Dr Eric Charles Tatchell

10^th July 1938 – 19^th January 2021

Eric was born in London and raised in Tunbridge Wells where he attended Skinners School. He served his two-year National Service in the Royal Artillery, after which he went up to Queens to read Natural Sciences. Following his graduation in 1962 he was appointed as a Research Assistant to Professor Eric Foxon, (also an alumnus of Queens' College) in the Biology Department of the Medical and Dental Schools of Guy’s Hospital.  He also was appointed on to the teaching staff to teach Biology to the first year MB students.     

In 1964 Eric was involved a 3-month expedition which was mounted to the Amazon where, among other studies, they caught lungfish (Lepidosiren) to return for further study in the department. Eric joined Ian Bishop, David Walliker and John Garnham for the successful expedition which became the precursor of a much more extensive Royal Society expedition some years later.

On his return Eric was appointed to a junior lectureship and became an important member of the teaching staff. Under the supervision of Dr Lawrence Bannister, he researched the contractile structures in the protozoan Stentor, which led to two co-authored papers on Stentor. His own work was on another protozoan shape-shifter, Lacrymeria, which was published in a well-regarded paper for which he was awarded a Ph.D.

When the Biology Department closed in 1980, Eric, as one of the remaining members of the academic staff, transferred to the Anatomy Department to teach human anatomy which involved demonstrating in the dissecting room, lecturing and giving tutorials. He also taught parasitology to students who took a year out to convert their preclinical studies to a BSc.

Eric was a highly regarded teacher of human anatomy who also embraced the computer age and became a proficient administrator of examinations. He also prepared a series of dissection guides with his own hand-drawn illustrations for use in the dissecting room which was a valuable teaching aid.

 He took early retirement in 1997, on health grounds, and was then able to devote time to his family and his other interests, in particular, his excellent culinary skills.

Eric died on 19^th January 2021 and is survived by his wife of 50 years, Pat, their 3 children and 5 grandchildren.

Patricia Tatchell

6^th April 2021