My friend Margaret Rich, who has died aged 89, came to the UK from New Zealand to be a psychiatrist, and worked for most of her career at two London hospitals, St Bartholomew’s in Smithfield and the German hospital in Hackney.
She was a gifted general psychiatrist who was interested in a psychotherapeutic approach to mental health and was dedicated to community psychiatry. Aside from her work in hospitals, for many years she volunteered with the Samaritans, as well as various charities supporting homeless people.
Margaret was born in New Plymouth, New Zealand, the second child of Gordon Rich, a surgeon, and Nancy (nee Clere), a nurse. After attending Samuel Marsden Collegiate school in Wellington she qualified as a doctor at the University of New Zealand. In 1959 she travelled to Britain, where she completed her psychiatric training and was then employed by St Bartholomew’s before eventually switching to the German hospital.
On retirement she moved to Kentish Town, north London, where she took on an allotment and involved herself in painting, drawing and weaving before discovering that pottery was the medium that best expressed her creativity.
She then gained a City and Guilds certificate in ceramics at the Working Men’s College in Camden, set up a studio at her home, creating a vast body of work over the next 25 years, and exhibited her work at several local venues.
Margaret was also an excellent needlewoman and made tapestry cushions for her friends. Despite having Parkinson’s in later life, she was able to continue her stitching work until the last few months of her life.
Another dream pursued in retirement was choral singing – first in a local choir, the North Camden Chorus. In 2000 she joined Barts Choir to sing Mahler’s Symphony of a Thousand and never looked back. Margaret loved the ambience of the choir and never missed a performance.
She was also a regular singer with the Really Big Chorus at the Royal Albert Hall and went on many of their overseas trips, which included performing the Messiah in the Forbidden City, Beijing.
She loved wild countryside, enjoyed walking holidays and volunteered for several charities, including Freedom from Torture and Womankind.
