Category: Obituary

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of our much loved friend colleague, Aysha Amla from Tameside and Glossop Orthoptic Department.

Aysha was a valued member of the team and will be remembered not only for her professionalism and dedication, but also for her kindness, warmth, and the positive impact she had on those around her. She was deeply respected and loved by her colleagues, and her loss will be felt across the department, Trust and wider Orthoptic community.

Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with Aysha’s family, friends, and all who knew her during this incredibly difficult time.

Aysha will be greatly missed by everyone who had the privilege of working alongside her.

Tricia passed away peacefully on 16th October this year. I had the privilege of working with Tricia at Hillingdon Hospital for 20 years and our friendship continued into our respective retirements. Tricia was loved by her patients for her care, she was always compassionate and entertaining but knew when to be firm and champion the service on their behalf.

Tricia trained at Moorfields High Holborn, and briefly worked there after qualifying, before taking a post in Ireland where she met her husband James. The rest of her orthoptic career was at Hillingdon Hospital, Middlesex, close to her family and school friends. She continued working whilst bringing up 4 children and was very much part of the lives of her 9 grandchildren.

When Professor Fielder and Catherine Stewart asked Tricia to recruit patients for their amblyopia research, Tricia’s enthusiasm made her their prime recruiter. She applied for a research grant to compare school nurse vs orthoptic primary vision screening and presented the results at the IOC in Toronto, and embraced clinical teaching for undergraduate.

Her relationships with her work colleagues made it a happy department and a joy to go to work. Always open to new ideas and ways of working, resulting in the department flourishing.

Our mother Marian Masters died peacefully in her sleep on the 16th October 2025 age 88.

Mum was an orthoptist and lecturer at Birmingham Eye Hospital from approximately 1974 to 1990. She then worked in Walsall until her retirement. Mum was also a student and did all her training through the Birmingham Eye Hospital. She worked in Wales before taking a break to have us children and go with her husband Keith to Uganda. As well as working and lecturing in Birmingham on her return, she was part of the teams researching dyslexia and Turner Syndrome.

Mum was very proud to be an orthoptist (we, of course, as children spent a lot of time trying to explain to friends what an orthoptist did!).

She lived a very full life .
RIP Marian Masters 9/5/1937 – 16/10/2025

Julian, Jonathan, Clare, and Laura Masters

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of  John Sloper, a former Consultant Ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital.

John’s distinguished career was marked by his unwavering dedication to the study and treatment of strabismus and amblyopia. He studied medicine at Oxford and in London, before spending several years in basic vision science research. Following his ophthalmology training, John completed a fellowship in strabismus at Moorfields, where he gained his passion for paediatric ophthalmology.

In 1996, John was appointed Consultant to the Strabismus and Paediatric Service at Moorfields. Alongside his clinical work, he maintained a strong commitment to research, focusing on amblyopia and visual development. He played a key role in a UK multi-centre, randomised controlled trial of surgery in children with intermittent exotropia, contributing significantly to the evidence base guiding modern practice.

Even after his retirement, John continued to share his knowledge and expertise as an Honorary Consultant, lecturing and educating internationally. His leadership extended beyond the UK — he served as President of the European Strabismological Association from 2013 to 2023, a role in which he was widely admired and respected. He also devoted time to charitable missions in China, reflecting his deep commitment to improving eye care globally.

Many orthoptic colleagues will remember John as an advocate for our profession. Anna Horwood fondly recalled how John would often begin a conversation with the words, “Ah, Anna, I have a question for you,” having been mulling over some issue involving the obscurer alleyways of binocular vision. He was a strabismologist who loved the deep theory as well as the practice.

John will be deeply missed by his friends, colleagues, and the wider orthoptic and ophthalmic community. Our sincere condolences go to John’s wife, Myra, his family, and all who knew and loved him. Our thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

Avril Charnock (ne Tarling) passed away on 30th April 2025 aged 72. Avril loved her career in Orthoptics and took advantage of opportunities to widen her skills. After qualifying in 1972 her first post was in Newcastle but within a year she took on the challenge of working in Switzerland and Freiburg communicating with patients in German. On returning to the UK she worked for Sir Stephen Miller before joining the Western Eye Hospital and Paddington Green Children’s Hospital. She led the orthoptic services, which later became part of Imperial College Healthcare Trust, for the next 33 years.

In 1980s she was one of several orthoptists to volunteer at St John’s Eye Hospital, Jerusalem and she was very proud to enlist the help of the Worshipful Company of Gardeners to maintain the tranquil gardens, which surround the hospital today.

She cared passionately about communicating effectively with patients, taking a counselling skills course; and ensuring those with vision impairment reached their full potential by setting up a low vision support service. She developed access pathways for adults with learning difficulties and children with SLD.

Her dissertation for her degree brought her in touch with patients with optic neuritis and her knowledge was used to advise professional colleagues.

She was a strong advocate of the orthoptic society and volunteered as secretary, along side Jean Voller as chair, from 1992-98.

On 17th July her orthoptic colleagues attended a Service of Thanksgiving at St Mary’s Church Putney, to celebrate her life.

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our dear colleague and friend Alison Wakeham.

Alison was a calm, kind person who always had time for anyone who needed a chat or advice. She shared her wealth of experience with all of us, for which we will be eternally grateful. She made a positive impact on every aspect of the Orthoptic service during her 37 years in Exeter. Alison was highly respected by the wider ophthalmology and general paediatric teams in Exeter and Devon.

Alison moved to Cardiff in 1981 to study Orthoptics in Cardiff. In the autumn of 1982, the clinical teachers awarded Alison the Prize for year one-the prize givers was Sir Geraint Evans, the Welsh Opera Singer! After qualifying as an Orthoptist, she had several locum positions in Portsmouth and Truro before settling in Exeter around 1985. Her base was the West of England Eye Infirmary Exeter. At the infirmary, she showed her love of being sociable by taking part in Eye infirmary volleyball and badminton, making many long-lasting friendships.

Alison continued her career in Exeter when the eye infirmary closed and moved to the main hospital building in 1992 and in her later career specialised in special educational needs, working in special schools and paediatric assessment centres. She was particularly knowledgeable about cortical visual impairment and passionate about spreading awareness of the condition, making a real difference to many children’s lives as a result.

Alison will be dearly missed by all who knew her and our thoughts are with her family and friends.

Elizabeth along with her twin brother Robert was born in Sydney, Australia. Her childhood was a happy and active one, tennis being a favourite pastime.

Training as an Orthoptist was undertaken in Perth, and thereafter Elizabeth worked in Sydney, eventually emigrating to England where her career was spent working in the Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital and running the outreach clinic in The Hospital of St Cross in Rugby.

Elizabeth had a kind caring approach to her patients and their parents which was very much appreciated and was a pioneer in the assessment and treatment of Specific Learning Difficulty.

Her interest in this area came about when Elizabeth realised that children being referred to her, because they were not doing well at school, had very little wrong with their eyes. Coming to understand that two of her daughters and husband were dyslexic, Elizabeth struggled to find support and guidance to help her both personally and professionally. After considerable research, Elizabeth decided in 1986 to self-publish a book titled “Finding out about Specific Learning Difficulties and Dyslexia”. Many parents found the book valuable and it even made an appearance in an episode of Brookside. It is still available on Amazon.

Elizabeth was a supportive and loving Mother to her three girls throughout their childhoods, an attentive Grandmother to her three grandchildren and a much-valued colleague and friend.

A very gentle, kind, thoughtful, unassuming and caring person, Elizabeth is sorely missed by family, friends and work colleagues alike.

Marian Witchell, Carol Fawcett & Andrew Fox

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It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that we announce the passing of Eamonn Nugent, a cherished colleague, friend, and an extraordinary member of the Orthoptic community.

Eamonn left us far too soon, on 30th October 2024, at the age of 31, following a gallant battle with a brain tumour. His passing leaves an irreplaceable void in the lives of all who knew him, and his memory will live on in the countless lives he touched through his work, his passion, and his kindness.

Eamonn studied Orthoptics at Glasgow Caledonian University, and attended Galway University Hospital (GUH) for a student placement where he formed a lasting bond with all the orthoptists in the department. After graduating with a First-Class Honours degree, he returned to GUH as an Orthoptist in 2016.

With his easy nature, calm presence, and strong work ethic, Eamonn became an integral part of the GUH orthoptic family.  Eamonn was highly motivated, and continued to grow professionally, showing an interest in quality improvement in healthcare with an aptitude for leadership. In 2020 Eamonn was promoted to Senior Orthoptist and clinical co-ordinator for the diabetic retinopathy treatment service. He completed an MSc Health Studies in governance, leadership and quality improvement at the University of Dundee in 2022.

Beyond his career, Eamonn was a talented musician known especially for his skilful playing of the bodhrán. He brought life and rhythm to traditional Irish music, performing at numerous pubs, venues, and events throughout Galway and beyond. He would typically bring his bodhrán with him to work for a gig he would have later that day. It was on one of these famous traditional music nights that he met his future wife, Sarah, whose life and heart he captured with his infectious charm and kind soul.

In autumn 2022 Eamonn’s life was turned upside down by the discovery of rare brain tumour. Despite his illness, he continued to show his true colours – he supported a newly qualified Orthoptist in her role in GUH, he was still a very active member of the IAO and also began raising public awareness and funding for two amazing charities: Brain Tumour Research UK and Brain Tumour Ireland by releasing a charity album. All money raised from purchases of this album continue to be directed toward the charities (available for online purchase – eamonnnugent.bandcamp.com/album/the-waiting-room).

The Irish Orthoptists invite you to purchase the digital version of this album, and to listen to 34 minutes of beautiful traditional Irish and Scottish music in memory of our comrade whose memory leaves a lasting impression on us all to be better people.

Eamonn’s passing leaves a profound loss in the hearts of his family, friends, colleagues, and all those whose lives he touched. He will be remembered not only for his professional accomplishments and his contributions to the Orthoptic community, but for his vibrant personality, his joie de vivre, his generosity, and his unshakable belief in making the world a better place for others.

Eamonn is survived by his loving wife Sarah, his sister Ciara and parents Theresa and Joe.

-Irish Association of Orthoptists

With special thanks to Geraldine Stephenson, Clare Gillespie, Kendal Hinds and Lydia Edwards.