The Guardian from London, Greater London, England • 24

The Guardian Friday September 10 1999 Obituaries Pioneering psychiatrist who brought compassion to his patients and lucidity to broadcasting David Stafford-Clark avid Stafford-Clark, 83, one who of was, has this in died his coun- aged day, try's foremost psychiatrists. He was physician in charge of the department of psychological medicine and director of the York Clinic at Guy's Hospital, London, as well as consultant at London 1 University's Institute of Psychiatry. But this summary sells him short. David brought to his profession a lively intelligence, humour a quality too often lacking in psychiatrists and a lack of pomposity. Above all, there was compassion and concern for the individual.

He was also a gifted teacher. Educated at Felsted School and London University, Stafford-Clark qualified in medicine in 1939 at Guy's. He had been advised to study medicine there by the family doctor after leaving Felsted, and that was that. He remained a lifelong Guy's person. During the war he served as an RAF doctor, attaining the rank of squadron leader, and was one of the last members of the 1940 British Expeditionary Force to leave France.

His subsequent researches with Bomber Command were instrumental in revising the flawed first world war concept of "low moral which too frequently ended masterly air crew flying careers when their exhaustion was mistakenly deemed Stafford-Clark also became a medical parachutist, volunteered and flew as a doctor on raids, was mentioned twice in dispatches and volunteered for the inhalation of poison gases at Porton Down. The legacy from this was asthma, from which he suffered for the rest of his life, culminating in a nearfatal attack, which led to early retirement at the summit of his career. After demobilisation, David returned to Guy's and started his postgraduate training at the Institute of Psychiatry, where he caught the eye of the late Sir Aubrey Lewis. After a spell as teaching fellow at Harvard and the Massachusetts General Hospital, he He went to Africa for the British empire and stayed on to become a Ghanaian tribal chief Jimmy Moxon March 1957, as a cub reporter on New Nation magazine, I was assigned to cover Ghana's independence celebrations. I had no clue of protocol and jumped on any bus with a press sticker on it.

Thus, one evening, I got on the bus reserved for the foreign press, and ended up at a sumptuous buffet laid on for Fleet Street correspondents accompanying the Duchess of Kent. Failing to see any Ghanaians, I was about to withdraw when a fair-haired man with a very loud but friendly voice shouted across the room, "Come and join us!" The man was Jimmy Moxon, who has died aged 79; at that point he was Ghana's director of information services. That invitation was a pointer to the generosity of spirit that made him many friends. Even during Kwame Nkrumah's era, when most white men were suspected as imperialist agents, Moxon stood aloof from the hysteria and never came under serious suspicion. He had elected to stay in Ghana after his contract with the British colonial administration ran out, and Nkrumah's government kept him on at the ministry of information.

Later, he was given a contract to assist the Volta River Authority with publicity about the construction of the Akosombo Dam Nkrumah's single most ambitious project. A book came out of this, Volta: Man's Greatest Lake. Born in Shrewsbury, Moxon was educated at Donestone School, Macclesfield, and St John's College, Cambridge, where he read history. He served as a district commissioner in various Gold Coast stations, includ- returned to the Maudsley Hospital, south London, as chief assistant to the professorial unit. During this period he carried out EEG studies on alleged murderers on remand; work which highlighted the unrecognised incidence of psychiatric disorder and epilepsy in people who were potential candidates for hanging.

A possible career in forensic psychiatry was aborted by the fact that in no time at all he became director of the York Clinic. Sir Aubrey Lewis had long since spotted that David was a populist, and he recommended him to Penguin Books' Sir Allen Lane to write Psychiatry Today, the highly successful Pelican which was translated into 12 languages, and was a classic piece of popular writing. David's ability to communicate and simplify the supposed arcana of psychiatry was masterly, and he was able to inspire enthusiasm for the speciality among students and doctors who had been put off by the obscure terminology and vagueness of it all. But his interest and influence were founded on simple clinical principles. For David, psychiatry was a speciality which must never be divorced from medicine.

When psychiatry left medicine, it ceased to be psychiatry. Proper history-taking and examination and assessment of the person's mental status were all to be included in a detailed clinical formulation aimed at dealing with the patient's distress. Not, it will be noted, "the The relief of suffering and distress were paramount, and took precedence over lofty generalisation and speculation about the relevance of social and obscure psychological factors. Regard for, and empathy with, the individual and their problem and how that person is feeling was, for David, where the practice of psychiatry must always start and end. His ability to communicate this philosophy found expression on radio and television, and the ensuing popular appeal incurred him ill-feeling and envy amongst certain members of the medical establishment.

But David could handle that. He really cared about trying to do something about human suffering, to educate people away from the bigotry and prejudice, the stigma of psychiatric disorder. He had better things to do than worry about the envy of others. He was always fun to be with. In the now deserted York Clinic, he promoted an atmosphere of enthusiasm.

Everyone felt "up for This spread throughout the staff at all levels, producing a community atmosphere that will be long remembered by those who took part. He leaves a widow, Dorothy, whom he married in 1941, three sons and a daughter. James Willis Group Captain Bill Farquharson writes: I first met David Stafford-Clark more than half a century ago at RAF Waterbeach in Cambridgeshire. It was 1943, I was a Lancaster pilot, embarked on a tour of 30 bombing operations to Germany; he was the station's medical officer. It was a time of great tension; we did not know, each operational night, if we would come back.

David was not much older than the rest of us, but he appeared to be. He had what passed for normal medical duties in those times, but was always there when the squadron took off at night, always there in the morning for the landings. He was a brave man, who would try things out, including flying with us on air tests, to see how we worked together, reacted, did our job. He advised aircrew on how to overcome fear, how not to worry about the inevitable, and what he offered was simple, practical suggestions Great white Moxon, with courtiers and traditional robes, pictured on the Christmas card he sent to friends Moxon for this in an article for the Ghanaian edition of Drum magazine, which I then edited. With a twinkle in his eye, Jimmy went straight round and read my copy to the chief, who promoted him on the spot by ing Dodowa, Aburi, Kpandu and Accra, at a time when the "DC" was the local potentate, and many arrogant and insensitive were hated by local communities.

Not so Moxon. To him, rural administration was an opportunity which he grabbed with both hands to immerse himself in native lore and customs. This served him well when he came across Ghanaian politicians. He had an infectious sense of humour and would not hesitate to tell a good story, while official business waited. Ghanaians, no slouches in story-telling themselves, would laugh and slap him on his huge back.

Moxon got the OBE in the year of Ghana's independence. After his retirement from government service, he became a bookseller, publisher, poultry farmer and restaurateur. He ran Moxon's Bookshop, near the Ambassador Hotel in Accra, and also tried his hand at running restaurants all called the Black Pot which specialised in Ghanaian dishes. He founded Ghana's Oxford and Cambridge Society, and through it, kept in touch with many influential people in the country. He visited Britain about once a year usually to fight with Whitchall about his unpaid colonial pension.

He built himself a cottage on the hills at Aburi, not far from. where he had once held sway as DC, and kept in close touch with Aburi society, for which loyalty he was made a chief. The witty people of Aburi called him Nana Kofi Onyaase, which meant he was chief of the patch of land under the silk cotton tree where his cottage stood. I poked gentle fun at creating him Ankobiahenc of Aburi, with the official nomenclature of Nana Kofi Obonyaa a genuinely important position in tribal culture. But here again, the wit of the Aburi chief matched that As feminist, poet and Christian, she campaigned for her community Jean Barker the chief interest of poet, activist, the editor, political feminist, and later, committed Christian, Jean Barker, who has died aged 73, was people, the history of the common man and woman, in particular.

An East Ender by birth, she moved to Leeds in the mid1970s and was co-founder and editor of the Aireings journal of poetry and prose. She gave unstintingly to it, and to the festivals, workshops and charity readings that it generated. She became well-known as an editor, and was associated with groups The man behind Candid Camera began by listening to phone calls Allen Funt on conducting life, day to day. He was also a gencrous friend. down to helping out aircrew who were short of cash.

In 1944, when the best man for my wedding was detailed for an operation, it was David who took over the role. Hugh Burnett writes: In the mid-1950s, Huw Wheldon handed over the job of producing BBC Television's It's Your Problem to me. The programme featured a parson, an everyman and a docchewing over viewer's dilemma. Occasionally, the doctor would be David Stafford-Clark, and that was how I first met him. It was the beginning of a process by which David became Britain's first TV psychiatrist.

Early in the 1960s we worked together again on another BBC series, Lifeline, whose subject was, effectively, the human mind. The medical profession then tended to regard TV as demeaning, so that initially he had to appear as a "consultant psychiatrist" but there was always a certain showmanship about him. He was a brave doctor in taking on the series. David Stafford-Clark, psychiatrist, born March 17, 1916; died September 8, 1999 Ironical this, for Jimmy himself never married. Cameron Duodu Roland James Moron, colonial civil servant, bookseller and restaurateur, born January 7, 1920; died August 24, 1999 Later, she tackled the sexist language of the Church of England service book, writing prayers and liturgical passages.

Her faith became increasingly important, though she never stopped being angry with God for permitting so much injustice. The breadth of her talents can be judged by her funeral, which was attended by three MPs, city councillors, writers and representatives from her community and church. Pauline Kirk Jean Barker, poet and activist, born May 13, 1926; died August 16, 1999 might have been the car with no engine that mysteriously drove up for inspection at the garage, or the hand that reached out from the grating in the street. Almost everyone of a particular generation in the United States and many others across the world have their own particular memory of the television series Candid Camera, whose creator, Allen Funt, has died aged 84. The programme, which was presented by Funt, ran on and off between 1948 and 1990.

In a new incarnation, hosted by his son Peter, it is still on the air, still using the same gentle formula of what Funt described as catching unsuspecting people "in the act of being It was to be the first, and longest-running, show of its kind, and it has spawned many imitators although none that has quite captured the air of innocent complicity that Funt Sr achieved. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Funt was the son of an immigrant Russian diamond importer. Planning to become an artist, he took a degree in fine arts at Cornell University, but found his first fulltime job in the art department of an advertising agency, gradually progressing through copywriting to working on radio commercials. While serving in the US Army Signals Corps during the second world war, he learned about using hidden microphones because one of his tasks was to record messages from enlisted men to their families; he found them shy and stilted, so he tried using a hidden recorder to get a more natural response. After being demobbed, he came up with a radio version of his triumph, called Candid Microphone.

He used the technique of pretending to be an innocent official or bystander presenting a member of the public with an often surreal situation. The magic was in the unpredictability of the response and the fact that the audience was in on the joke. The programme ran on the radio in 1947 to general praise and its transfer to television was inevitable. Initially called Candid Mike, the show premiered in 1948 and soon became one of the staples of American television, being broadcast over the years by ABC, NBC and CBS. For many years, Candid Camera was one of the 10 most popular shows on the air.

A young Woody Allen appeared in some of the early editions. Funt's famous catchphrase "Smile! You're on Candid Camera!" became part of the American vocabulary and, as the programme was picked up and adapted for Britain and clsewhere, it soon had an international resonance. The phenomenal run that Candid Camera enjoyed with various breaks over the years went on until 1990. Even after that, Funt was still producing specials with his son, using the comedian Dom DeLuise as host. Unlike some of his modern imitatators, Funt was never malicious towards his targets.

The aim was to get the audience to laugh with the victims rather than at them. In the gentler climate of the time, he did not have to spend too much time bleeping out the reactions of the hoaxees, many of whom regarded it as a Birthdays Sir Thomas Allen, operatic baritone, 55; Dr Sarah Coakley, theologian, 48; Diana Colegate, novelist, 68; Babbet Cole, children's writer, 50; Beryl Cook, painter, 73; Louise Croll, diplomat, 64; Brian Donohoe, Labour MP, 51; John Entwistle, rock guitarist, 55; Colin Firth, actor, 39; Judy Geeson, actress, 51; David 'Diddy' Hamilton, disc jockey, 60; Christopher Hogwood, harpsichordist, 58; Johnny Keating, musician, composer and conductor, 72; Norman Morrice, chorcographer, 68; Larry Nelson, golfer, 52; Lord Nolan, former arbiter of standards in public life, 71; Amold Palmer, golfer, 70; Denis Richards, air historian, 89; Dr Brian Smith, chairman, BAA, 71; Robert Wise, film director and producer, 85; Fay Wray, actress, 91. gentle formula privilege to have appeared on the show. Remarkably, perhaps. at a time when reality television has become harsh and often sadistic, Candid Camera.

under Peter Funt and his co-host Suzanne Somers, still manages to tread a kinder path. Last week's show featured people being asked for their autograph because they had just been interviewed for a news item on television, an act that apparently made them a The victims still laughed as bashfully as they did when it all began more than 50 years ago. Apart from his television work, Funt wrote three books and had a brief foray into the film-making business with a movie called What Do You Say To A Naked Lady? He established a fellowship in radio and television at Syracuse University for minority students and passed on much of his archive material to Cornell University. Always a great believer in the therapeutic qualities of laughter, he established the Laughter Therapy Foundation, which provided videos of his shows for the seriously ill (and to which his family has asked people to donate after his death). He became seriously ill after suffering a stroke in 1993 but survived much longer than doctors had predicted.

Funt died at the ranch on the Big Sur coast of California that he had bought in 1978 after moving west from New York. He is survived by three sons and two daughters. Duncan Campbell Allen Funt, broadcaster and humourist, born September 16, 1914; died September 5, 1999 Death Notices HUGHES. Edward William, O.B.E., of Lesbury, peacefully at home on 7th September 1999. Dearly loved husband, father and grandfather.

Formerly Director of Adult Education, University of Newscastle upon Tyne and President of the A.U.T. 1969-70. Funeral to be held at St Mary's Church, Lesbury, Northumberland on Monday 13th September at 11.00 am followed by interment. LEWIS. Marle, Community Worker, supporter, guide to many during a lile spent promoting social and racial justice died Friday, 3rd September, 1999.

Funeral service at St Peter's Church, Northchurch Road, N1 Monday 13th September at 1 pm. Donations in appreciation of Marie's lite and work to De Beauvoir Refugee Project Rev. Andy Windross, St Peters Vicarage, Northchurch Road. A memorial service is being a arranged. SNELL Cecilia Mary Gordon Clark), aged 55, on Tuesday 7th Seplember peacefully at home with her family.

Wile of Roderick Saxon, mother of Maurice, Arthur and Philippa. Funeral service at All Saint's Church, Steep, Hampshire on 13th September at 4 pm. Flowers or donations if desired to The Rosomary Foundation or The MacMillan Service. Midhurst Funeral Services (Peterstield) 19 The Square, Paterstield, Hampshire GU32 3HR, tel 01730 262711. of his adopted royal; the Ankobiahene means, literally, the "chief who doesn't go In ancient times, he could be a cunuch, who, for instance, might look after the chief's wives when he was at the battlefront.

active in the 1980s, although she came to feel she could achieve more by establishing a community centre in the inner city area where she lived. When this was built, Jcan became a director, and was instrumental in such schemes as winter aid for the elderly, and IT facilities for unemployed people. Following the death of one of her sons in 1988, and the support given by her local church, Jean was gradually drawn to the Christian faith. She became active in the Movement for the Ordination of Women, and in the Women and Theology group. SOUTHERN, Robert, Kt CBE, former genoral secretary of the Co-operative Union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and former vice-president of the International Cooperative Allianco, passed away peacolully at Spurr House, Unsworlh.

Bury on 8th Soptomber, 1999 aged 92 years (late of Glebelands Rd, Prestwich). Family flowers only, donations it desired to Stand Unitar. ian Chapel. Funeral Service will be at Stand Unitarian Chapel on Tuesday 14th September, 1999 at 2.30 pm tollowod by cremation at Overdale Crematorium. All enquiries and donations to the tivo Funeral Service, 22 Silver St, Bury, tel: 0161 764 4177.

like the Pennine poets, although as a poet herself, she never gained the reputation she deserved. Jean did not know her father, who left her mother after six months of marriage. Brought up largely by her grandmother, she was evacuated from London at the outbreak of war. At 17, she joined the Women's Auxilary Air Force, and was posted to devastated post-war Germany. Her grandfather was German, and she had distant relatives in Dresden, who had presumably perished in the bombing.

The experience led to her join CND demon- strations, and, later, to visit Greenham Common, After a brief, unhappy marriage, Jean brought up her twin boys alone, cleaning, working as a school-dinner lady, and at a social security office. She attended Camden Working Men's College, moved on to Hillcroft College, and later graduated in English. In 1976, she took a teaching diploma in Leeds, where she got work with a government training scheme, and later taught for the Open University and the Workers' Educational Association. She had joined the Labour party in London and was STEPNEY. Owen, 8th September 1999, passod away peacefully aged 98.

(Former Mayor of Harrogate), and a much loved aunt and groat-aunt. Service at Wost Park U.R.C, Harrogate, Wodnesday 15th Septembor al 11 am, followed by cremation. FamIly flowers only, donations in memory to Alhritis Cara, Tho Socretary, 18 Fountains Avonue, Harrogate HG1 4EP. TORRIE. Ellen Margaret Dighton), M.D..., poacotully on 8th Soptambor 1999, In hor 88th year, in Grayaholt, widow of Dr Allrod Torrie (Brig, RAMC rt'd), and launder of Cruse Bereavoment Corn.

Much loved molhor ol Chorry (Bowan) and Andrew (decoasod), and proud grandmothor of Nalascha and Flour, Funoral, for lamily trionds, at All Saints' Parish Church, Bordon Hants, 16th Sopt. nt 1.15 pm tollowod by cromation. Momorial servico to ba announcod lalor. Donations to Cruso Bereavamoni Cara, 12G Shoon Road, Richmond, Surroy TW9 1UA. Funoral dotalls from Gould Chapman, Hondloy Rond, Grayaholt, 01428 604436.

To placo your announcemont toluphono 0171 713 4507 or tax 0171 713 4707 bolwoon Bain and 3pm Mon- Fri. angry with God.