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Doreen – 21.11.46 – 10.02.24
Doreen was a strong, courageous, determined, vivacious woman, who was life and soul of the party. Her story begun in 1946, where she was born into an Irish family, to Mary and Michael and was one of 10 children. In 1972 she married her beloved husband Danny and in 1980 they had their only daughter Carly. Doreen enjoyed a very successful career as a HR manger. Doreen experienced great joy in her later life when her Grandchildren Harry and Isabella were born. Nothing made her happier than listening to Harry’s achievements and watching Isabella sing and dance.
Dr John V. Dyer. BA. LRCP, MRCS (Eng). MBBS (Lon). DPH. FFCM. Born 1930
Dr John Dyer who had been the District Medical Officer of Health for Lancaster and District from 1968 until 1990 died on March 25th 2020 from a gastro-oesophageal tumour.
John, aged 89, qualified in Medicine from the Middlesex Hospital in London in 1953 and after National Service in the RAF, undertook the Diploma in Public Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine qualifying with a distinction in 1957. One of his junior hospital posts was at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary and Westmorland County Hospital, Kendal and that led to a long association with the area. His first public health post was in Lancaster (1957-59) followed by jobs in Corby New town and Burnley. However in 1968 he returned to Lancaster, this time with his family, married to Betty a midwife and two children Peter and Judith. He was elected as Fellow of the Faculty of Community Medicine in 1977.
John was passionate about improving the health of the local population and committed to the values of the NHS. He oversaw many improvements in housing conditions, with slum clearance, and the eradication of many diseases as vaccination became more accepted.
During his tenure the area was the first in the country to have a Child Development Centre, Domiciliary Remedial Therapists, attachment of nurses to General Medical Practices and Brucellosis free farms. He managed the Legionnaire’s Disease outbreak at Heysham Power Station in 1981 and helped establish St. John’s Hospice in Lancaster.
John was the Secretary of the Lancaster Branch of the BMA for fifteen years. He served in a voluntary capacity on a number of local charities including as Chair of the Lancaster Abbeyfield Society, President of the Lancaster Branch of Mencap, St. John’s Ambulance Service for which he was awarded an Order of St. John of Jerusalem Merit and as a trustee for the Roberts Trust in Nelson (medical research) and the Ivy Brown Trust (children’s health). He was a Lay Reader at St Luke’s Church, Slyne with Hest.
He helped establish the medical museum in Lancaster when he and a small group of doctors recognised that there was a valuable local heritage which could be lost as the hospitals were being closed.
He is survived by his son Peter, a Consultant Maxillofacial Surgeon, four grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Author: Peter V. Dyer
Bernie Brown
Bernie Brown was a long term, dedicated and generous supporter of Saving Faces. A former patient of our Chief Executive Professor Hutchison, he used to visit Saving Faces’ offices and brought much joy to all with his infectious smile. Bernie always told us wonderful jokes and left us with smiles on our faces. He will be greatly missed.
William John McLennan
William 
John McLennan (Billy) was born in August 1954 in Aberdeen to loving parents John and Hannah. He was a caring elder brother to Ian and Sheila. Billy grew up in Liberton and brought up his own family in Edinburgh. Billy trained as a plumbing and heating engineer as a young apprentice, finally retiring last year. He loved to watch Scotland play football and would often travel to Wembley as he grew up. He was a lifelong Heart of Midlothian supporter, visiting Tynecastle with his children, friends, family over the years.
Billy had a passion for nature and wildlife, particularly birdwatching. He had a close group of friends who all shared this hobby. They would travel to Shetland and surrounding islands many times. He spent lots of time travelling the world with his wife and family. He always spoke of his Safari trips to Botswana, Nambia and the Massai Mara in Kenya as particular special memories.
Billy had bravely undergone surgery in November 2022 to remove a tumour from his face. The recovery did not go well and due to complications with infections and Billy could not receive further cancer treatment. He passed away in April 2023 after the cancer returned.
Billy will be remembered for his kind and generous way, his silly sense of humour, a passion for his hobbies and most of all the love for his family. He was the most doting dad and grandad to his children and later his granddaughter who was never far from his side. He was always a loving uncle to his nieces and nephews too. Billy is sorely missed by his wife June, daughter Sarah, his son Scott, granddaughter Lotti and the rest of his loving family.
The family had chosen to donate the funeral collection to Saving Faces for their research work in facial diseases and surgery. The charities service to support dentists in early diagnosis is something we feel is particularly important in improving outcomes and saving lives.
