50 OBITUARY F I S I O T E R A P I E JUNIE M R S. A N G E L A D E A C O N (nee B O D O A N O ) M .C .S.P. D ip T .P . A n g e la D e a c o n , b e tte r k n o w n to h e r m a n y s tu ­ d e n ts in S o u th A fric a as M iss B odoano., d ied on 5 th J a n u a r y 1981 a g ed 79 y ears. A n g e la ’s p h y s io th e ra p y c a r e e r w as a lo n g a n d d e d ic a te d o n e , b e g in n in g w ay b a c k in 1929 a t M a n c h e s te r R o y a l In firm a ry . W e re m e m b e r h e r as P rin c ip a l o f P r e to r ia C o lle g e o f P h y s io th e ra p y , w h ich p o s t sh e h e ld fro m 1957 to 1963. A n g e la , th o u g h re tirin g b y n a tu r e , c o n s id e ra te a n d h e lp fu l to all, w as ju s t th e r ig h t p e rs o n f o r P r e to r ia a t th a t sta g e o f its d e v e lo p m e n t. S h e b ro u g h t h e r e x p e rie n c e a n d d e te rm in a tio n a n d h e r g re a t b e lie f in th e f u t u r e o f P h y s io th e ra p y , a n d q u ie tly b u t e ffic ie n tly g u id ed P re to r ia C o lle g e o f P h y s io ­ th e ra p y in its e a rly days. In 1963 A n g e la re tire d fro m th e p h y s io th e ra p y scene to m a rry a life -lo n g frie n d , C liffo rd D e a c o n . S he b e c a m e a p ro u d h o u s e w ife a n d k e e n g a rd e n e r lik e h e r h u s b a n d a n d th ey s h a re d 17 h a p p y years. In 1979 th e y p a id a s h o r t v isit to S o u th A fric a a n d it w as lo vely to see th e m b o th . U n f o r tu n a te ly th e y w e re b e g in n in g to feel th e ir age a n d w ere n o t a b le to tra v e l m u c h in th is v a st la n d , c o n ­ s e q u e n tly A n g e la did n o t see e v e ry o n e she w ould h a v e w ished to see. W e will m iss you A n g e la a n d o u r sin c ere sy m p a th y to C liffo rd . A fu n d is to b e o p e n e d in m e m o ry o f M iss B o d o a n o . A n y o n e w ish in g to c o n trib u te sh o u ld se n d a c h e q u e (p a y a b le to A n g e la B o d o a n o M e m o ria l F u n d ) to M iss M . H . H o y le M C S P ., P h y s io th e ra p y D e p a rtm e n t, S a lfo rd R o y a l H o s p ita l, C h a p e l S tre e t, S A L F O R D 7 6 0 G E P . B .L. M ISS M A R G A R E T H . S. R O PE R P h y s io th e ra p y in S o u th A fric a h a s lost a g re a t frie n d a n d v a lia n t te a c h e r in th e d e a th of M a r g a r e t R o p e r. B e fo re c o m in g to S o u th A fric a to se t u p th e D e p a r tm e n t o f P h y s io th e ra p y a t th e U n iv e rsity of C a p e T o w n sh e h a d h a d a d is tin g u is h e d c a r e e r in h e r c h o se n p ro fe s sio n in B rita in . S h e c o n trib u te d m u c h to th e d e v e lo p m e n t o f p h y s io th e ra p y a t a tim e w h e n it w as e m e rg in g fro m th e M a ss a g e a n d Sw ed ish R e m e d ia l E x erc ises e ra to w a rd s a d y n a ­ m ic a n d sc ien tific ally b a se d p ro fe s sio n . S h e w as a disc ip le o f, a n d c o lla b o ra to r w ith, M rs . G u th r ie S m ith , w h o a d d e d S u sp en sio n T h e r a p y to o u r sy lla b u s a n d w hose b o o k “ R e h a b i­ lita tio n , R e -e d u c a tio n a n d R e m e d ia l E x e rc is e s ” b e c a m e o n e o f th e p h y s io th e r a p is t’s fo re m o s t te x t­ b o o k s. L a te r M iss R o p e r a n d M iss H o llis b ro u g h t th is b o o k u p to d a te in th e v o lu m e “ S u sp en sio n T h e ra p y in R e h a b i lita tio n ” . M a r g a r e t R o p e r h eld som e o f th e fo re m o s t p osts in P h y s io th e ra p y in th e U .K ., b e in g H e a d o f the S c h o o l o f P h y s io th e ra p y a t th e R o y a l V ic to ria I n f ir m a r y in N e w c a s tle -o n -T y n e in th e Jate 1 9 4 0 ’s. In th e e a rly 1 9 5 0 ’s she w as on th e H e a d q u a r te r s sta ff o f th e C .S .P . in c h a rg e o f P o s t G r a d u a te E d u c a tio n . I t w as a t th o s tim e th a t p o s t-g rd a u a te c o u rse s b e c a m e p o p u la r a n d p h y s io th e ra p y sta rte d to m o v e fo rw a rd in to th e n ew e ra o f scien tific ally b a se d m o v e m e n t te c h n iq u e s w h ic h h a v e b e e n p ro ­ g re ssin g e v e r since. T h is w as a tre m e n d o u s c h a lle n g e to M a r g a r e t a n d b r o u g h t o u t all h e r p o w e rs o f p la n n in g a n d o rg a n is a tio n a n d re su lte d in a n e x c e lle n tly d e ­ sig n e d a n d e q u ip p e d D e p a r tm e n t o f P h y s io th e ra p y w ith sp a c io u s g y m n a s iu m s a n d p ra c tic a l ro o m s fo r b o th te a c h in g s tu d e n ts a n d tre a tin g p a tie n ts . U .C .T . w as in d e e d f o r tu n a te in fin d in g so m e o n e o f M a r g a r e t R o p e r ’s c a lib re ; w ith h e r d riv e a n d d e te r m in a tio n sh e se t the te a c h in g D e p a r tm e n t of P h y s io th e r a p y a t U .C .T . on firm f o u n d a tio n s a n d g u id e d tra in in g o f s tu d e n ts in to w ays w h e re tra d itio n w as m a rrie d to e n q u irin g a n d fo rw a rd lo o k in g th o u g h t a n d in v e s tig a tio n . A n y o n e w ho h a s h a d d e a lin g s w ith M a rg a re t R o p e r w ill re m e m b e r h e r, h e r p e rs o n a lity w as n o t o n e to b e f o rg o tte n . S h e w as a lo v e r o f life a n d e n jo y e d all th e g o o d th in g s o f life in S o u th A fric a to th e fu ll. S w im m in g , w a lk in g a n d m o u n ta in c lim b in g all g a v e h e r g re a t p le a s u re a n d I am su re th a t th o se o f u s w h o w e re th e re w ill n e v e r fo rg e t h o w she c e le b ra te d h e r 6 0 th b ir th d a y — b y c lim b ­ ing to th e to p o f th e n ew ly in s ta lle d ro p e s in the g y n a siu m . I feel s h e co u ld b e c alled o n e o f th e p io n e e rs o f p h y s io th e ra p y in S o u th A fric a . S tra n g e th a t sh e a n d a n o th e r o f th e p io n e e rs in th is c o u n try , A n g e la B o d o a n o , sh o u ld h a v e d ied w ith in 6 w eeks o f e a c h o th e r. T h e y w ere tw o g ra n d c a m p a ig n e rs. P e rh a p s I can b ra c k e t th o se tw o t o g e th e r a n d say w e re m e m b e r th e m w ith p rid e . T w o g ra n d old ladies. M .R .W . R ep ro du ce d by S ab in et G at ew ay u nd er li ce nc e gr an te d by th e P ub lis he r (d at ed 2 01 3. )