A DECORATED pioneer of dentistry who was regarded as among the very best in the country, and a beloved family man has died.
Gordon Robert Seward was born on December 18, 1925, in Hackney as the only child of Percy and Ruth Seward who owned a bakery.
After going to an east London primary he attended Hackney Downs Grammar School. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, Gordon was evacuated with hundreds of other pupils from the school to King’s Lynn in Norfolk.
Here, he excelled in lessons while the countryside allowed him to enjoy his passion for animals and plants. He was a prefect and a member of the Army Cadet Force, becoming a corporal.
In 1944, Gordon entered the London Hospital. With staff mostly absent, the students designed their course on an ‘arrange it yourself’ basis. Gordon won many prizes and qualified as a dentist in 1948.
During National Service in the Royal Army Dental Corps, he treated returning casualties on a hospital ship where he quickly learned about how to treat serious injuries.
After medical and surgical posts, Gordon returned to the dental department and became the London Hospital’s first full-time lecturer in oral surgery.
It was also here that he met a young Weymouth-born woman named Margaret Mitchell in the oral surgery department. She was a junior registrar, and he was a senior registrar.
The two married on May 5, 1962 and enjoyed 59 years of devoted marriage. They also had two children, Pamela born in 1964, and Colin in 1966.
Margaret herself was a trailblazer within the dental industry. She was the first ever Dame within the profession, the first female resident dental house surgeon at the London Hospital, the first woman to be elected to the dentists governing body of the General Dental Council as well as its first female president, and the first female to be named Chief Dental Officer for England.
When their children were young, Margaret held the fort while Gordon gained knowledge and experience elsewhere in the UK as well as in the USA. Gordon later supported Margaret during her rise to Damehood.
Before him were excellent oral surgeons at London Hospital, but ‘academic’ surgery didn’t come into its own until Gordon was involved. He was viewed by colleagues as a pioneer as a professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery
In 1975 he was elected by his peers as dean of the Dental School.
In 1986, he became dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of England when he enjoyed a career highlight in awarding an honorary fellowship to Princess Diana.
Gordon was showered with honours from the Edinburgh and English Royal Colleges of Surgeons, British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, London Hospital Medical College, University of Jordan and BDA. He was also the first dentist to be awarded an honorary fellowship by the Faculty of Anaesthetists.
Gordon wrote papers about facial deformities, tumours, cysts and surgery for specialists.
He was also an expert on the ‘Elephant Man’, Joseph Merrick, and even penned a book about him.
His contributions to the dental and medical industry were recognised by the highest order in 1990, when he was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Gordon took his well-earned retirement that year and moved with Margaret to Bournemouth in the mid-90s where the pair remained for the rest of their lives.
He was a member of the Bournemouth Arts Society and the Richmond Hill United Reformed Church. He was also a keen supporter of Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO).
The happy couple lived by the sea on East Cliff and spent their time travelling, entertaining friends, going to the theatre, walking and spending time with their family, including their two grandchildren, until Margaret passed away in July 2021 aged 85.
In mid-2022, Gordon moved into the Avon Cliff care home in Bournemouth. The BSO coincidently visited the home soon after to perform, where members took the opportunity to thank Gordon for his contributions and support over the years.
Gordon Seward died on October 14, 2022. He was 96 years old.
His funeral was held Monday, November 14.
At his funeral, Professor Stanley Gelbier said: “Gordon was physically small, but that masked a man of great stature. He was an outstanding member of the dental and medical professions. More importantly, he was a lovely family man.”
His son Colin remembered him as “a true gentleman”.
Gordon is survived by his daughter Pamela, son Colin, and grandchildren Jake and Zoe.
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