Obituary: Gill Bickle MSc, BSc (Hons) FBDO CL

The late Gill Bickle

It is with profound sadness that the death is announced of Gill Bickle on 3 February 2025, after a bravely fought battle with cancer. We are all shocked and are still finding it hard to accept that someone so utterly full of life could be taken from us at the age of only 44.

Inspiring future students

Gill began her optical studies at City & Islington College in September 2000, whilst working for EyeSite Opticians in Brighton. She qualified in June 2003 and immediately enrolled for the contact lens course with ABDO College, gaining her contact lens certificate in summer 2006.

Gill began examining for ABDO in 2005 as both a practical examiner and principal theory examiner in PQE ophthalmic lenses and optics. She was also an ABDO theory marker and conducted practice visits on their behalf. She examined and taught overseas in Malaysia and India. She was also a Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) practice visitor.

Gill very quickly realised that she loved to share her knowledge and enthusiasm of optics to the next generation of dispensing and contact lens opticians and became a lecturer at City & Islington College in 2004. She joined ABDO College lecturing staff in 2007, teaching both dispensing and contact lens students. She also became an ABDO College tutor at this time.

In 2009, Gill completed the BSc (Hons) Optical Dispensing Studies programme with CCCU, along with many other teaching staff and tutors. There followed a short course in summer 2013, An Introduction to Ophthalmic Public Health, which eventually changed the future direction of her career.

In 2017, she embarked on an MSc in Public Health with CCCU, completing this in 2020 having interrupted for a year due to her first breast cancer diagnosis. Gill took a short break from teaching to return to practice and then returned to ABDO College as courses co-ordinator from 2015 until late 2020, but the call of public health led her to a role as a health protection practitioner for the UK Health Security Agency (formerly Public Health England).

In October 2021, despite no longer working in optics but now with a wider public health agenda, Gill was elected to the ABDO Board, where she served for two years before stepping down due to ill health. Gill was awarded the ABDO Medal of Excellence in December 2024 in appreciation of her dedication to ABDO and the profession throughout the course of her career, being presented with the honour by ABDO president, Kevin Gutsell.

Gill messaged me the day after receiving the award writing, “I just can’t believe it; I don’t think I have done enough to deserve it”. Needless to say, I did remind her of the positive impact she had made on countless students and the high regard in which she was held throughout the profession. Gill was still completed CPD webinars and articles until October 2024, despite her dwindling health.

Passion for sports

But optics was only one part of Gill’s life, and we would be doing her a huge injustice to concentrate only on that. She was also passionately fond of marathons, which she completed in Brighton and London and ParkRuns in her local Preston Park and throughout the south of England. She completed triathlons with the BriTriClub and enjoyed cycling holidays and triathlon training in Mallorca. She competed in the Owler Ironman and qualified for and competed in the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

Gill was often seen on early morning runs around the Godmersham estate and fairly regularly popped in to take tea with the exams team. She often liked to persuade others to join her in her runs and Paula Hall and Haydn Dobby attest to being almost killed by the pace! Many of her sports Gill shared with husband Russell, who she married in June 2015 at a beautiful ceremony in Brighton attended by many of her ABDO College friends.

Gill loved following street art around Brighton, including #BrightonFlock trails, and had some of the art around her at home. In the last few years, she enjoyed embroidery and cuddling up to and walking her maltipoo, Flanders. One of her last Facebook posts was a photo of Flanders after being pampered at the dog groomers.

Gill will be greatly missed by her friends, colleagues and ex-students for her love of life, passion and enthusiasm, which rarely waned. Sincere condolences are extended to her family, especially her husband Russ.