Former BCLA president John Menon has died

John Menon, past BCLA President has passed away.

He served as President from 1982-83 and was awarded Honorary BCLA membership in recognition of his commitment to the organisation over many years.

BCLA chief executive Cheryl Donnelly said: “It is with great sadness that we heard of the death of John Menon, a hugely respected former leader of our organisation.

“John was a hard-working professional throughout his career and was passionate about the advancement of contact lenses. Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.” 

Having qualified at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in 1949, John served as a Captain in the Royal Army Medical Corps. In 1954, in Sarawak, he was appointed Divisional Medical Officer and surgeon Sibu and held the same position in Miri in 1959. 

He spent three years with the Brunei Shell Petroleum Company, returning to London as a GP and a hospital practitioner at Barnet General Hospital. 

He joined the Contact Lens Department in Moorfields in 1973 and became a research fellow in the keratoconus clinic. 

John is the author of a number of papers on contact lenses, in particular on the promotion of monovision prior to the modern presbyopic designs  being widely available. 

He retired from practice in 1986 to take up sheep farming.

It is believed John had suffered a number of strokes in recent years and also had macular degeneration. He died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, December 10.

His funeral will take place in Wales on Wednesday, December 21.