Dentist’s legacy will ‘never be forgotten’
PROFESSOR JIMMY STEELE CHANGED HIS INDUSTRY
TRIBUTES have been paid to a Newcastle dentist and university professor who ‘changed the way dental services are provided in the UK’.
Emeritus Professor Jimmy Steele was head of Newcastle University’s School of Dental Sciences for seven years and spearheaded medical research for the Government which aimed to transform the quality of dental care in Britain.
The 55-year-old, who died 22 months after being diagnosed with glioblastoma and whose wife Katie Bushby is also a Newcastle University professor, was awarded a CBE for services to dentistry in 2012 and worked on two of the UK government’s 10-yearly Adult Dental Health Surveys.
University vice chancellor, Professor Chris Day, said: “Jimmy was hugely respected around the world as a leader in his field and will be sadly missed by all of those who knew him both professionally and personally.
“His strong background in research and education led him to take on a number of national leadership roles which were pivotal in shaping dental services across the UK to enable the best care for patients.
“Jimmy was passionate about finding ways to improve the quality of care for patients and making a difference to people’s lives.
“He was also an outstanding teacher, I will always remember the warmth he showed when sharing his knowledge with the hundreds of students he has inspired over the years.”
As well as his CBE, Prof Steele – who worked at Newcastle University for 28 years in all – received a prestigious John Tomes Medal by the British Dental Association, ation, in recognition of his work to improve dental care and his is scientific research.
Away from his dental ntal work he enjoyed bird-watching ng and good restaurants, running regular ‘ ‘Fish Fish Days’ for charity auctions ons where he would teach his students nts to make a seafood meal.
Professor David Burn, urn, pro-vice pro- vice chancellor for the Faculty ulty of Medical Sciences, said: “Everyone veryone has been saddened to hear ar of Jimmy’s passing. He touched the he lives of so many people in our Faculty, well beyond the Dental School chool which was his spiritual home.
“His quick wit, sense e of humour and sparkle in the eye were qualities I will always remember, r, along with his love of birds.
“You could always tell that the session was not quite capturing Jimmy’s attention when he started to sketch out a blue tit in great detail.
“It is tragic that we have lost such a talented and much loved colleague so early. But Jimmy has left a wonderful legacy and he will never be forgotten, not only by colleagues in Newcastle, but across the world.
“We pass on our sincere condolences to his wife Katie, children, Tom and Jenny, and the rest of his family.”
Professor Mark Thomason, the cur- rent head of the School of Dental Sciences, said: “From the moment he arrived, Jimmy always had a special place in the life of the Dental School and had the ability to bring something unique to any area in which he applied his distinct talents. “Outspoken, decisive and clear thinking; Jimmy’s research credentials were unquestionable and yet he was just as at home as a teacher and educator, sharing his clinical expertise and insight with undergraduates and postgraduate students and trainees. As a teacher he was inventive, challenging, insightful and caring.
“He will be widely remembered for his work with government in the review of NHS Dentistry, simply referred to as ‘the Steele Report’.
“And yet, for me, it was his support for colleagues, be they senior members of the University or students within the School, that marked out the real Jimmy.”
Prof Steele’s funeral will take place on Friday, November 24 at 11.15am at West Road Crematorium, followed by a light lunch at the Crowne Plaza.
His family request that people do not send flowers but rather support the Trussell Trust, a charity which was close to Jimmy’s heart.
It is tragic that we have lost such a talented and much loved colleague so early Prof David Burn