Mr Ray Jobling MA MBE, a Fellow in Sociology at St John’s College, died peacefully at his home on Friday 16 January 2026 after a career spent working ‘tirelessly for the good of the community’.
The former Senior Tutor focused much of his research and teaching career on the impact of chronic illness and its treatment on patients.
Dr Peter Goddard, Master of St John’s from 1994-2004 and a Fellow in Mathematics, said: “Ray was for more than a decade an outstanding Senior Tutor, calm, thoughtful, caring, whose sound judgement was respected throughout the College and University.”
Mr Jobling was Chairman for almost four decades of the UK’s leading charity for people affected by psoriasis – an immune-mediated inflammatory skin and joint condition that can affect patients physically and psychologically.
In 2014 he was awarded an MBE by the Queen for services to pharmacy education and regulation.
After gaining a first in his BA in Social Science at the University of Liverpool, Mr Jobling was admitted to the Fellowship of St John’s in 1968.
He was a University Lecturer and College Lecturer in Sociology in Cambridge’s new undergraduate degree of Social and Political Sciences, now called Human, Social and Political Sciences.
Mr Jobling was later Admissions Tutor at St John’s from 1990-1991 before taking up the role of Senior Tutor for 12 years.
Dr George Reid, a Fellow in Mathematics at St John’s, was Senior Bursar during some of Mr Jobling’s tenure as Senior Tutor. He said: “Ray Jobling contributed very greatly to the life of the College, always in the least self-promoting and gentlest of ways.
“Ray was a long-standing member of the Labour Party of the very best sort: open-minded, principled and caring”
“He will be remembered best for his period of service, from 1991 to 2003, as Senior Tutor, though Fellows will not themselves have witnessed his distinguished contribution, which followed immediately after that, as Secretary of the Senior Tutors’ Committee.”
Mr Jobling’s research and teaching focused on the sociology and politics of public healthcare and health professions, especially medicine and pharmacy, as well as the psychosocial and cultural aspects of chronic illness – in particular psoriasis and other dermatological conditions.
He was heavily involved in the development of the University’s Disability Resource Centre as Chair of the management committee, and was Chairman of the Psoriasis Association from 1977-2015, in more recent times being made a Life Vice President.
Mr Jobling held successive non-executive appointments in the governance framework of the NHS in Cambridgeshire. For eight years he was Chairman of Cambridge Community Health Council.
“Ray was a long-standing member of the Labour Party of the very best sort: open-minded, principled and caring. He never stood for publicly-elected office but instead worked tirelessly for the good of the community in a broad field of medicine,” said Dr Reid.
A dedicated supporter of the National Health Service, Mr Jobling also served on the Council of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain and as a Lay Member of the General Pharmaceutical Council. In 2014 he was appointed an MBE.
“Ray inspired the confidence of those with whom he worked,” added Dr Reid. “Although, sadly, his last years were marred by illness and he was not seen about the College, those who remember him will continue to do so with great fondness and respect.”
Paying tribute on its website, the Psoriasis Association said: “Ray was instrumental in shaping the Psoriasis Association’s direction and success for nearly four decades, championing the needs of people living with psoriasis and supporting the wider dermatology community.”
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