Wishart, Colin (1920 - 2001)
by
 
Ralph Kerr-Gilbert

Asset Name
E010406 - Wishart, Colin (1920 - 2001)

Title
Wishart, Colin (1920 - 2001)

Author
Ralph Kerr-Gilbert
 
Alan Mayhew
 
Winston Peters

Identifier
RCS: E010406

Publisher
The Royal College of Surgeons of England

Publication Date
2023-08-10

Subject
Medical Obituaries

Description
Obituary for Wishart, Colin (1920 - 2001), Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Language
English

Source
IsPartOf Plarr's Lives of the Fellows

Date of Birth
26 January 1920

Date of Death
5 July 2001

Place of Death
Edinburgh

Occupation
Oral and maxillofacial surgeon

Titles/Qualifications
FDSRCS 1953
 
BDS Newcastle

Details
Colin Wishart, Consultant Oral and Maxillofacial surgeon, died peacefully in Poole General Hospital on 5 July 2001, aged 81. Colin was born in Edinburgh on 26 January 1920, one of twin boys. He attended George Watson’s Boys College and later entered the Dental School where he was an enthusiastic student. He graduated LDS and commenced practice in Blairgowrie. Colin joined the Royal Air Force and was posted to Burma and Hong Kong where, apart from his routine service duties, he temporarily acted as an RAF police officer, which gave him some thrilling and revealing experiences. He loved the service life. On returning to Britain he was encouraged by Professor Bradlaw to sit his BDS at Newcastle and then his FDS. With this in mind, he returned to the teaching staff at Edinburgh where he worked with Ronald Thexton. Ronald became a lifelong friend who later encouraged Colin to apply for the Senior Registrar post at Oxford where he worked for Desmond Hayton-Williams from 1952 to 1957. It was here that he met, and in 1953 married, Marion who was an Anaesthetic Senior Registrar. During this time he became closely associated with Dr Rosemary Biggs and Dr Macfarlane who were researching the use of animal globulins for the treatment of hemophiliacs bleeding after tooth extraction. He later produced three papers on the results of this work. In 1957 Colin was appointed Consultant at Odstock Hospital, Salisbury, where he joined Eric Dalling at the Plastic and Oral Surgery Unit. Many of his junior staff enjoyed the hospitality in his home overlooking the water meadows and the spire of Salisbury cathedral and it was here that his three children grew up. Colin was proud to have been one of the foundation Fellows of the British Association of Oral Surgeons and for a while served as a member of its council. He was also an examiner for the City and Guilds in the subject of maxillofacial surgery for specialist dental technicians. Odstock, whilst being an ideal centre for the Plastic and Burns patients of those days, was not ideal for providing a comprehensive oral surgery service to the large population spread along the coast from Portsmouth to Weymouth. In 1961, Eric Dalling moved to a new unit in Portsmouth and in 1964 Southampton gained its own unit. Finally, when the new hospital at Poole was opened, Colin was appointed in 1969 and moved into the purpose-built unit he had planned. These new centres swiftly gained second consultants as the demand for services increased. Colin was gifted with a cultured and incisive mind. He was tenacious in his activities and always charming and gracious to his patients. In his personal life Colin was a devoted family man and when he retired in 1985, he and Marion were able to travel to visit old friends. He could also indulge himself with his hobbies of wordwork, in a superb workshop he assembled in his garage, and fly-fishing. Colin is survived by Marion, his children Graham, Gavin and Sheila, all of whom he was fiercely proud, and he is greatly missed by his grandchildren. To them, his friends and colleagues extend their deepest sympathy.

Sources
Material from: Kerr-Gilbert R, Mayhew A, Peters W. ‘Colin Wishart’ *British Dental Journal* 192 420 [2002] reproduced with permission of SNCSC

Rights
Copyright (c) The Royal College of Surgeons of England

Collection
Plarr's Lives of the Fellows

Format
Obituary

Format
Asset

Asset Path
Root/Lives of the Fellows/E010000-E010999/E010400-E010499