Obituary: Dr Richard Wolfson, Pioneering dental anaesthetist

Richard Wolfson, known as Dick, died at the age of 89 after a long illness which he bore with stoicism and more than a tad of that humour for which he was renowned.

He was born in Glasgow and educated at Albert Road Academy (later Pollokshields Secondary School) and his strong and lasting loyalty came to the fore when he was involved in 2004 in the organisation of the 120th anniversary of his alma mater.

He studied medicine, a decision made after wrestling between medicine and dentistry. He graduated from Glasgow’s Anderson College of Medicine.

After two years in the Royal Army Medical Corps, he studied anaesthetics at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and commenced a career as a dental anaesthetist, thus melding his interests in medicine and dentistry.

At that time dental anaesthetists were a rara avis; anaesthetising the patient was usually done by the dentist using a mixture of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and oxygen – not infrequently with dire results.

To quote Dr Wolfson: “It was a source of embarrassment when a resistant male landed a right uppercut to the dentist’s jaw, followed by a left hook to the body.”

The wrecking propensities of a half-anaesthetised patient could quickly remove the last vestige of cheer from the most cheerful dentist.

Dr Wolfson was a trailblazer, publishing research papers, avidly embracing new drugs and new techniques and thus easing the fear of patients who now spent much less time in the dentist’s chair.

On retiring in his early seventies, Dr Wolfson had more time to indulge in his passion for after-dinner speaking, which he attacked with great panache. He loved to make people laugh. He was generous of spirit and his warmth and empathy drew people to him. His incisive wit can be gauged by his winning the National Wag of Wags competition in 2003 and by receiving numerous invitations to toast Scotland’s national poet at Burns nichts.

The highlight of these was an invitation from the Burns’ Club in Moscow – not the hamlet in Ayr but the capital of Russia – where he delivered the toast in both Russian and English – according to Dick “probably neither was understood”. Another accolade was an invitation to speak at the Stag Dinner of the Variety Club of Britain.

Dick was generous with his time. He spoke pro bono for numerous charities and donated much of the proceeds from other engagements to a variety of worthy causes. And no matter how busy, he always found time to help others – dare one say, less gifted – who appealed for his aid in writing and delivering their speeches.

Dr Wolfson was an active member of the Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow and served for three years as a vice-president.

He and his wife were patrons of the International Scottish Piano Competition and on several occasions provided accommodation and hospitality to foreign contestants.

He had many other interests of which he was proud, one of which was a member of the board of governors of Tel Aviv University and another was being a Knight of St John.

Throughout his life Dr Wolfson was an enthusiastic golfer and was one of the founding members and chairman of Bonnyton Golf Club in Renfrewshire.

He was a man of great determination – not stubborn, just determined. At 80 he decided it would be pleasing to win the Veteran Cup: he did.

After 47 years of marriage Dick is survived by his wife Lyn, a brother, son, daughter, and four grandsons.

Dr MARCUS BROOKE