In Memoriam—Henry Jonathan Kersley:
1939–2000: A Moment in the History of Contactology
by Oliver H. Dabezies, Jr., MD, FACS
On Thursday, February 10, 2000, two days before his 61st birthday, H.
Jonathan Kersley departed this world after a long struggle with cancer.
It is said that everyone can best be characterized by one word. In that
context, the word for Jonathan would be "service." Service to
his friends, service to his patients, and especially service to the organizational
aspects of Contactology.
Jonathan was born in Bath, England on 12 February 1939, just seven months
before the outbreak of World War II. Jonathan was the second child of Mary
Yeomans Kersley, the wife of George Durant Kersley. Jonathan's father was
a very distinguished rheumatologist whose life was also dedicated to service
in medicine. He was one of the first rheumatologists in England, and is
sometimes credited with being the person who established rheumatology as
a sub-speciality in Great Britain. Patients came from all over to his office
in Bath. He wrote numerous scientific papers and several books concerning
rheumatology. One cannot help but wonder if Jonathan's willingness to be
of service was an inherited trait.
Jonathan has an older sister, Gillian Kersley, who is married to William
Ryan. Gillian ("Gilli") recalls that even as an a child of five
or six, Jonathan had a wonderful bedside manner. Their paternal grandmother,
an invalid who was bedridden, reminisced about the past for hours on end.
Jonathan would patiently sit at her bedside encouraging her anecdotes.
Gilli says that she knew at that time that her brother was destined to
be a doctor: no one could sit by a bedside so long to listen to such repetitive
conversation.
At age seven, as was the custom, Jonathan was sent to a prep boarding
school. (Such a preparatory school is the equivalent of a grammar school
in the United States). Then at age 11 he went to Shrewsbury Public School
in Shropshire. (The English public school is the equivalent of a private
school at the level of a high school in the United States).
Following this, Jonathan went to Gonville and Caius College at Cambridge
for his premedical instruction for a three year period, i.e., 1958/59 through
1961/62. Then in 1962/63, he entered St. Bartholomew's Medical School in
London, finishing in 1965, at which time he received a Master of Arts degree
from Cambridge and St. Bartholomew's Hospital. (In 1968 he passed the examinations
to become a Member of the Royal College of Surgeons [MRCS] and a Licentiate
of the Royal College of Physicians [LRCP]). He then entered his Pre-Registration
year (1965/66) doing general medicine at Southmead Hospital in Bristol
and gynecology and obstetrics at St. Bartholomew's.
Jonathan now began his three years of Post-Registration training in ophthalmology
(1966/67). He was Senior House Officer in Ophthalmology at St. Bartholomew's
Hospital. In 1996 he received a B. Chir. (Bachelor of Chirugie) from Cambridge
and in 1967 a M.B. (Bachelor of Medicine) from Cambridge.
Then in 1967/68 he was Senior House Officer in Ophthalmology at the Croydon
Eye Unit. Finally, in 1968/70 he was Registrar in Ophthalmology at Westminster
Hospital. It was at the Croydon Unit (which is in Surrey, on the outskirts
of London) that he was taught by Mr. Dermot Pierse, who became Jonathan's
lifetime mentor. In addition to being a MRCS and a LRCP, Jonathan also
became a Member of the Royal College of Ophthalmology (MRCOphth) when it
was founded in 1988.
Following the completion of his ophthalmological training, Jonathan began
the practice of ophthalmology. He worked for the National Health Service
at the Croydon Eye Unit and also had a private practice at his office on
Harley Street in London.
Jonathan soon developed a great interest in contact lenses. He was one
of the first to report on extended wear contact lenses. He became a frequent
lecturer at contact lens meetings, which led to his involvement in the
administrative aspects of Contactology. His first organizational involvement
was with the Medical Contact Lens Association of the United Kingdom, which
eventually (1992) became the Medical Contact Lens and Ocular Surface Association
(MCLOS).
Jonathan also became associated with the British Contact Lens Association
(BCLA), the the European Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists (ECLSO),
the Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmologists (CLAO), the International
Contact Lens Council of Ophthalmology (ICLCO), and finally the International
Contact Lens Society of Ophthalmology (ICLSO). In all these organization
he devoted much effort and received many honors, including the presentation
of various lectureships. Later he became a recipient. There is now a Kersley
Lecturer in the MCLOSA and ICLSO. There is soon to be a Kersley Lecturer
in the ECLSO.
Jonathan is especially remembered by CLAO as ECLSO's ambassador for his
efforts to mutually exchange scientific knowledge "across the pond"
(Jonathan's expression). His first presentation at a CLAO meeting was in
1980; this was titled "Management of Extended Wear." This was
the first of many presentations at the CLAO Meetings. At the 1987 CLAO
Meeting, Jonathan was the Distinguished Visiting Lecturer. His topic was
"The Impact of Soft Contact Lenses and Intraocular Implants on Cataract
Surgery." However, Jonathan's greatest contribution was yet to come.
In 1991, Jonathan organized the first ECLSO Symposium at the CLAO Annual
Meeting. The topic was "The Complicated World of Rigid and Soft Lenses."
From 1991 to the present, these symposia have been conducted annually as
a key feature of the CLAO Meeting. For these symposia Jonathan selected
the topics, invited the speakers, and arranged the funding by travel grants
from manufacturers. At the 2000 CLAO Meeting, the Symposium was dedicated
to Jonathan as the "ECLSO- H. Jonathan Kersley Symposium."
In recognition of his "outstanding dedication, service and commitment
to the field of contact lenses and the educational mission of CLAO,"
Jonathan was given the R. Hugh Minor Distinguished Service Award. Unfortunatley
Jonathan was unable to attend the 2000 CLAO Meeting, but he did receive
the CLAO Honor Award for his instructional contributions at the CLAO Meeting.
Recently, in September of 1999, at the opening session of the ECLSO Meeting
in Geneva, it was my privilege to arrange a presentation honoring Jonathan
at the Opening Ceremonies. Just prior to the ECLSO Meeting, the ICLSO Executive
Council had created a "Kersley Lectureship." Also I was to have
the privilege of presenting Jonathan an award from ICLSO in appreciation
for his services during the past four years as its president.
When it was my turn to speak, I went to the podium and asked Jonathan
to step forward. As Jonathan approached the podium there was a spontaneous
standing ovation that lasted about five minutes. I then gave Jonathan the
award from ICLSO. The award was a marble obelisk with a clock at the base.
Jonathan blinked his eyes, but could not speak. Truly he was speechless
and overcome with emotion. He left the podium and sat in an adjacent chair.
After three or four minutes, I then read the inscription:
"ICLSO in Grateful Appreciation to H. Jonathan Kersley, MD for Guiding
ICLSO in its Development as its First President, January 26, 1999."
Then I asked Jonathan if he wished to say a few words. He lowered his
head and nodded "no." He simply could not speak. I then said:
"Jonathan, on behalf of all of us, well done. You have left your footprints
in the sands of time in Contactology."
One of Jonathan's most endearing characteristics was his bravery. Over
the last several months, with typical British "stiff upper lip,"
Jonathan and I discussed various organizational issues which he wished
me to "follow through when I am no longer here." His voice never
wavered. It was all very "matter of fact."
During the final months, Jonathan and I engaged in correspondence and
conversations. In January of 2000, just prior to the CLAO Meeting in Las
Vegas, he sent me a letter which he wanted circulated after his demise.
He wanted everyone to be aware of how he would have responded in Geneva
had he not been so overcome with emotion. The original memo, which is characteristic
of how Jonathan never left anything undone, is presented in the print version
of The CLAO Journal (Vol. 26, No.2).
In Memory
of H. Jonathan Kersley
by Jane Sparholt, MD, President, ECLSO
On the 10th of February, at 7:10 pm, H. Jonathan Kersley passed away
in his home in London. We all lost one of our dearest friends. Courageously
he fought to the very end. It is a privilege and a gift knowing somebody
so lovable as Jonathan. He was exceptionally gifted in many professional
and personal respects. Personally we owe him not only friendship, but also
the possibility of being involved in contactology all over the world.
H. Jonathan Kersley was the Honorary President of the ECLSO and Past President
of the ICLSO. Jonathan held many important offices, among others he was
the President of the BCLA (1978-1979), Secterary, Vice-President, and President
of The Medical Contact Lens Association, later becoming "MCLOSA"
in the UK. He held office in the ECLSO since 1978, spending most of this
time, according to Johathan "developing and nurturing a network of
friendships and personal relationships that would lead naturally to scientific
cooperation between the various national societies. Cooperation and communication
can only flourish in such an atmosphere. If I have achieved this to any
degree, I am happy...." Jonathan held office in ICLCO from 1981 to
1994 and founded the International Contact Lens Society of Opthalmology
(ICLSO) in 1995. Jonathan had the same view on ICLSO as the ECLSO, "but
painted with a broader brush." Furthermore he added: "There is
a need for cooperation between the major international groups....So the
development of a federation of contact lens societies seems natural. Such
a venture can only occur in an atmosphere of friendship and personal contacts
as so much time has to be donated by those involved. I have been very proud
to have part of this process."
In all these organizations Jonathan devoted much effort and received many
honors. He presented many lectureships and became later the recipient.
In CLAO, Jonathan succeeded during 10 years to make an exchange scientifically
and socially between CLAO and ECLSO. At the 2000 CLAO meeting it was decided
to dedicate the ECLSO Symposium to Jonathan, as the "ECLSO–H.Jonathan
Kersley Symposium." Jonathan was on the editorial board of several
contact lens journals. He received many awards in recognition of his outstanding
accomplishments in the field of contact lenses. An H. Jonathan Kersley
lectureship will be founded in Europe and in the United States and a memorial
fund has been launched to finance an ECLSO Kersley lectureship run by
our treasurer, E. Dreisler.
Being the President of the ECLSO and having been a personal friend of
Jonathan for more than 10 years, I have to continue his great work. The
loss of Jonathan is beyond words. He was our best ambassador and adviser.
H. Jonathan Kersley was THE ECLSO, ever since he took on the mantle of
Secretary General at the Congress in Stresa 1982.
It is hard to stop grieving , but I do intend and wish for all of us to
treasure the wonderful memories we have of his life. Jonathan did not want
us to be sad. He wanted us to be full of life and cope with all difficulties.
So we have to follow his example to honor him. He valued our friendships
so much. Jonathan will always be in our hearts and show us the way of doing
our very best...every single moment. The ECLSO owes him much. There will
be a memorial service during the month of June in London.
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