Christopher Francis Howard Vickers

Christopher Francis Howard Vickers (“Chris”) was born in Congleton, Cheshire. After graduating he was intent on specialising in cardiology, but while holding a post as medical registrar at Sheffield Royal Infirmary he was persuaded by I B Sneddon to try dermatology, to which he devoted the rest of his clinical career. He later became a senior registrar at St John’s Hospital for Diseases of the Skin and also Great Ormond Street, spending a year as a Fulbright travelling fellow at the Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. It was in America that he discovered the role of the epidermis as a reservoir for topically applied agents. During his time at Great Ormond Street he also acquired his other lifelong professional interest—namely, a long term clinical study of the factors influencing the natural history of infantile eczema.

In 1964 he was appointed consultant to the Liverpool Royal Infirmary (later the Royal Liverpool University Hospital) and Southport and Ormskirk Hospitals, relinquishing the latter posts in 1970 when he was appointed to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. Shortly afterwards, he became a clinical lecturer at the University of Liverpool. Already involved in scientific and clinical research, he continued these activities while developing the university department, which also became heavily involved in undergraduate and postgraduate education.

An excellent and caring physician, Chris wrote or coauthored numerous articles and papers, edited, in 1986, a text-book on the Modern Management of Common Skin Diseases,1 and was a member of numerous learned societies including the North of England Dermatological Society, of which he was president in 1981-2. His achievements were recognised in 1982 by the University of Liverpool, which awarded him a personal chair as professor of dermatology, from which he retired in 1989. Away from dermatology, he obtained his university colours for shooting and was delighted to have been able to shoot at Bisley. Like his wife Jean, also a doctor, he loved music and was a keen gardener; together they created a superb garden at their retirement home in north Wales. Predeceased by Jean in 1998, Chris leaves three sons and five grandchildren.