Mark Rapley

Mark Rapley (1962 - 2012) inspired many. He was Professor of Clinical Psychology and Director of the Doctoral Programme in Clinical Psychology at the University of East London. A graduate of the then NELP MSc in Clinical Psychology, he worked as a clinical psychologist in NHS learning disability services, and as an academic and consultant to intellectual disability services in Western Australia. His other books include Quality of Life Research: A Critical Introduction (Sage; 2003) and, with Alec McHoul, How to Analyse Talk in Institutional Settings: A casebook of methods (Continuum, 2002). Re-inventing the Feeble Mind: The social construction of intellectual disability, is published by Cambridge University Press, and most recently he co-edited De-Medicalising Misery for Palgrave Macmillan (2011).

Obituary by Craig Newnes

My friend Mark died (if people die) on Sunday 12th August 2012. The previous week we had been to Halford’s in Tottenham to exchange some wheel trims. He was weak from the cancer that was killing him and tired from medication that might have stopped a train. Close to death, he had already been hospitalised several times and had that pumped up on steroids look that belied the danger within – the worst of which, a carcinoma the size of my thumb in the centre of his brain, he had christened “Elizabeth” – as you do.

What can you say about a man who thought little of those supposedly well-educated psychologists who hadn’t read Ryle, who thought nothing of quoting in Latin as if his audience would immediately understand, who had “That which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger” (in Latin) tattooed on his back and who, even when terribly tired and ill, responded to emails from trainees that began, “I know you’re not well but could you just….?”

He was a man filled with energy, a passion for clarity of thought and (not unlike Jessica Ennis) an inspiration to many (though with little interest in running round a track for glory). He didn’t suffer fools and was perfectly capable of being awesomely angry with those who upset him; face to face he could be overwhelming. Mark was prolific – hundreds of articles, numerous chapters, several edited volumes and a couple of best-sellers thrown in for good measure. I’m his literary editor with enough work in his estate to keep me occupied for years and the terrible feeling that I won’t do him justice. He was a fantastic editor – no messing about, he just changed whatever was submitted and it was always the better for it.

Mark loved life, Shiraz, Neil Young (Tonight’s the Night in particular) and food – an accomplished cook he preferred eating out; Café Rouge in Pond Square will notice their profits already dropping. His brother, Nick, Nicola (the recently wed Mrs Rapley), John Martyn and The Who all gave him life but no-one, absolutely no-one came as deep in his heart as his daughter, Ella (or Bubble to those of us who love her and share her loss). So, Bubble, these few words are for you  …  always look on the bright side of life – it’s all we have.  13th August, 2012.