On 16 October 2022, Victor Gacek, aged 66 years of Scarborough, Yorkshire. Mr Gacek registered with the Society in 1978.
Tribute
Friends and colleagues have been shocked by the sudden passing of Vic. He was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, to a Polish mother and Russian father. He excelled at school and gained entry to the Bachelor of Pharmacy sandwich course at University of Bradford in 1974. His first six-month period of preregistration experience was undertaken in a community pharmacy in Leeds, the second in hospitals in South Essex.
On graduation and registration in 1978, Vic returned to Basildon and Orsett Hospitals as a rotational basic grade pharmacist. It was while living on the residential campus at Basildon Hospital that Vic made a number of life-long friends. After two years, he was promoted to staff pharmacist at Rochford Hospital, Essex.
In 1982, he returned to his native Yorkshire to be closer to his mother, taking up the post of staff pharmacist at Scarborough Hospital, subsequently being promoted to principal pharmacist.
During almost 30 years at Scarborough Hospital, Vic was valued as a generalist pharmacist, someone who could be relied upon to fulfil a variety of roles on a daily basis requiring specialist skills and knowledge. These included the preparation of radiopharmaceuticals and chemotherapy, and providing clinical advice to the trust’s nutrition team.
All roles required meticulous attention to detail for which Vic was renowned. This quality served him well in his last few years of NHS employment as a mental health pharmacist with the community trust for the Bridlington, Scarborough and Whitby areas.
Vic’s leisure pursuits included a love of music, particularly motown, live theatre and the Scottish isles, especially the Isle of Arran. He was proud of his Polish heritage and Catholic faith. He was a great friend and colleague to many and will be remembered for his smile, his dry sense of humour, his pride in being a pharmacist, and his caring and supportive nature.
Peter Croot and Jeremy Proctor
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I am a long lost aquaintenance of my dear dear neighbour and hope to think a friend .I can truly say a piece of my heart is broken to learn of Victor's passing away in 2022.I can believe his achievements and love for his community.
I have always treasured one memory.
When we were both kids growing up in Leeds Victor's father asked us to dig up the soil in his back garden. Well we decided , after reviewing options ,that a true achievement and more like a real brief was to transform the garden and add a feature of a 5 foot deep crater ,so we could both jump from the neighbours garage into the crater. We dug this crater from
Morning until it was to dark to see.Needless to say Victor's father was not as pleased with the result as we were.Think Victor's mother and my mother probably saw the amusing aspect and recognised what we could both achieve.
All my heartfelt wishes to Victor's family and friends. I can see that his colleagues truly loved him and still do. He showed that families and communities are important to welfare .There is no doubt that he would love music.
Yours
Stanislaw Antoni Smigielski BscHons Env Eng
Long lost neighbour