OBITUARY

Evening Star, Issue 21170, 2 August 1932, Page 12

OBITUARY

DR F. R. RILEY By the death of Dr F. Ratcliffc Riley Dunedin has lost one of its most prominent medical practitioners. Dr Riley was born sixty-seven years ago in Devonshire, and received his medical education at tho London Hospital, After graduation ho was a house surgeon at London Hospital, and lie later acted for a time ns surgeon to the Dogger Bank fishing fleet. Ho took up practice in tho South of England, and on coming to New Zealand he practised for some years at Winton. He came to Dunedin early in the present century, and bought the practice of the late Dr Jefconte. In 1905 he became assistant gynaecologist at the Dunedin Hospital, and in'l9o9 was appointed lecturer on midwifery and gynaecology at the Medical School. He held the degrees F.R.C.S. Eng. (1896) and L.R.C.P. Eng. (1890). For some years he was a member of the Professorial Board of the Otago University. Dr Riley showed a keen interest in civic and social matters, serving for a time on the City Council and as representative of that body on the Hospital Board. He was also an elder of Knox Church. He was interested in the amenities of the country and spent what leisure time he bad at his Timaru Creek station, Lake Hawea. He came into prominence ‘comparatively recently when, considering that the beautiful countryside was being despoiled by unsightly hoardings, he supported his opinions and drew public attention to such hoardings by chopping one down in the Cromwell Gorge and depositing it in the Molyneux River. With his companions he was duly brought before a magistrate and fined, but his drastic action has proved fruitful, and now few such hoardings are to bo seen on the roadside. Dr Riley was a man of great character, and his fellow medical men appreciated his sincerity. He was a kindly, cultured man, highly esteemed by all with whom he came in contact, and on his retirement from the professorship of midwifery and gynaecology early this year he was honoured by tho University Council and by past graduates. He leaves a widow (a daughter of the late Mr C. C. Graham), three sons (Melville, who is in charge of the Timaru Creek Station, Peter, and Graham, medical students at Otago University), and a daughter (Jean, who is studying art, also at tho University). A memorial service will be conducted to-morrow morning at Knox Church at 9.45. At a meeting of the Classical Association last night Mr H. D. Skinner expressed the regret of the association at the loss it had suffered by the death of Dr Riley, who was a friend and benefactor of the Museum. CAPTAIN P. J. REYNOLDS News has been received by private cable news of the death of Captain P. J. Reynolds, for many years connected with the C. and D, Line and Cunard Company. Among his later commands were the Hawke’s Bay and the Port Campbell, which was torpedoed in the English Channel during the war. He then took command of the new Port Campbell, also the Port Chalmers, his last vessel being the Port Brisbane. Captain Reynolds is survived by his widow and one daughter. He will be missed by mafiy friends in New Zealand and Australia ■