Roger Trimble

Roger Trimble’s career is best measured not by its tragic brevity but by his many achievements and those he inspired in others. Having always had an interest in Neuro Ophthalmology and Strabismus he undertook exams to become both a Member of the Royal college of Physicians and a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons whilst working in Sheffield. He then moved to to King’s College Hospital and Moorfields, London, as senior registrar, a post he held from 1973-76. In 1976, at the age of 29, he was appointed Consultant Ophthalmologist at St Paul’s Eye Hospital and The Walton Centre for Neurology and Neuro-surgery in Liverpool and clinical lecturer in ophthalmology at the University of Liverpool. Noted for his very astute mind and clarity of thought, and his ability to master topics at first sight it was during this time that he began writing A Textbook of Clinical Ophthalmology (, London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1988), in conjunction with Ronald Pitts-Crick. He was keen on teaching and his sense of humour enlivened his formal and informal talks. He left his students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, encouraged to take up ophthalmology and strabismology or at the very least to regard it with respect.

Over the years his interest in squint became a large part of his professional life and he published many papers. In collaboration with Joyce Mein, he brought out a new edition of eye movement disorders: Diagnosis and management of Ocular Motility Disorders, J Mein and R B Trimble, Oxford, Blackwells, 1991. At the time of contributing to this book he was also the main force in establishing the University Department of Orthoptics in Liverpool. He was in demand as a lecturer in many centres around the country and as an examiner, in Orthoptics, Diploma in Ophthalmology and the Ophthalmic Fellowship. For all his talents, Roger Trimble was a modest person and was undoubtedly delighted to be elected a Fellow of the College of Physicians.