Born in 1941 Rosemary started training as an orthoptist in 1959 at the Central School that became Moorfields City Road Branch and qualified in 1961. Fellow students, including past BIOS Chair Carolyn Calcutt (Simpson), Sue Pimentel and Jenny Kidd, remember her as quietly confident.
After qualifying, Rosemary worked in Southend with Mr Peter Choyce, who was a pioneer of intraocular lens replacement surgery, and in 1965-66 worked at the Montreal Children’s Hospital, Canada, before returning to teach at Moorfields. Rosemary is remembered as exuding confidence, unflappable and a calming influence appreciated by fellow staff members and her patients. Kathy Bolling remembers Rosemary as the first teacher to greet and induct her batch of students in September 1966, which included two men from Sudan and Israel.
She was the first research orthoptist at Moorfields, working with Peter Fells and published two articles in BOJ (1971) 28:
- “Orthoptic Investigation and Management of Orbital Fractures”p.42;
- “Trial of Black-lined Total Occluders” p.93
She also presented a paper, “ The assessment of cyclotropia in paralytic squint”, at the 2nd IOC in Amsterdam, 1971.
Barbara Dulley, who took over the research role when Rosemary left to have her daughter, Elizabeth, remembers how kind Rosemary was, stepping up to cover her clinics when she needed medical leave.
In 1981, whilst visiting America on a teaching exchange with her husband, Rosemary met up with Moorfields colleagues Geraldine Tillson in Vancouver and Bess Foulks (nee Finlayson) in Seattle.
After retirement Jenny Kidd held regular lunches attended by Rosemary and colleagues Kath Swale, Heather Farrer-Brown (Gale) and Muriel Rolfe. Rosemary also kept in touch with many friends, including Jill Cordery (Wilson) and Judy Royal. She was a talented needleworker, exhibiting locally, and a keen cook, sharing items with enthusiastic work colleagues.
Lesley Anne Baxter remembers Rosemary as one of her teachers and her enthusiastic attendance at meetings of the retirement association. (see picture)
contributions from retired Orthoptists:
Lesley Anne Baxter
Kathy Bolling (O’Callaghan)
Elizabeth Crang
Shelly Davey
Barbara Dulley
Jenny Kidd (Crawshaw)
Sue Pimentel (Legg)
Helen Remfry
Judy Royle
Alison Stanley
Rowena McNamara, BIOS Archivist
BIOS retirement association meeting October 2019
standing L-R: Bronia Unwin, Judy Royal, Alison Stanley, Carol Kilby, Tessa Lucas, Liz Newcombe, Erica Nadia-Snelling
Sitting: Kath Swale, Rosemary Watts, Lesley Anne Baxter, Shelly Davey
