It is with sadness that I must inform the dental profession of the passing of Campbell Keay, following a short illness, in his 93rd year.

For the following 63 years he provided his patients with an outstanding standard of dentistry... Dentistry was Campbell's life.

Campbell graduated from Guy's Hospital in November 1935 and after a brief assistantship post in St Helens, established his own practice in Grimsby during the early months of 1939 and for the following 63 years he provided his patients with an outstanding standard of dentistry.

Squeezed into his life committed to dentistry, he found time in 1941 to marry Helen Stuart, also a dental surgeon whom he met when she arrived in Grimsby from Belfast to take a post at the Grimsby Dental Clinic. A brief spell in the Army Dental Corp during 1943 was followed by the development of his dental practice. The NHS did not offer, in his opinion, a suitable base for treatment of his patients and soon after its conception he adopted the principle of private dentistry which he embraced for the next 50 years.

He was a lifetime supporter of the BDA in all its works and play. Campbell became a member of the BDA in 1936, served the Lindsey section in many roles including chairman and in 1970 held the position of President of the Eastern Counties BDA branch. He regularly attended meetings well into his 90s.

Campbell also found time for a number of sports and hobbies including golf, motorcar rallying, sailing, bee-keeping and in his later years gardening, bridge and bowling.

In September 2002, at the age of 91 years, he 'hung up his forceps' and enjoyed a brief retirement in excellent health, having left the practice in the hands of his son, Samuel.

Dentistry was Campbell's life.

He will be missed by his wife Helen, four grandchildren, ten grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and numerous friends and colleagues.