Widow appeals for help after lab technician dies from asbestos cancer

Mesothelioma is an incurable cancer most often caused by exposure to asbestos. John Rawlinson worked in labs throughout the 1960s and 1970s. 

From 1966 to 1968, John worked at Rowland Ward Ltd, which supplied zoological and biological artefacts for schools. He said he was based in an old Victorian building which he believed may have contained asbestos. As part of his role producing and preparing slides and clearing work areas, he recalled being required to sweep up dust. 

John then worked at a Public Health Laboratory Service lab in Colindale, north London, until 1974. He said he regularly handled large quantities of asbestos heatproof mats and tiles used with Bunsen burners, which he recalled having to clean daily. 

He remembered that dust would be released from these materials during cleaning, and said he often had to hand-brush it from bench tops. As part of his duties, he also recalled handling asbestos wool and wire mesh. 

John later worked as a lab technician at Hammersmith Hospital from 1975 to 1978, where he said he handled similar asbestos tiles and wire mesh on a daily basis. 

John also recalled working with similar materials while in a lab technician role at the University of Manchester in the late 1970s. 

John’s widow, Barbara, and their family are now appealing for help from anyone who worked with him and may have information about the conditions he worked in, including the possible presence of asbestos.  

John and Barbara met in Reading in 1994 where they lived for 20 years. Later in life, they moved to Kirkcaldy in Scotland. Less than a decade into his retirement, he began experiencing symptoms around the time of his 75th birthday. In October 2025, a biopsy confirmed he had mesothelioma.  

Within weeks, John died. He was 75. 

Shortly before his death, John and his family instructed Kevin Johnson, a partner in the asbestos team at law firm Leigh Day, to investigate his case. 

Barbara Rawlinson said: 

“John was a fit man, and had so many places he still wanted to take me. He used to volunteer at Quainton Railway Station in Aylesbury and he's sorely missed there. He had so much life to live and to enjoy. We had no children but had dogs, and they have suffered with his loss.” 

Leigh Day partner Kevin Johnson, who represents John’s family, said: 

“Mesothelioma is a terrible and incurable disease which, in many cases, progresses incredibly quickly, leaving families with very little time to piece together how their loved one was exposed to asbestos. We had very little time to speak with John about his working life before he passed away. 

“John’s family are now asking for help from anyone who worked with him. Even small details about the conditions he worked in could make a real difference in helping them find answers.”