Born in 1941, Tom was brought up in Manchester and attended Chethams School. He loved to play rugby and football and was an ardent supporter of Manchester United. He was a chorister at Manchester Cathedral, played the flute and always had a great love of music. Tom followed his mother and father into dentistry and qualified BDS from King’s College in 1966. His father Jack was Secretary of the BDA from 1959 to 1971 for which he received a CBE. Tom was an Army dental cadet while at King’s College which allowed him to indulge his passion for cars, and where he met his wife Lottie, working as an assistant nurse at the neurosurgical unit. Tom had a distinguished career in the Royal Army Dental Corps initially in general practice then later specialising in oral surgery and in orthodontics. He served in Harrogate, Malaysia, Cyprus, Berlin, Ireland, Wroughton and Rinteln. He reached the rank of Lt. Colonel and with changing times in the Army decided to leave and try his hand in orthodontic practice. After two years in Norwich, he opened his own specialist orthodontic practice in Stratford and Gants Hill where he worked very successfully for the next 18 years. He continued his interest in cars and enjoyed holidays at their villa in the South of France. Sadly he only enjoyed two years of retirement before being diagnosed with a malignant astrocytoma, which progressively transformed to a glioblastoma. Despite surgery and radiotherapy and the enormous support of his wife and family, Tom died on 13 September 2011 just short of his seventieth birthday. He will be remembered for his dry humour, his love, kindness and support as well as his total enjoyment of life and for a lifetime of service to his many patients. He leaves wife Lottie, daughter Mary, and grandchildren, Jack and Emily.