Richard George Michael (“Mike”) Letcher

Former consultant histopathologist St Margaret's Hospital, Epping, and Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, Harlow (b 1936; q Middlesex Hospital, London, 1959; MRCPath, FRCPath), died in a road crash as a pedestrian on 30 November 2005.

After working at the Bland Sutton Institute of the Middlesex Hospital, Richard George Michael Letcher (“Mike”) was appointed sole consultant histopathologist to St Margaret's Hospital Epping in 1972. He led the merger of three hospital services into one and increased his team by five; introduced immunofluorescent diagnostic services for skin biopsies and macroscopic images into histopathology reports; organised a cervical cytology recall system by raising charitable funds; and established regular teaching sessions for general surgeons and junior medical staff. Predictably, Mike continued to work full time in retirement as a member of the team he had created. He leaves a wife, Audrey; two daughters; and a grandson.