- Email: [email protected]
David John Gee CBE, MBBS, FRCPath, DMJ 1929–2001
OBITUARY
David John Gee CBE, MBBS, F R C P ~DMJ ~~, David Gee, who has died aged 69, was one of Britain's leading Forensic Pathologists. He was born in Ilford in 1929 and went to school in Bromley. Apparently his primary school was unconvinced that he would pass the 11-plus, but his parents insisted he be allowed to try. He passed and his secondary education was at Bromley Grammar from where he went on to Kings College Medical School, graduating in 1954. He did his National Service as a medical officer serving with the Gurkhas in Malaya (where a number of other eminent pathologists served) before being de-mobbed on his birthday and returning to Kings as a demonstrator in pathology. In 1959 he migrated north to Leeds, to join Professor Cyril Polson's department, firstly as assistant lecturer, and subsequently lecturer and Senior Lecturer, before becoming Professor and Head of department in 1972. He was a Home Oftice Pathologist and was much in demand from the local police forces as well as being consulted by many other agencies. His calm efficient manner was demonstrated many times in the witness box, and his wise counsel was used on many committees for profession and government and colleagues often sought out his help on many matters, even after retirement. He investigated some of the most notable crimes of the second half of the twentieth century, including the Moors Murders and the Yorkshire Ripper, when he conducted autopsies on the majority of Peter Sutcliffe's victims. He was consulted on the extraordinary case of Georgi Markhov, the Bulgarian exile stabbed in the leg on Waterloo Bridge in London. He died in hospital three days later. At the autopsy conducted by the late Hugh Johnson, a tiny pellet was found. David used his knowledge of poisoning and plant biology (he was a keen gardener) to work out that the toxin could well be ricin. This led onto further research in Leeds on the effects of ricin and its detection.
David had an inquisitive mind and turned his attention to a number of areas that troubled forensic medicine, one of which was spontaneous human combustion, a phenomenon much loved by the media and fiction writers, but felt by forensic pathologists to be impossible. By burning pig limbs and examining the cases of so-called spontaneous combustion he was able to show that each death had a source of burning, that once alight the body fat could keep feeding the fire and that fireplaces drew up the flames and smoke preventing damage to the room. He used his great knowledge and skill as a writer to produce the undergraduate text Lecture Notes on Forensic Medicine, but most notably when he joined Professor Polson as joint author of the classic text "Essentials of Forensic Medicine" for the third edition. The fourth edition was published in 1985, but in that year David was diagnosed with a rare malignant disorder of blood and had to retire early on the grounds of ill health. He was given a limited prognosis, but this did not deter David and he continued to attend meetings and travel and he outlived initial expectations by many years. He was appointed CBE in 1987 and was a past President of the British Association in Forensic Medicine. He gave the Association's last ever Douglas Ken memorial lecture. He was a Fellow and council member of the Royal College of Pathologists, and Chair of its forensic sub-committee and a council member of the Forensic Science Society. He was a devoted family man and gave considerable time to charitable works, particularly for the disabled. His funeral, attended by many of his colleagues, was very much David, uncomplicated and dignified, a simple service to remember a man who served the community and left many memories, and particularly in his writings, a legacy for future generations to study and learn from. C Milroy, M Green
8 The Forensic Science Society 2001
Science & Justice 2001; 41(3): 157-158
157
David John Gee CBE, MBBS, F R C P ~DMJ ~~, David Gee, who has died aged 69, was one of Britain's leading Forensic Pathologists. He was born in Ilford in 1929 and went to school in Bromley. Apparently his primary school was unconvinced that he would pass the 11-plus, but his parents insisted he be allowed to try. He passed and his secondary education was at Bromley Grammar from where he went on to Kings College Medical School, graduating in 1954. He did his National Service as a medical officer serving with the Gurkhas in Malaya (where a number of other eminent pathologists served) before being de-mobbed on his birthday and returning to Kings as a demonstrator in pathology. In 1959 he migrated north to Leeds, to join Professor Cyril Polson's department, firstly as assistant lecturer, and subsequently lecturer and Senior Lecturer, before becoming Professor and Head of department in 1972. He was a Home Oftice Pathologist and was much in demand from the local police forces as well as being consulted by many other agencies. His calm efficient manner was demonstrated many times in the witness box, and his wise counsel was used on many committees for profession and government and colleagues often sought out his help on many matters, even after retirement. He investigated some of the most notable crimes of the second half of the twentieth century, including the Moors Murders and the Yorkshire Ripper, when he conducted autopsies on the majority of Peter Sutcliffe's victims. He was consulted on the extraordinary case of Georgi Markhov, the Bulgarian exile stabbed in the leg on Waterloo Bridge in London. He died in hospital three days later. At the autopsy conducted by the late Hugh Johnson, a tiny pellet was found. David used his knowledge of poisoning and plant biology (he was a keen gardener) to work out that the toxin could well be ricin. This led onto further research in Leeds on the effects of ricin and its detection.
David had an inquisitive mind and turned his attention to a number of areas that troubled forensic medicine, one of which was spontaneous human combustion, a phenomenon much loved by the media and fiction writers, but felt by forensic pathologists to be impossible. By burning pig limbs and examining the cases of so-called spontaneous combustion he was able to show that each death had a source of burning, that once alight the body fat could keep feeding the fire and that fireplaces drew up the flames and smoke preventing damage to the room. He used his great knowledge and skill as a writer to produce the undergraduate text Lecture Notes on Forensic Medicine, but most notably when he joined Professor Polson as joint author of the classic text "Essentials of Forensic Medicine" for the third edition. The fourth edition was published in 1985, but in that year David was diagnosed with a rare malignant disorder of blood and had to retire early on the grounds of ill health. He was given a limited prognosis, but this did not deter David and he continued to attend meetings and travel and he outlived initial expectations by many years. He was appointed CBE in 1987 and was a past President of the British Association in Forensic Medicine. He gave the Association's last ever Douglas Ken memorial lecture. He was a Fellow and council member of the Royal College of Pathologists, and Chair of its forensic sub-committee and a council member of the Forensic Science Society. He was a devoted family man and gave considerable time to charitable works, particularly for the disabled. His funeral, attended by many of his colleagues, was very much David, uncomplicated and dignified, a simple service to remember a man who served the community and left many memories, and particularly in his writings, a legacy for future generations to study and learn from. C Milroy, M Green
8 The Forensic Science Society 2001
Science & Justice 2001; 41(3): 157-158
157