Deaths

of Islands People

Dr Gabriel Gris In Rarotonga on March 12, aged 40.

Dr Gris, director of the South Pacific Bureau for Economic Co-operation (SPEC), died sud denly while attending a confer ence on the environment.

A colleague and friend, J.D.

Speake, formerly regional den tal health officer, Papua, and dental public health officer, South Pacific Commission, writes in tribute: I first met Gabriel at a conference at what was then, in 1968, the Administrative Col lege in Waigani. At the time, he was the administration dentist in Mount Hagen. The most striking thing about him was his quiet yet confident bearing. He did not speak often, or loudly, or apparently with great force, and yet, when he did say something, there was no doubt that people listened.

It is perhaps indicative of his lifestyle that he was not even able to stay to the end of that conference. Arrangements had already been made for him to undertake a study tour of sev eral months in Southeast Asia, and he left after only a couple of days.

We next met about two years later and worked together for a few months before he had to leave Papua New Guinea’s tropic climes for the rigours of Michigan’s Ann Arbor in win ter. Eighteen months later he was back in Port Moresby complete with a master’s degree and, for a time, headed the then territory’s Dental Service. But he was soon asked to apply his

talents in the sphere of higher education.

The last time I saw him, just over a year ago, was at another conference, this time in Suva, his home base as director of the South Pacific Bureau for Econ omic Co-operation, a post he had taken up in 1980. Although clearly hard-pressed, he man aged to find time to spend a few hours with his former col leagues, not only in his official capacity at the opening cere mony, but also to make a significant contribution to the technical session that followed.

Few of us who were there will forget his masterly summary, combining as it did his abiding interest in health and his broad experience as an administrator.

If there is consolation to be derived at this time, it is that he lived his all too short life to the full, contributing much and achieving a great deal. From an outer island in the Manus group, he qualified as a dental practitioner at the Fiji School of Medicine, obtained a higher degree from a major American University, was the first Papua New Guinean vice-chancellor of the University of PNG, headed a government depart ment (decentralisation), and di rected an inter-governmental international organisation.

It seems highly likely that his very positive contributions in these diverse areas took their toll, most obviously on his health, but also in terms of the personal and family sacrifices which such a busy life entails.

Nonetheless, he was an excel lent husband and father. His loss is shared not only by his friends and colleagues, by PNG and by the South Pacific, but most particularly by Sarah and his children, and, to them, we extend our sympathy.

Dr Leonard Goodman In Sydney in March, aged 74.

Dr Leonard Goodman,

Frcs (Ed.), Mrcs (Eng.),

LRCP (Lond.), D.Obst. RCDG (Eng.), had already had a ca reer with the British colonial service in Africa before begin ning a new phase of his life in the South Pacific in 1959.

His work in the Pacific spanned 13 years, first as sur geon specialist for Western Samoa with the South Pacific Health Service until 1965, then as chief tutor in surgery at the

Fiji School of Medicine until his retirement at the end of 1972.

Born in London, he joined the colonial medical service in 1938, and for the next 14 years held various posts in the Gold Coast as medical officer, pathol ogist, surgeon specialist, obste trician and gynaecologist. He was, for a time, surgeon special ist in Aden.

Following his retirement from Pacific service, Dr Good man and his wife, Alys, re turned to England, but after so many years in the tropics they found life there unsatisfactory, and bought an apartment in Sydney where they lived quietly until Dr Goodman was struck down by cancer of the spine at the end of last year. He chose to remain at home, but meanwhile Alys suffered a heart attack and was in hospital when her hus band died.

Leonard Goodman was a well-loved surgeon, a gentleman of the old school, courteous, dedicated and highly ac complished in a number of spheres in addition to medicine.

He was a violinist, singer and lover of fine music, an artist of note, author, photographer, and radio and electronics buff.

While very ill, he struggled successfully to complete the preparation of the last of a series of historic photographs he had taken of African tribes more than 40 years ago, and which he had been progress ively sending at his own expense to the Bodleian Library at Oxford. The library’s letter of thanks arrived shortly after his death.

Reviews of Samoan and Fiji literature from his graceful pen frequently appeared in PIM, together with his balanced and constructive commentaries on

the Pacific medical scene. A new generation of young medi cal and health officers benefited from his instruction at the Fiji School of Medicine, and his name will remain a significant one in the school’s history.

S.I.

Leslie Francis Gill At Brighton Beach, Victoria, Australia, in March, aged 95.

Born in Melbourne, Leslie Gill went to the Western Solomon Islands in 1911. After a period as plantation manager, he became a planter and trader and acquired several plan tations, setting up trade stores in the area of Vella Lavella, Gizo and Munda. He was active in setting up the Planters’ and Settlers’ Association and in the production of its newspaper, The Planters’ Gazette. He was also involved in the formation of the Advisory Council and was an active member over the years.

During World War II much of his property was destroyed and he was recruited by the US Navy Intelligence Service as a lieutenant. After the war he returned to the Western Solomons and remained there until failing eyesight forced him to return to Melbourne in 1958.

For his services to the ad vancement of both the local people and white settlers, Francis Gill received a Coron ation Medal in 1953 and a little later the MBE.

Richard Patrick McFall In Apia, in February, aged 62.

Richard McFall worked in the Western Samoa public ser vice for 38 years, retiring from his job as postmaster in 1974.

He was the manager of the Tiafau Hotel with his wife Bessie.