Dr. Walter J. Smither died on November 15, 1984, aged 73. Walter John Smither was born in Canada, but spent his childhood years during the 1914-1918 war in England, as his father was serving in the armed forces. He returned to Canada as a youth and entered the University of Eastern Ontario where he received his MD in 1935. As a student he was an active musician and composed the college song which was retained for many years. In 1937, he returned to England and entered a general practice in Dagenham, London. Starting as a holiday locum, he was invited to remain in the practice and stayed there until he eventually retired, becoming principal and senior partner.
He developed an interest in public health and industrial medicine, and in the early 1950s obtained the Diploma of Public Health and the Diploma of Industrial Health. In 1956 he was appointed industrial medical officer to the Cape Asbestos Factory in Barking, succeeding Dr. John Wyers, who had written a doctoral thesis on asbestosis. Asbestosis and asbestos-related diseases rapidly became a major interest. He gave unlimited time and care to the workers, carrying out the required initial and periodic examinations and extending these to workers such as laggers and strippers before this was required by regulation. He was active in working with engineers to develop dust suppression. Affected workers were helped to obtain the compensation due them under the regulations of 193 1 and he also helped them find alternative work. He instituted a special workshop for those with asbestosis, and no worker with this disease had to leave employment. He was a great support to the patients and families of those suffering from mesothelial tumours. More than 100 such deaths occurred in the neighbourhood of his practice.
During the late 1960s the factory became a focus of interest for several groups of research workers. Walter gave invaluable help in interpreting the aims of the research to management, and obtaining permission for research to be undertaken on currently employed workers in the factory or to examine records for mortality studies. It was largely due to his intluence that the unfolding disastrous story of the toll of mesothelioma and cancer of the lung in this amphibole-and chrysotile-using factory