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A tribute from colleagues and friends of Mr Richard M Pearson (1937 – 2024)

By City Press Office (City Press Office), Published

With the passing of Dick Pearson, optometry has lost one of its foremost educators in the areas of contact lenses and orthoptics. Dick’s long association with City St George’s, University of London began in 1956 when he joined the Diploma in Ophthalmic Optics course at Northampton College of Advanced Technology.

After two years of National Service, Dick spent time in optometric practice, including four years with Mr F A B Hodd. While in practice, Dick worked in the Orthoptic Clinic of the London Refraction Hospital (now Institute of Optometry) teaching optometry students. In 1964, he joined the Department of Ophthalmic Optics as Lecturer, by which time Dick had already acquired his DCLP and Diploma in Orthoptics. Dick was awarded his MPhil in 1973 and became a Senior Lecturer in 1978.

A naturally gifted and enthusiastic teacher, Dick taught Contact Lenses and Orthoptics to two generations of City St George’s undergraduates during his long career. Students loved Dick’s clear, perfectly paced style of teaching, frequently embellished by his gentle sense of humour which was aided by his amazing talent as a mimic. In addition to teaching, Dick served on many standards committees over the years, notably the BSI (British Standards Institution) Contact Lenses technical committee and the BSI ophthalmic industry standards committee. Dick was an active member of the British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) and the British & Irish University and College Contact Lens Educators (BUCCLE). However, Dick’s interest in contact lens education had a truly international scope and he was also active in the International Association of Contact Lens Educators. Dick was a regular contributor to global courses, including a Swedish Contact Lens course, and he was frequently invited to present at international contact lens conferences.

Following retirement in 2001, after 37 years at City St George’s, Dick continued to enjoy communicating with his former colleagues and friends in optometry. Dick was a supportive, generous colleague, admired and respected by all who knew him.

Emeritus Professor Dave Edgar

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