1935 - 2024
Richard Notley was born on 25 October 1935 in Sarawak where his father Guy worked for Shell. His mother was Peggy nee Watson Jones. Richard was educated at St John ’s, Leatherhead where he excelled in athletics, especially hurdling. He went to Guys Hospital for his medical training and won the Clinical Surgery prize, qualifying in 1959.
He did house jobs at Guys and Orpington, and was inspired by Gordon Gill in Guildford in the development of his career. In 1963, he was appointed as a Registrar in Hereford and, in 1967, became Senior Registrar in Surgery at St Mary’s before moving to the Institute of Urology in 1968, and then to the London Hospital as a Senior Lecturer in 1970.
He was appointed Consultant Urologist in Guilford in 1971 and there built up the Department, training Australians and setting up closed=circuit television for endoscopic surgery. He fought to get funding for the new Royal Surrey County Hospital, became involved in hospital management and was Medical Director from 1990-1995. He was President of the Urological Video Society and adviser to the NHS Ombudsman.
He was a Member of the Australian and Canadian Urological Associations, and a visiting Professor in several American centres as well as in India, China, Paris, Cairo and Sri Lanka. He was a prolific writer contributing to several urological textbooks and journals but he is, perhaps, best remembered for his co-authorship with John Blandy of "Transurethral Resection" which went to five editions.
He was actively involved in administration and education and served on BAUS Council from 1978-1982 and 1987-1990, and was Secretary from 1984-1987. He was on the Council of the Section of Urology at the RSM being Secretary 1981-1982 and President 1996-1997. When Ken Owen was President in 1982, he was integral in setting up the first Winter Meeting in Obergurgl with Professor Hans Marberger. His own meeting in 1997 was in Selva Gardena, co-hosted with Franco Rocco. These winter meetings - not always at high altitude - have proved to be very successful and popular with trainees, the Section awarding prizes to those presenting excellent papers and, therefore, able to attend.
When at Guy's, Richard met Margaret, nee Calvert, a nurse and they married in 1960. They had two daughters, Julia, a GP and Libby, an Occupational Therapist. After he retired in 1997, Richard and Margaret travelled extensively, often cruising, and they enjoyed their cottage in Derbyshire where they entertained friends. Richard enjoyed gardening and established a productive allotment; he also enjoyed fly-fishing. Sadly Margaret pre-deceased him in May 2017.
Richard died at the home of his daughter, Julia, in Aberdeen on 10 December 2024.
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