Obituaries

Richard Raper, 1929 – 2007

We have unfortunately been informed of the death of one of our longest standing members, Richard Raper, founder and managing director of Indexing Specialists (UK) Ltd. Richard joined SGML UK in 1997 and was a regular attendee and supporter of our conferences until quite recently.

Following graduation from Nottingham University in 1953, Richard spent his early working years on agricultural research projects in the tropics and then in Canada. After his return to the UK, he worked for the Commonwealth Agricultural Bureau, which is where he first became involved in indexing.

In 1965, Richard set up his own indexing business. Operating initially as a one-man band, the business grew over the years to the thriving concern it is today. As an indexer, Richard was among the best, and was a winner of the prestigious Wheatley Medal from the Library Association. An active member of the Society of Indexers, he served for a period as its Chairman, as well as being involved with other professional bodies in the publishing world.