Page 77 - Eclipse - Autumn/Winter 2023

IN MEMORIAM

while observing all around him, always Roger Pinniger was an eminent retired in 1986 after a happy and fulfilling
very polite, and especially happy when veterinary surgeon who was life, having practised many aspects of
one of the staff’s pets was on hand for instrumental in founding one of the veterinary medicine.
a fuss (a frequent occurrence). Despite very first RCVS-recognised veterinary His long and distinguished career
his decline, he retained his wit and hospitals. In the early 1960s he was was recognised through honorary
remained inquisitive. involved when the animal nursing life membership of the British Small
auxiliary (ANA) training scheme
He is survived by his son Rob, who runs became an officially recognised Animal Veterinary Association and the
a gardening business in Vancouver, professional qualification and award of an RSPCA certificate for
Canada, and Rob’s three grown-up subsequently trained a number of meritorious service.
children; and his daughter Sally, a ANAs. He also edited the second Despite working long hours, Roger was
veterinary ophthalmologist.
edition of Jones’s Animal Nursing. devoted to his family. He and Odette
“Trevor was one of a kind. He and Jean were Roger was born on 30 August 1926 had three children: Mark, Fawnia and
an amazing couple and I had the pleasure in Chiswick, London, the family later Linda. Tragically, Mark died at the
of working with them and the RVC Alumnus moving to Bristol and then to Dorset, age of 34, but Roger’s daughters
Association on many occasions. Trevor and where he spent most of his life. In a married and had families of their own.
Jean were always present at our alumni short autobiography he wrote that he Eventually, he had five grandchildren
reunions at BSAVA and always had a tale to hated being a boarder at the preparatory and eight great-grandchildren.
tell! Trevor will be very much missed by the school he attended in Bournemouth as Sadly, while still relatively young,
RVC and those in the profession. he was homesick; however, in 1940 he Odette’s health began to deteriorate and
My thoughts are with his family”.
went to King’s School, Bruton, which he they moved to Hampshire to be nearer
Vicki Laing, Head of Alumni Engagement loved. He became a school prefect and their family. For 10 years he cared for
at the RVC captain of boxing and gained his school Odette until she died. They had been
certificate with merit. happily married for 54 years.
A tribute page is available at trevor-
turner.muchloved.com featuring As a schoolboy, he developed a deep In his spare time, Roger loved listening to
photos and stories from some of the interest in animals, both wild and and attending live performances of classical
people whose lives he touched. domesticated, keeping many unusual music, especially Wagnerian opera.
pets, including the time he rescued and He enjoyed fly fishing, walking his dog
reared a red squirrel after it fell from its and tending his garden, particularly his
drey. His love of animals led him to follow large vegetable patch, and he delighted
a veterinary career rather than following in sharing its abundant produce with
ROGER STYLES in his father’s engineering footsteps. family and friends.
PINNIGER (1948) During the World War II, Roger attended Roger found time to volunteer for the
the Royal Veterinary College, and was RSPCA, the Samaritans, the Home
evacuated to Berkshire and the Thames Library Service and the Countryside
Valley to continue his studies. He had Education Trust at Beaulieu, putting the
happy memories of his student years, same heart and soul into it as he had to
including having shared a room with his veterinary practice. He thoroughly
Peter Storie-Pugh, who later became enjoyed his work with these organisations
president of the BVA and the RCVS.
and the social aspects of volunteering.
Roger qualified with honours in 1948 Vicki Laing, Head of Alumni Engagement,
and then worked for a year in a practice said: “Roger supported the RVC’s
in Somerset.
current students by donating to the
He had met his future wife, Odette, as RVC Alumni Fund, he kept in touch with
a teenager in 1943 and they married the Alumni team and the RVC. He was
in 1950. They then went to Tanganyika the instigator of the ’48 Club and him
(now Tanzania) where he worked as a vet and his classmates met every year for
in the colonial civil service. They returned reunions until around 2001. The RVC are
to England after a year, mainly because extremely grateful for Roger’s support
he disagreed with the establishment and we send our sincerest condolences
as to whether cocktail parties or animal to his family and friends.”
welfare was more important.
By the Pinniger family He died peacefully at his home in Dibden
Roger next joined a practice in Purlieu in Hampshire, with his daughters
Obituary, published in Veterinary Record, Wimborne, Dorset. Initially, he worked at his bedside. He will be sadly missed.
October 2023 in Swanage where he subsequently “He retired after a happy and fulfilling
An eminent small animal veterinary founded his animal hospital and life, having practised many aspects of
surgeon, he was described as ‘one of later expanded the practice into veterinary medicine”
nature’s gentlemen’. Bournemouth, where he was able to
specialise in small animal medicine. He
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