by Sandip Sarkar
Roger Sauvan-Smith
Former general practitioner and emeritus consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology Colchester 1931-78 (b Harlow 1904; q UCH 1926), died of a stoke and chest infection on 12 June 1998. After five years of house jobs, and with much experience in obstetrics and gynaecology, he joined a temperamental colleague in general practice. In pre-NHS days he did most of the gynaecological surgery at Essex County Hospital, building up a renowned and extensive midwifery practice. He was instrumental in founding the maternity hospital in the town, and later set up the blood transfusion service in association with a lay citizen, who did all the collecting, cross matching, and the administration of blood in emergencies. During the war he worked without a break and also did much of the straightforward surgery. At the outset of the NHS he became a senior hospital medical officer at the hospital and a consultant at the cottage hospital in Sudbury alongside his large general practice. Devoted patients would wait for hours to see him, a common sight being the long queues extending even into the garden. He worked without secretarial help, doing all the haphazard filing and answering the telephone; eventually he took in partners and amalgamated with another practice. He spoke French fluently, loved horse racing, and was an exceptional bridge player, being a member of the English team in the 1950s. A strong swimmer, he played water polo into his 40s. He could be brusque and did not suffer fools gladly, expecting his patients to cope themselves with their own self imposed vicissitudes. A bachelor for many years, he married Dorothy in 1960, who cared for him when he was chairbound with arthritis in his last years; there were no children of the marriage.
by Norman Paros