On 5 February 2010, Ronald Elder, aged 87, of 87 Dunsgreen, Ponteland, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE20 9EJ.
Mr Elder, a former fellow of the Society, registered in 1949 and retired from the Register in 2005.
Tributes
MIKE EARNSHAW, ROD LONGSHAW and PETER McKENZIE write: We were greatly saddened to learn of the recent death of friend and former colleague Ron Elder.
Ron had been a pupil at the Royal Grammar School in Newcastle where he excelled at sports, notably rugby and cricket but also climbing. In later life he continued this active life by running a judo class, hill walking and latterly by joining his local bowls club.
After the war, spent mainly in India with the 1st King George V’s Own Gurkha Rifles, Ron graduated from Sunderland School of Pharmacy. He was a Hope C. Winch scholar in 1949, an honour that was shared that year with another renowned local pharmacist, Alan Vickers.
Ron undertook his apprenticeship at Mawson and Proctor before going into industry and working for Allen and Hanburys at its Ware site. He returned to the north east to work in the family business — his father was a pharmacist before him. He then moved into hospital pharmacy and it was at this time that we met him, although at different stages of our careers.
He was deputy chief pharmacist at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead when I (Peter) first got to know him. He organised and played in a soccer match against the Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary’s (RVI) pharmacy staff that the RVI lost. In 1973 following the Noel Hall reorganisation, Ron became principal pharmacist at the RVI and later district pharmaceutical officer for Newcastle hospitals.
In 1976 the commissioning team for the new Freeman hospital was located in offices in the RVI and Ron, ever friendly, sought out the newly appointed principal pharmacist (Rod) and went out of his way to help me settle in, introducing me to the local pharmacists, staff at the school of pharmacy, relevant medical consultants and to his family.
Ron’s love of sport never left him and he was a keen follower of local teams, particularly rugby. On more than one occasion he could be seen, or rather heard, on the touchlines shouting encouragement to the Tynedale First Fifteen.
Within the RVI Ron’s energy and enthusiasm was a great example to junior staff and he was respected both in and outside the pharmacy department. He played an active and positive role within the area pharmacy organisation particularly when leading the team during the interregnum after the then area pharmaceutical officer retired.
In autumn 1984 Ron decided that the time had come to ease down and retired from hospital service and returned to his roots in community pharmacy. He took on more and more work, becoming practically full-time right up to retirement.
However, he still found time during his lunch breaks to indulge his interest in bird watching, driving to Budle Bay and eating his sandwiches while using his binoculars.
Ron became more than a colleague: he became a friend and we remained in contact even when our professional paths diverged. He enjoyed walking and we have many fond memories of walks in the Cheviots and trips to the Highlands.
We were often regaled with stories of his painting and carpentry classes and the latest news of the church choir. He had a wonderful knack of bringing his listeners into his tales and we often finished our walks to coincide with pub opening hours — never more so than when the Five Nations matches were on.
He was a friendly, kind and unassuming man with an enthusiasm for life that never left him. He will be missed by many people with whom he came into contact, and our sympathy and condolences go to his wife Joan, his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
PETER HOPLEY (former area pharmaceutical officer, Newcastle Health Authority) writes: Echoing the comments of former colleagues, I should like to say that Ron was very well known as a pharmacist, sportsman, soldier and family man.
Colleagues, friends and I fondly remember him as a kind, approachable person who would talk without hesitation about any aspect of his life (albeit with a little repetition and deviation).
I extend my sympathy and condolences to all of Ron’s family.
