2024

Professor Emeritus David Barton from the Department of Linguistics and English Language died on 18 October 2024. David was a member of the Lancaster University community from 1981 until his retirement in 2019 and a full obituary appears on the Lancaster University website.

Alexandra (Alex) Angeles Caycho (Fine Art and Design, 2024 ) passed away in September 2024. Alex was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March 2023 while studying for her degree. In August 2024, after doctors told Alex she would have just days or weeks to live, an appeal was launched by those close to Alex to enable her return to Peru. The appeal, which was reported in the media, was successful, and Alex died surrounded by loved ones on 14 September.

Roderick O'Brien, formerly the Director of Research and Enterprise Services, passed away in September 2024. Roderick first joined Lancaster University in 2001 to establish and lead a new Contract’s Office on behest of the University’s then Director of Finance, Euan McGregor. In this role he lead the creation of a new contracts team and contracts policy as well as the creation of the University’s first intellectual property commercialisation policy – laying the important foundations for what has become a thriving spin out business environment at the institution. In 2003 a new university division was established to oversee all support services for research support and external engagement and under his inaugural Directorship of the new Research and Enterprise Services Division (RES) the University enjoyed a significant growth in research income. A full tribute is available on the University's website.

Professor Emeritus John B Whittaker, from Lancaster Environment Centre, died in September 2024. He came to Lancaster in September 1966 as lecturer in Biological Sciences and promoted to senior lecturer in 1974. The following year he went to the University of Calgary for six months where he retained links for some time. He was Director of Ecology from 1979 onwards and awarded a personal chair in Ecology from 1987. He was Head of Department from 1983-1986 and when the Institute of Environmental and Biological Sciences was formed in 1988, he became the director of its biological sciences division from 1991 to 1994. He took early retirement in 1996 and was made an Honorary Fellow of the University in 1006. A fuller tribute is available on the University website.

Professor Emeritus David Denver formerly of the Department of Politics passed away in August 2024. A tribute was posted by the Political Studies Association on 20th August.

Distinguished Professor George Pickett FRS, passed away on July 21st 2024. George left his mark on the fields of ultra-low temperature physics and quantum fluids at the highest international level. He was renowned for his remarkable practical sense, profound physical intuition, and an innate scientific expediency, qualities which enabled him to develop one of the world's leading laboratories at Lancaster University and, for a time, the coldest temperature on Earth. His full obituary can be read on the University's website.

Professor Emeritus Peter John Lea, Professor of Biological Sciences and former Head of Department passed away on June 16th 2024. He became a part-time research professor from September 1996 and Emeritus Professor from September 2006. Professor Terry Mansfield's tribute can be viewed on the University website.

Dr John Keith Hargreaves, Honorary Researcher and formerly of the Department of Environmental Sciences Department died on June 6th 2024. He began working at Lancaster University in 1969 and continued to be involved for almost 40 years into retirement, latterly undertaking research with the Space and Planetary Physics Group in the Department of Physics. A tribute written by Professor Farideh Honary with contributions from Professor Jim Wild, both from the Physics Department is published on the University website.

Peter Scullion, former Principal of Pendle College, and Safety and Compliance Manager for the University passed away in May 2024. Peter held a number of roles in the University’s Facilities division, beginning in March 1993 as a Building Superintendent. He went on to become a Building Surveyor in August 1996, Surveyor Operational in 1998, then Project Manager in 2000. Peter was appointed Principal of Pendle College on 1 August 2004 and served two terms in this role until 2010. He went on to become the University’s Safety and Compliance Manager until he took retirement in July 2013.

John Mackness, formerly of the Management Development Division, now known as Professional and Executive Management Learning in the Management School, died on the 13th May 2024.
John was a man of many parts - teacher, researcher, administrator, philanthropist, and a poet. He arrived in Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) as a graduate student in the year 1971, with a Bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering from Nottingham University, and obtained a Master’s degree in 1971 and a doctorate in the year 1975. He spent the following seven years teaching and researching at the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianopolis in Brazil. John and Jenny, his wife, came back home in 1984. John spent a couple of years working as a systems consultant to Savant, a software engineering company in Carnforth, and joined LUMS as a teaching fellow in the year 1986. He was named a Professorial Fellow in the year 1996. John retired as a Professorial Fellow in the year 2010. In his retirement he continued to present lectures and supervise Master’s students in LUMS, ultimately working part-time in the Centre for Training and Development (CETAD) until 2023. A tribute to John, written by Emeritus Professor Vudayagi Balsubramanyam is available on the University website.

Professor William (Bill) Ritchie, OBE, former Vice-Chancellor passed away on 12 May 2024. Professor Ritchie was Lancaster’s fourth Vice-Chancellor between 1995–2002, during which time he maintained the University’s high reputation for research and initiated the creation of the Lancaster Environment Centre. He had been a Professor of Physical Geography (1979-95) and Senior Vice-Principal (1992-95) at Aberdeen, and joint editor of The Environmental Impact of the Wreck of the Braer (Scottish Office, 1994).

Maurice Slawinski, former Head of the Italian Department, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies (in the then Faculty of Humanities and Arts) and long time Director of Undergraduate Studies in DELC, died on 9th April 2024. Olga Gomez-Cash, Senior Teaching Fellow in the Department of Languages and Culture has published this tribute on the University website.

Graeme Uttley (History, 1982 Pendle) died on March 24th 2024 in Torquay, shortly after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Graeme moved to the USA shortly after graduation in 1982. He lived mostly in California, working in project finance for most of the major US contractors, including Boeing, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman. He maintained his dedication to Tottenham Hotspur, despite being a few thousand miles away. Graeme retired in San Diego but in October 2023 he moved back to England, bought a season ticket for Tottenham and was in the process of house hunting in Devon when he was taken ill.

Baroness Ruth Henig, who had an exceptionally full and distinguished career in lecturing and public service died on 29 February 2024, aged 80. Ruth's full obituary appears on the Lancaster University website.

Dr Alison Wilkinson, (PhD Educational Research, 2022) died after a short illness in February 2024. She made a huge contribution to the creation and development of the Morecambe Bay Curriculum as part of the steering group and as Chair of the Cumbria Schools Working Group. A tribute to Alison is featured on the Morecambe Bay Curriculum website.

Victoria Nixon, (Geography, 2023, Bowland) very sadly passed away in January 2024. After graduating in July 2023, she went on to work on EcoEats – a project which stemmed from the ECOChallenge competition and has delivered food boxes to students’ accommodation on campus to help with cost-of-living in an environmentally sustainable way. Victoria was a well-known member of the staff, student and alumni communities at Lancaster. For those who had got to know Victoria, this will be a very difficult time, and her family, friends and colleagues are in our thoughts.

David Carroll, Emeritus Professor of English and Creative Writing, passed away in January 2024. He joined Lancaster in 1972 where he established a reputation as an excellent academic and teacher of English Literature. He is remembered as an exceptionally able administrator. He was reasonable, balanced, a good listener and he saw both sides of a debate. These are qualities which saw him become an effective Head of Department during his time at Lancaster. A tribute from Emeritus Professor Mick Short is available on the Lancaster University website.

Kenneth Parrott, former theatre practitioner and instrumental figure in the creation of Lancaster University's Nuffield Theatre and Workshop, died on 3 January 2024. The following tribute to Kenneth appears on the University's website and was written by alumnus Roger Ashton-Griffiths, who went on himself to work as an actor.

2023

Peter Spillard, formerly of the Marketing Department died on 18 December, 2023. He came to Lancaster as a senior lecturer in the early 70s with a degree in Economics from the University of London and after spending time in industry. His speciality was the formation and running of companies and he published widely in this area. He was Head of Department from 1977-82, at a critical time for the University as it managed its way through financial challenges. From 1996 he went part-time, although his connections with the University continued for some years afterwards. Tall and good-humoured, Peter was considered a great asset to the School of Management and to the establishment of its suite of consortial School programmes. A tribute from colleague, George Long, is available on the Lancaster University website.

Laurence Canty (Economics, 1972, Lonsdale) passed away on 17 December 2023. After graduating he moved to London where he became a successful bass guitarist, author and tutor. Eventually he moved back to Lancaster and formed the band Quay Change with Fred Binley (LU alumni and current member of staff!) and they regularly played on campus over the last 20 years. He wrote the book Electric Bass Guitar: The Complete Guide, co-authored What Bass and contributed to the music magazine Making Music with his column Bass Case. People who found guidance and inspiration through my dad's life include Colin Greenwood - Radiohead, Yolanda Charles - Squeeze, Hanz Zimmer, Robbie WIlliams, George Anderson - Shakatak, Dave Swift - Jools Holland, Paul Francis - Paul Weller - and many more. He is survived by his son, Matt, who also graduated from LU in 2011. Laurence's full obituary appeared in The Guardian.

Professor Emeritus Alan Blackburn, formerly of the Lancaster Environment Centre, passed away in December 2023. Alan joined Lancaster University in August 2000 as a Lecturer in Remote Sensing, before being promoted to Senior Lecturer in August 2011, and then to Professor in August 2017. He retired in December 2022 becoming an Emeritus Professor. Alan's full obituary can be read on the Lancaster University website.

Professor Bahram Honary, former researcher in the Computing and Communications Department, died after a short illness on 30 November 2023. A tribute to Bahram's life, by Farideh Honary and Professor Garik Markarian is given on the Lancaster University website.

Mike Guilfoyle (Religious Studies and Sociology, 1980, County) passed away on 19 November 2023 having lived with advanced prostate cancer for five years. He was wonderfully supported by his wife Nana and son Matthew. Although treated at Guy's Hospital he had been part of a global drug trial at University College London Hospital, which sadly was deemed after two months not to be working.
After three years at Lancaster University, he undertook a postgraduate certificate in Education at St Martin's College, Lancaster before taking up a teaching post in Suffolk. Changing direction in his career plans, after a year working as a Nursing Assistant in Colchester, he moved to London and joined the Inner London Education Authority in the role of an Education Welfare Officer. He completed a postgraduate certificate in Social Work at South Bank University and for twenty years enjoyed a career as a Probation Officer in London. He undertook a Master's Degree in Criminology at Middlesex University during this time.
On his retirement he sat as a Magistrate in South East London and worked as a Volunteer for the Jesuit Refugee Service in East London. He remained a active member of the Probation Union, Napo, a familiar sight as a speaker at the Union's Annual Conferences and he also submitted articles for publication on probation practice and policy. He was one of the book reviewers for the Probation Journal. Mike was accorded an Honorary Lifetime Membership of his union for his sterling contributions over the years as a union member and his passionate commitment to promoting the best in probation practice in his articles that he published monthly for over a decade based on his front-line experiences as a Probation Officer for the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies.
He was for many years a mentor with the Longford Trust, working with a life sentence prisoner who was preparing to start his doctorate whilst inside.
A keen runner, he completed three London Marathons for charity. One of Mike's other abiding interests was local cemetery history and he acted as a history guide on walks, narrated several podcasts on some of the more illustrious deceased buried in Brockley and Ladywell cemeteries (Lewisham) and wrote four cemetery history guides.
His ready wit and wry humour, warm and engaging personality made him a much liked and popular individual who was always interested in the wellbeing of his many friends. A CAMRA member, he enjoyed the delights of craft beer and hearty banter that accompanied a good night out! He will be greatly missed by his family and friends, several of whom were his contemporaries at Lancaster University during his time there.

Dr Bob Chaplin, a former wave energy Research Associate and Tutor in the Engineering Department passed away on 19 October at Royal Preston Hospital. The tribute below was compiled by Bob’s daughter, Sarah Holding.
Bob came to the University from the National Institute of Agricultural Engineering in the late seventies to work under Professor Michael French on the ‘floating bag’ wave energy project. He subsequently worked on further wave energy innovations, as well as supervising student projects in the engineering department, before transitioning in the early eighties to being co-leader of the innovative ACPMM programme run jointly for many years with the University of Cambridge. During this period he was doing research in the emerging field of mechatronics, and published papers on ‘Schemebuilder’ and various other integrated computer design tools in the field of Interdisciplinary System Design.
Following the death of his wife, Dr Davina Chaplin, formerly of the University’s Italian Department, Bob led Lancaster University's Formula Student team, and was committed to exposing engineering students to the rigours and challenges of working on live projects with real briefs. He never lost his passion for wave energy research and towards the end of his career published other original ideas for wave energy conversion in response to the UK Government's ‘Marine Energy Challenge’, such as ‘Wraspa'.
In his final years at the University, he was recruited to assist the Dean on a number of university-wide initiatives. Bob had many friends across the whole University, and was a keen supporter of musical, sporting and theatrical performances on and off campus, belonging also to the Lancaster Footlights Club, Lancaster Singers, Morecambe Sailing Club, and Palatine Bowling Club.

Caroline Gilfillan (MA Creative Writing, 1999, Graduate) passed away on 24 September 2023. She was multi-talented musician, novelist and poet with a vibrant and adventurous spirit. Caroline Gilfillan's full obituary is available on the Guardian website.

Michael Forster, founding Registrar of the University passed away on 3 September 2023 after a long illness. Michael came to Lancaster as Deputy Secretary to Stephen Jeffreys on 1 May 1964, with the title of Academic Registrar added two years later, and was subsequently appointed as Registrar.
By the time of his retirement on 1 July 1991, Michael had helped the University navigate the initial expansion of student numbers, the cutbacks of the early Thatcher years, the evolution of a faculty structure, and the emergence of league tables, including for the quality of teaching and for the ever-expanding research agenda that would take Lancaster into the top ten of universities in the 1992 Research Assessment Exercise. Thereafter he devoted himself to the care of his late wife Kathleen and other members of his family, while remaining critically interested in current affairs at Bailrigg. The award to him of an Honorary Fellowship in 2011 was a fitting tribute for a life of wholehearted commitment to the values of higher education and Lancaster in particular. Michael Forster's obituary can be viewed on the University website.

Paul Frederick Gurney (Economics & Politics, 1967) passed away peacefully, aged 77, at home in West Wales on 31st August 2023 after suffering a severe stroke 18 months previously. He was born in Croydon, and was a founder member of the University, where he played in the hockey team, decorated floats for rag week and gained a degree in Politics and Economics. Whilst at University he lived part of the time in a bed and breakfast hotel on Morecambe sea front and attended lectures in the chapel at St Leonard’s Gate in Lancaster. He also rebuilt a Triumph TR2 and ran and maintained a Vintage Alvis often giving rides to fellow students. He loved every minute of his time in Lancaster.
He then went on to run the family business in Croydon for 10 years and bought a farm in West Wales where he subsequently developed a property business. He is lovingly remembered by his wife of 55 years (whom he met at Lancaster), his son Nicholas and daughter Sarah (who also attended Lancaster University) and his five grandchildren.

Charles Alan Mountain (MSc Cybersecurity, 2019, MPhys Physics, 1997, Cartmel) passed away on 14 August 2023 after a short battle with Melanoma. Charles loved Lancaster so much that he returned 25 years later to do another Master's, this time in Cybersecurity and gained a distinction, of which, he was very proud! After his graduation in 1997, Charles moved to Knutsford, Cheshire and secured his first job working for NNC. Here, he was awarded Graduate Trainee of the Year. He then went on to work in IT for EDS for 15 years and then DEFRA as a contractor, which he really enjoyed.
On his return to Lancaster in 2018, he was especially pleased that, at the age of 43 he could beat the younger Freshers at the rowing challenge! Charles loved badminton and enjoyed playing during his first time at Lancaster. He was also passionate about Computing, LUBBS, his friends and Friday Night bar crawls. His favourite place, though, had to be Pizzetta Republica! He died peacefully, surrounded by the love of his family and leaves behind his alumna wife, formerly of Cartmel College (French and German Studies, 1999). They were married on 24 June 2000 and he leaves behind his two children, Ella (18) and Isaac (15). He will always be in their hearts.

Ian Miller MBE, Fellow of the University, and the Royal Society’s Hauksbee Award Winner died on 9 August 2023, after a long and debilitating struggle against pulmonary fibrosis courageously borne. Ian was key to the success of the Lancaster Low Temperature group, working with Professors Tony Guenault and George Pickett. He used his skills to build “dilution refrigerators” which enabled the group to achieve the worlds’ coldest temperature, as well as much pioneering work in the field. Unashamedly, Ian declared that he was “self-taught” and “didn’t understand the working of fridges”, as these complex low temperature environments were called. Nonetheless, the work would have been impossible without Ian’s skills, and good working relationships within the group. George Pickett, now a Distinguished Professor, said that Ian’s work was crucial to him being awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Society. Ian’s work has been nationally recognised by the award of the new Royal Society Hauksbee Award, created to acknowledge and reward excellence in supporting science in the UK. In addition, Ian was awarded the MBE. He received this in person at the palace. True to style, this was against his wishes, but he was “outvoted” by the family. For all these honours, Ian told me that his most treasured award was the Fellowship of the University, presented by the then-Chancellor Sir Chris Bonnington at a private dinner hosted by the Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Smith. Ian’s funeral took place on Thursday 24th August. True to the man, it was without prior announcement and with minimum formality; family only, no tributes and he was taken from home to grave with no ceremony. Ian is survived by his wife Val, and children Sally and Peter. He leaves behind a legacy to low temperature physics, and a memory in the hearts and minds of those who knew him. (Dr Ted Walker, Lancaster 1972-1978.)

Marion Garner died on 9 August 2023, after a short illness. She was 84 and survived by her son David. Marion worked in the Mathematics and Statistics Department from 1975 to 1996 as a member of the administrative staff. Her friendly manner was much appreciated throughout the Department. She was well-liked for her cheerful disposition and her welcoming open-door policy to staff and students alike. As a Departmental Officer, she had a careful and unhurried approach to her work and always found time to help people.

Professor Emeritus Robert 'Bob' Rothschild, formerly of the Department of Economics, died on 9 July 2023 after a long and debilitating illness which he bore with exemplary grace and fortitude, wonderfully supported by Santi, his wife, and his sons Dan and Pete.A full tribute provided by Oliver Westall, his wife and many friends can be viewed on the University website.

Professor John Boylan, formerly of the Department of Management Science, sadly passed away on 7 July 2023, after having been diagnosed with acute blood cancer in May. John was a celebrated academic who can be credited with seminal contributions to shaping the area of supply chain forecasting, as well as influencing the lives of many, as a supervisor, mentor and collaborator. He was a prominent member of Lancaster University Management School, and the wider academic community. His expertise in forecasting and inventory management was honoured internationally. As well as teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students, and supervising PhD candidates, he was the Director of the Centre for Marketing Analytics and Forecasting. A full tribute to Professor John Boylan is to available on the University website.

David Reid (Physics, 1978, Cartmel) died on 8 June 2023, having lived with cancer for more than 2 and a half years. He died at home and at peace and throughout his illness, although not able to be as physically active - he had been a runner and keen cyclist - his brain was as busy as ever. David loved music, books, pictures and thinking. He continued to work on his photography, taking off in many directions from the quirky to the beautiful. He became a lecturer, first at Derby and then at Nottingham Trent University where he worked until he retired. David was a generous and inspiring teacher. He brought warmth and humour to his teaching with a lightness of touch which made complex ideas accessible. His engagement with the world was eclectic and multi-faceted; a richness of outlook that embraced the lives of many. David collaborated with a wide range of people from the worlds of contemporary music, art and photography. He leaves an important body of work that includes many sound and video recordings of contemporary music, alongside numerous experimental sound works and an extensive collection of photographs, which he worked on almost until the end.

Dr Barry Hunt, formerly of the Department of Chemistry, passed away on 6th June 2023. Barry was first an Experimental Officer and then a Research Officer in the Department of Chemistry at Lancaster from 1967 until 1999, and ran the polymer characterisation facility within the Department. He gained his PhD during his time at Lancaster under the supervision of Professor John Bevington, the first Head of Department. In subsequent research, Barry collaborated with many colleagues in Chemistry, Physics and Environmental Sciences: work that was subsequently published in a wide range of journals and book chapters, and at national and international conferences. Barry also taught aspects of polymer chemistry, principally on master's courses in polymer science and on various short courses in polymers; he also supervised many master's students on six-month industrial placements. In 1999, Barry moved with other members of the Lancaster polymer group to the University of Sheffield where he continued his research, teaching and supervision up until his retirement in 2008. Post retirement, Barry vigorously pursued many activities not least through his memberships of the Morecambe yacht club, the Lancaster and Morecambe Astronomical Society, and a local ukelele orchestra. Barry's most notable achievement in retirement was in helping to crew a catamaran safely across the Atlantic from Florida to Morecambe via the Azores.

Emily Morgan (Theatre Studies, Culture & Communication, 1998, County) who worked for more than two decades for ITV News, latterly the ITV News' health and science editor died aged 45 after a short illness. Her full obituary was published in the Guardian newspaper amongst many others.

Professor Michael Lea (PhD Physics, 1968, Bowland) died on 24 April 2023. Born in Kendal, Michael obtained a Hastings Scholarship to The Queen’s College, University of Oxford, and in 1964 became one of the first Physics postgraduates at the then ‘new’ University of Lancaster. He built his first Low Temperature laboratory in the city; his second at Bailrigg; a third at Bedford College University of London; and a fourth at Royal Holloway University where he was appointed Professor of Physics. His main research interests were in experimental Low Temperature Physics and he published over 150 research papers on Metal and Superconductors; Quantum Fluids; Cryogenic Techniques; Piezoelectrics and Semiconductors, Particle and Dark Matter Detection; Two-dimensional electrons and Quantum Computing. His most recent paper was published in Phys.Rev.Lett. in 2017. Colleagues have described him as ‘brilliant’, ‘remarkable’, and a ‘wonderful individual’. ‘Through his important work on electrons on helium and associated international collaborations, he truly paved the way for the current resurgence of the topic as a pathway to quantum computing’. On retirement he became an Emeritus Professor of the University of London. Back in 1964 Michael met his wife Katherine (Kate), an undergraduate at Lancaster and they married in 1966. Both developed a passion for the Arctic and they spent many summers out in the wilds of Greenland, Svalbard and Baffin Island making sound recordings of birds and narwhal. They visited Inuit settlements in North-West Greenland and used inflatable boats to explore the fjords of North East Greenland. Here they rarely encountered anybody else, but had significant encounters with wolves, musk-oxen and polar bears. Their most memorable boating trip was a circumnavigation of Clavering Island. This had its hairy moments, particularly trying to find leads through the pack ice towing a second boat and being increasingly forced further away from the shore - dangerous yes, but exhilarating and memorable! Michael became President of both the Arctic Club and the Scottish Arctic Club, served on the Gino Watkins Committee awarding grants to arctic expeditions, and set up the Arctic Club website.Retiring back to Westmorland, they tackled many new projects; editing a newsletter for the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society; taking 33 members on a ‘pilgrimage’ round the Saga sites of Iceland; publishing a new edition of W G Collingwood’s Letters from Iceland; saving and raising the profile of old cast-iron fingerposts in Cumbria and raising money to restore a local tithe barn.

Professor Emeritus John Burgoyne, formerly of Lancaster University Management School, passed away on 22 April 2023 after a short illness. Following a BSc in Psychology at University College London, John began his career as a Research Assistant in the Department of Occupational Psychology, Birkbeck College. He was a Research Fellow and doctoral student at Manchester Business School, where he was awarded his PhD in 1973.
Following a one-year appointment as a Lecturer at Manchester Business School, in 1974 he joined the Centre for the Study of Management Learning (CSML) at Lancaster University Management School (then known as the School of Management and Organisational Sciences) as Research Director. He undertook various roles in what later became the Department of Management Learning (DML) including serving twice as Head of Department. From 2002-2009, John was also a Professor of Management Learning at Henley Business School and from 2000-2002, was seconded to the Council for Excellence in Management and Leadership (sponsored by the DFEE and DTI) as a policy research consultant in a review of management and leadership development. John also held roles external to Higher Education, including Trustee of the Brathay Trust, Ambleside and a Fellow of the Leadership Trust as well as of the British Academy of Management (BAM).

Jean Argles, the University's first careers adviser died on 2 April 2023 after a short illness. Jean was the younger daughter of Colonel Cary Owtram OBE, DL, a mill owner who lived at Newland Hall near Dolphinholme, and who served with the 137th Field Regiment of the Royal Artillery in the Far East. He was captured in 1942 at the fall of Singapore and worked on the notorious Burma Railway, only returning to England after VJ Day in August 1945.Jean was at boarding school in Warwickshire when her father was imprisoned. In 1943, aged 18, she was appointed as a Cipher Operator for the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, including service in Cairo, a post that involved signing the Official Secrets Act. Jean obtained a Diploma in Social Services from Leeds University in 1955 and a Diploma in Medical Social Work from Edinburgh the following year. She was working in London in 1963 when she was approached by Charles Carter, Lancaster’s founding Vice-Chancellor. He invited her to return to Lancashire and work as an administrative assistant to Colonel Shine of Hooker, Craigmyle and Company on an appeal that raised £2.25 million for the infant institution. In February 1966, when the work related to the appeal was largely complete, Jean became the University’s first Careers Adviser, and in 1968 she married Michael Argles, one of the two founding assistant librarians. She retired from the much-increased Careers Service in 1980. Michael had played an important part in the embellishment of the university in its early years, and in 1989 he and Jean donated the fine engraved doors by Sally Scott and David Peace that adorn the entry to the Irene Manton collection in the Peter Scott Gallery. Jean continued to live in Wray after Michael’s death. It was only in her latter years that she and her older sister Patricia Davies were able to share both of their WWII intelligence careers, and they jointly published a book of their experiences, Celebrating Sisters: our secret war. A further volume is scheduled for publication. Jean was also a strong supporter of Lancaster Concerts.

Simon Emmerson (Independent Studies, 1978, Bowland) founder of bands and music producer, passed away on 13 March 2023. His colourful life was featured in an obituary published in The Guardian.

Professor Geoffrey Easton, former Senior Lecturer in Marketing, died on 5 March 2023. After being awarded degrees from Bristol, Manchester and London, Geoff came to Lancaster as senior lecturer in Marketing on 1st September 1973. This was a new subject in universities and a major innovation for Lancaster. By the time of his retirement on 30th September 2010 Marketing had become a recognised discipline for business and management schools, as well as being a major contributor to Lancaster’s internationally prestigious School of Management. Geoff was Head of the Department from 1987 to 1996. He was awarded a personal chair on 1st August 1989. His inaugural lecture four years later was entitled “Markets as Networks”, reflected not only his academic interests but also his ability to engage with colleagues and students at all levels across the university. Read the following link for a personal tribute from former colleague, George Long News Item - Professor Geoffrey Easton, Staff Intranet

John Hargreaves (Politics, 1971, County) died on 20 February 2023. Born in Blackpool and a lifelong supporter of all things Lancashire and, of course, Blackpool F.C. At Lancaster Uni John developed many friendships and enjoyed debates, working in County Bar, booking bands, playing rugby & cricket, and producing Pendragon. He was a popular JCR President. John later joined the Civil Service & the Post Office, and became heavily involved with Union protection of members' interests. He met Jan on the badminton court & they married a year later. They then bought a bar in Corfu and settled in Abingdon a few years later, where John began his creative writing & trained as a counsellor. Due to ill health, he spent much of his later life in a wheelchair. Some years ago he survived a leg amputation due to bone cancer, but last year was diagnosed as having pancreatic cancer. John leaves behind his sister and his wife/soul mate, Jan. He will be remembered by all who knew him as an interesting, kind and funny guy, happy and driven by a warm personality.

Rebecca Wallace (nee Dear, English, 1999) passed away on 12 February 2023. Following graduation, Becca spent her early career in the publishing industry, marketing education magazines and books for the Taylor Francis Group in New Fleet Street, then the Reed Elsevier Group and Harcourt Education in Oxford. Becca then worked in fostering and adoption within social services before training as a horticulturist with the Royal Horticultural Society, working for 9 years providing garden maintenance service to rural customers. She met her husband James Wallace, an environmental entrepreneur, in 2001 and was married in 2005. They lived in Oxfordshire, then Berkshire where they had two daughters, Flora and Annabelle. After a short time in Exmoor, they moved to Wiltshire. Becca was an active member of the village. She loved to dance, she played the flute, and had a passion for camping, walking and kayaking as well as growing fruit and vegetables and cooking feasts for friends and family. Becca developed a rare cancer, Pseudomyxoma peritoneii and had life saving surgery in 2014. Despite the cancer slowly returning, she lived a full and active life until her final months. Becca was still wearing her Lancaster University sweatshirt at the age of 45 and passed it on to her eldest daughter to carry on the tradition.

Chris Eden, former Cartmel College Porter passed away in February 2023. He joined the Security and Porter team in 2017 and started off his career with the University as a porter at Chancellors Wharf moving on to Bailrigg Campus in September 2018. Chris was a popular member of team and was more of a friend than a colleague to many. He was passionate about his job and was always ready to support the students and staff of Cartmel College specifically and the wider University community generally. He was well known for his friendly smiling face and his willingness to go the extra mile to provide the best service possible. He was characterised by always looking at ways that the service he provided could be improved in order to benefit the University Community and was known for his positivity and can do approach.

2022

Simon Hanley (History, 1984, Fylde) died on his 60th birthday, New Year’s Eve 2022, in Barcelona, following a short but bravely fought battle with cancer. Alongside his studies at Lancaster, Simon showed an early talent for broadcasting, hosting an Alternative Music show on Radio Bailrigg. It became a proving ground for the charismatic TV presenting skills for which he would later become famous. Born in Morpeth but raised in Grantham, Simon was a lifelong Newcastle United fan. He loved football and golf in almost equal measure – passions that consumed him both professionally and recreationally in his later years. After graduating, Simon moved to London and by the late-1980s began teaching in a TEFL school off Oxford Street. He moved to Spain in the early 1990s, to teach at an English language school in Santander, before settling down to work and raise a family in Barcelona, the city he called home for 30 years. Tragically, Simon’s wife Alex died in 2000, when their son, Jordi, was just three years old. In 2003, he published a successful travel guide to Barcelona, but around 15 years ago began working with Barcelona TV commentating on lower league Argentinian games. He later became instrumental in the operation and broadcasting of LaLiga TV as a commentator, pundit and presenter – becoming the English voice of Spanish football. Fluent in Spanish, he could also broadcast effortlessly in his adoptive tongue. His work was appreciated by numerous colleagues and friends, among whom he could count Steve Archibald, Gaizka Mendieta and Gustavo Poyet. Simon had an eclectic love and encyclopaedic knowledge of music and was an avid fan of David Bowie, Roxy Music, Iggy Pop, Stevie Wonder, Motown, Funk, and Soul. He loved literature, cinema, was an Alfred Hitchcock aficionado, and possessed an impish wit and a wicked sense of humour.

Paul Terence Jarman (Accounting & Finance, 1988, Fylde) died 14 December 2022 after a long battle with colon cancer. Paul, or as he was usually known PJ, started his University life in 1985 living in Block 2. He was Fylde JCR secretary during 1986,and famously stood for Sports Rep in 1987 despite being in 3^rd year. His speech that day lived long in the memory for the cheer and chuckles it brought. That was PJ, he was full of life - he took his studies and learning seriously, but he loved a laugh, and was able to make others laugh in many ways. His was also known for his beloved Rover P series he drove onto campus many a day, and as a regular in Fylde Bar, usually enjoying a pint of Guinness or 6. After graduating, Paul pursued a long and successful career in fund management, most latterly managing the pension fund for British Gas. After taking early retirement Paul continued investing in stocks and shares, always looking to buck the market. His work colleagues at his celebration service described him as extremely smart and one of the best stock market analysts and investors they had ever come across. Paul spent the last 30 years of his life living in the Isle of Dogs. He always enjoyed challenging himself at new pastimes, including gaining his pilot licence, learning to play the piano songwriting or re-working vintage bikes. He made the most of life, travelling extensively and watching his beloved Queens Park Rangers. Paul throughout his life remained a private person, and never truly knew how loved and admired he was - he faced his illness with strength and positivity as best he could, and was at peace at the end.

Tony Ede (Economics, 1970 Bowland, then Fylde), died 12 December 2022 aged 74. Born in Surrey he grew up in Claygate. Tony passed the entrance exam to enable him to attend the Royal Grammar School Guildford. Whilst there, Tony earned the nickname “Speed” by excelling at cross country, winning school races and representing the county. By the third year, Tony was put into an Express stream that took O levels a year early. Tony’s quiet rebellious nature proved a little much for his parents and an argument over whether he could drop Latin for Politics resulted in Tony being sent to Leyton Park, a Quaker Boarding school for his sixth form.
Tony went on to study Economics at Lancaster, where he developed his passion for everything financial and was elected chair of the RAG committee, raising funds for various charities including purchasing a WRVS library van. Fundraising stunts included an auction of fellow students, and wheelbarrow races. His highlight was being described as “a long haired hippy” by the Guardian for heckling the Queen about paying tax. Tony was very proud of these youthful anti establishmentarian endeavours. After graduation Tony got a job with the Co-op.
Tony worked for the Manchester City Council for 35 years, culminating with being made Head of Special Projects. Projects included the Manchester Olympic Games bid (laying the ground for the successful Manchester Commonwealth games in 2002) and successfully securing funding for infrastructure such as the Manchester velodrome, the ice rink and the Bridgewater Hall. He was particularly proud of buying a statue using national government and EU funding, resulting in a freebie for the council. Tony’s hardset principles and strength of character were evident in the office too, crossing the picket line in the late 1980’s when his colleagues disputed their wages (believing his own wages to be fair). Tony retired in 2008, where he filled his time participating with the Marple Neighbourhood forum, keeping as active as possible and caring for his wife Elizabeth (who has suffered her own health troubles in recent years). He leaves Elizabeth, a son, Denzil, and daughter Tamsin.

Martin Eaden (Economics and Politics, 1972, County)died suddenly at his home on 9 November 2022 aged 73. Martin was born in Elsecar, South Yorkshire. After leaving Lancaster, Martin enjoyed a long career in social work as a highly respected and much sought-after manager of children’s services, eventually retiring as Deputy Director of Social Services in North East Lincolnshire, where he had played a large part in turning around a failing service. Martin gave key evidence to The Bichard Enquiry into two child deaths. Martin played rugby at Lancaster and was a keen supporter of many sports, especially cricket and horseracing. He met his first wife, Jenny (nee Jordan) at Lancaster and leaves behind two children by his first marriage, two step-children by his second marriage to Tracy and nine grandchildren from the two marriages, for whom he provided an endless supply of fun, encouragement and guidance.

Philip Lowton (Accounting & Finance, 1987, Pendle) passed away on 15 October 2022 following a short battle with pancreatic cancer. Philip had a very successful career as a chartered accountant and leaves behind his wife and three wonderful children. He will be remembered by all for his honesty, integrity, hard work and most of all his unwavering love and devotion to his family. The family are raising funds in his memory for the early detection of pancreatic cancer. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/philiplowton

Harold Garth Dales, known as Garth, Professor of Pure Mathematics died on 8 October 2022. He joined the Department of Mathematics and Statistics in 2011, following a successful period as Professor of Mathematics at Leeds. He was born and grew up in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire before he studied mathematics at Queens’ College Cambridge, becoming a PhD student of Graham Allen. Following a period as a lecturer at Glasgow, he joined Leeds University in 1973 where he helped to establish a group in functional analysis. His specialism was Banach algebras and, following the precedent of Barry Johnson, he developed automatic continuity theory for homomorphisms. This subject is notable for two results: Johnson’s uniqueness-of-norm theorem for semisimple Banach algebras, and the resolution of Kaplansky’s conjecture, showing that the algebra of continuous functions on an infinite compact space always admits discontinuous homomorphisms. The latter result was obtained independently by Garth Dales and Jean Esterle, and is a rare instance where the axioms of set theory impinge upon relatively standard objects in analysis. For this work, Garth was awarded a Whitehead Prize by the London Mathematical Society in 1980. Garth collaborated with prominent analysts in several countries and he enjoyed a high profile as a speaker at international conferences, collaborating with mathematicians from five continents. In 1974 he co-organized with Bill Bade and Phil Curtis at UCLA the first meeting of what subsequently developed into the biennial International Conference on Banach Algebras and Applications. He served as the Chair of the Steering Committee of this conference series for many years and, impressively, attended all 24 meetings of it, until his health no longer allowed him to travel to the 25th meeting, held this summer.
He was also a stalwart supporter of national organizations such as the London Mathematical Society, which he served as an editor and as a Council Member, the British Mathematical Colloquium, of which he organized a highly successful meeting in Leeds in 2000, celebrating the new millennium, and the North British Functional Analysis Seminar, which he served as treasurer. On his retirement from Leeds, he joined the Analysis group at Lancaster, and he contributed through undergraduate teaching, PhD supervision and publishing several substantial papers that featured in the recent REF submissions. He moved to Bentham, from where he enjoyed the view of Ingleborough from the window of his study.

Dr Paul Blackwell, Senior Teaching Fellow in Project Management passed away on 25 September 2022. Tragically he was diagnosed with cancer shortly after joining Lancaster, although he continued to work throughout his treatment. Paul was a graduate of the University of Huddersfield (BSc), The University of Birmingham (MRes) and Cranfield University (EngD). He returned to academia following a long career in the United Kingdom Civil Service where he worked in the Cost Analysis and Assurance Service (CAAS) function of the Ministry of Defence at Barrow Shipyard. His team were responsible for providing cost assurance on the Astute and successor (now known as the Dreadnought) submarine programmes. The Dreadnought class is the future replacement for the Vanguard class of ballistic missile submarines, which carry the Trident II D-5 missile systems, the principle of operation of the ‘Continuous At Sea Deterrence’ (CASD) since April 1969. Following his doctorate, Paul was appointed as a research Fellow at Cranfield University, and later at Manchester University, before his appointment as Senior Lecturer in Risk Management and Project Cost Management at Manchester. Paul’s natural ability to bring to life his expertise gleaned from working on the submarine programmes was widely recognised and valued by students and staff alike. Paul was a very active in teaching and academic scholarship, both at Manchester and Lancaster. Paul truly excelled as a lecturer. His talents included an ability to integrate the world of practice with the world of theory enabling him to make a significant and lasting impact on the students that he taught and supervised. This direct connection to the actuality of working on major defence projects provided students with an opportunity to go beyond the theoretical knowledge and understand at a deeper level the difference that can make that real difference in contemporary project management practice. Paul will also be fondly remembered by his colleagues for his spirit of collegiality and his positive approach to the challenges that he faced during his time with us. It is a testimony to his passion for teaching and education that he continued to work throughout his illness. Paul’s only regret about his time with us was that he felt that the students had not got the best out of him due to his illness.

Emeritus Professor Carol Thomas from the Division of Health Research passed away on the 13th September 2022. Carol was a Professor in Sociology in DHR, specialising in disability studies and the sociology of health and illness until 2018 when she retired from the University due to ill health. A tribute from colleague, Professor Jane Simpson, appears on the LU website.

Donald Isles (MA Operational Research, 1970) died peacefully in Pitlochry on 17 September 2022. After graduating from Lancaster, Donald spent most of working life with the North of Scotland Hydro Board (now SSE plc) firstly in Edinburgh and then in Pitlochry. Following his retirement in 1998, he was very active in the local community in Blair Atholl, chairing the Community Council and serving on many other local committees

Jerry Smith (Biological Sciences, 1992, Cartmel) has died at the age of 69. He was an accomplished photographer and worked for a number of years for Lyme Bay Holidays. A fuller obituary was published in the Seaton Nub News on 6th October 2022.

Dr Peter Lucas, former staff member, died suddenly on 1 September 2022, aged 77, whilst climbing in the Lake District. Peter joined the University as a Biochemistry technician in the mid 1960s when departments were still based in St Leonard's House whilst the main Bailrigg campus was being built. He provided research support to Dr Frank Heaton as well as helping with the Biochemistry course practicals. In 1977 he left to study at Sheffield University where he gained a BSc Hons in Natural Environmental Sciences. This was followed by a DPhil in the University of York where his research on the effects of fertiliser on plant growth was supervised by Professor Alistair Fitter. Upon completion of his research in York in 1983, he returned to the Department of Biological Sciences at Lancaster where he held a number of short-term research posts investigating the effects of pollution on plant growth working with Professor Terry Mansfield FRS. He helped to develop one of the best solar dome facilities in the world for studying impacts of air pollution and climate change at the Field Station (where Infolab now stands). In retirement he enjoyed climbing, travelling, cycling and walking and was the honorary librarian for the Fell & Rock Climbing Club, organising the relocation of its books and journals from the University Library to the Armitt Museum in Ambleside. Prizes in his name are to be awarded to outstanding PhD students in the field of plant physiology, including Plant and Crop Science, in LEC.

Arthur Davies, former University Librarian, died on 23 August 2022. He first joined the University in 1963 as Assistant Librarian, part of a small team temporarily based in a former stained-glass works at 23 Castle Hill. Here he helped develop the library’s collections in preparation for the admission of the first students in 1964. In 1966 he moved to Leeds University as Deputy Librarian. He returned to Lancaster in 1976 as its second Librarian, succeeding Graham Mackenzie and served until his retirement in September 1994. Arthur's full obituary is on the University's internal website.

Den Winterburn (French Studies, 1967, Cartmel) died on 10 August 2022. Dennett Malcolm Winterburn (“Den”) was a part of the 1964-1967 “Pioneer Group” of Lancaster Graduates. He was born in Liverpool in 1945, living in a poor single parent family with his mother and much-loved sister. The family found life very difficult and soon moved in with Den’s grandfather, a carpenter who encouraged Den to read and study hard and this helped him to pass the 11+ enabling entry to Holt High School. After his grandfather’s death, Den moved in to live with the family of a school friend forming a life-long friendship. Throughout Den’s teenage years he was a regular at the Cavern Club where he witnessed the early days of the Beatles whose music continued to inspire him all his life. After leaving school Den worked on a newspaper in the north-east of England and then came to Lancaster University where he obtained a degree majoring in French and then went on to do a MA in Psychology at Leeds University. He joined United Biscuits where he became a Director in the Food Division in 1982. Deciding that he would like to branch out on his own, in 1989 he founded “Imagine Consultants”, a highly successful HR consultancy, working with people in industry, government and schools to build teams of senior executives and to facilitate personal development of staff, students and employees. Den met his wife-to-be Pat well before his university days and he was regularly travelling between Lancaster and Liverpool at weekends. They were married for 53 years, but sadly she suffered Alzheimer’s through which he and his two sons supported her to up her death in February last year. Den was one of the founders of the Lancaster ‘64 graduates, an alumni group of 1967 graduates who have met for reunion lunches and have a WhatsApp group which consists of more than 40 graduates spread across the world. They have communicated regularly with each other since July 2019. Den will be sadly missed by his two sons, Phil and Dan and two granddaughters as well as all of his colleagues from those pioneering years. In his retirement Den enjoyed the company of his family and friends, travel, walking and cycling and the juke box that was his big treat to himself where he could listen to his favourite Beatles music.

Fred Anthony Broster (PhD Chemistry, 1972, Cartmel, BA Chemistry, 1969, Biological Sciences) died July 2022.

Benedetta Liorsi, (PhD English, 2017, MA English Literary Studies, 2012) died unexpectedly on 23 June 2022 from a heart attack as a complication of hydrocephalus. A tribute written by her partner and former member of Lancaster University, Chris Witter is available on the main University website.

Derek Kingsland, (Engineering, 1973, Furness) aged 71 who was in the first Engineering intake at Lancaster, died from pancreatic cancer on 23 June 2022. He spent many years as Head of Facilities at the Isle of Wight College in Newport. Whilst at Lancaster he was an active climber and mountaineer making lifelong friends through these activities.

Professor Michael John Tooley, formerly of the Environmental Services department, died 11 June 2022, aged 79. Born on 17^th December 1942 in Barnstaple, Devon, Michael spent his early years enjoying the coast and countryside of North Devon. His family later moved to Lytham St Annes where he went to the local Grammar School and then in 1962 on to Birmingham University to study for his first degree in Geography. After three years he graduated and gained a scholarship at Columbia University, New York, before returning to Britain in 1966 then starting at Lancaster University as one of the first research students in Environmental Sciences. His research investigated land and sea level changes in his home area of south-west Lancashire. Painstaking and careful field and laboratory work led to the overturning of long held views about sea-level changes in the area and in addition to securing him his PhD, initiated a steady stream of academic articles and two books on the topic with the latest appearing in 2013. In 1969 he secured a temporary lectureship in Geography at Durham University, which soon became a permanent post, and with this security he expanded his geographical area of research to further parts of Britain as well as to a number of locations overseas (Brazil, Bangladesh and The Maldives). Together with his wife, Rosanna, it was in the 1980s that Michael extended his research interests to include studies of the 19^thcentury garden designer Gertrude Jekyll. This interest in garden design was extended both to his own gardens and latterly, after retirement, to the design of gardens for others. He continued teaching and research at Durham throughout the 1980s and was promoted to Senior Lecturer, Reader and ultimately to a personal chair in 1993, which was in recognition of his outstanding international research reputation. However, in 1995 he was persuaded to move further north to a chair in the Geography Department at St Andrews University. Michael continued to live in Fife after he retired from St Andrews University in 1999, and took up a post at Kingston University until 2003. His continuing research and publication of land and sea-level changes in Lancashire led to a further recognition by Lancaster University with the award of a DSc in 2004. However, after he retired fully from academic posts, he concentrated his interests on writing further articles and taking on commissions to plan garden designs. He was always busy and was working on new projects until recently, although his last couple of years were dogged by ill health. As well as being a thorough field and laboratory researcher, Michael was an excellent teacher and was highly respected by both academics and members of the public. (Peter Cundill, St Andrews)

Cora Martin, former staff member, passed away in May 2022. Cora arrived in Lancaster in 1970 as the Administrative Officer in the Physics Department, then moving to Student Services where she had a long and distinguished career, making many lifetime friends of the students she had helped from all corners of the globe. Full obituary on the Lancaster University obituaries page.

Nicholas J Millward (MA Business Analysis, 1977, Fylde) died in April 2022. Nick worked for a US-owned company as Financial Director and worked on various international projects. He enjoyed a long and happy retirement.

Harry Goulbourne (History, 1971, Cartmel) died on 17 April 2022. He came to Britain from Jamaica with the Windrush migration at the age of 10 and was to reach distinction as one of the UK’s first black professors. He published about a dozen books focusing on race and ethnicity, including Ethnicity and Nationalism in Post-Imperial Britain (1991) and Race Relations in Britain since 1945 (1998); a few were co-authored with others, such as Caribbean Families in the Atlantic World (2000, with Mary Chamberlain). Harry contributed vitally to the growing topic of transnationalism, the interaction of national cultures, that flourished in historical and social science studies in these years, as his research also enhanced the nascent subject of Caribbean Studies. His immersion in higher education began at Lancaster University, where he took a degree in History in 1971. Harry was elected Cartmel JCR president in his very first year and was prominent in the student activism of that period. He also won the respect of his history tutors, and his degree carried him to Sussex University to pursue a doctorate. His brother-in-law, Vince Cable, acknowledged Harry’s debt to Lancaster in his funeral eulogy. Harry was moving away from history towards political sociology, and, keen to learn of the Third World, posts of eight years at the University of Dar es Salaam and six at the University of the West Indies were important in deepening his interest in transnational and comparative studies. These experiences also raised questions about his own identity. On one occasion in Tanzania, a student anonymously charged him with being an agent of imperialism, and while he easily refuted that, he did have difficulty persuading people that he was not an American, as black visitors from abroad were expected to be. In 1980 Harry returned to this country and quickly became a leader in his field here, at first at the University of Warwick, and later at London South Bank University, where he was a professor of sociology. He died on Easter Sunday and is remembered as a man who was both intrepid and gentle, cherishing deep friendships from around the globe, and not least as a staunch family man. He is survived by his wife Selina, his two sons Hugh and Neil, and three grandchildren, Benedict, Clara, and Lily. See also The Guardian obituary June 21, 2022.

Bob Brown, former staff member, passed away suddenly on 9 April 2022. Bob joined Lancaster University in May 1970 as a clerk within the Admissions team and worked there for over 43 years, before retiring as the much-loved Deputy Head of Undergraduate Admissions in 2013. During his time at Lancaster, he supported thousands of applicants through the admissions process, providing advice to teachers and parents, as well as unfailing support for a large number of colleagues across the University. Full obituary on the Lancaster University obituaries page.

Mark Wheeler, Lecturer in South East European Studies at Lancaster from 1975 to 1983 passed away on 7 April 2022. He was Official Historian of the Special Operations Executive in Yugoslavia during the Second World War and later political advisor to Paddy, Lord Ashdown, High Representative for Bosnia and Hercegovina. He was one of the great scholars of Yugoslavia and a profoundly engaged figure in the years after its dissolution. Mark was a high flying undergraduate with the great John Fine at the University of Michigan who came with fellowships and scholarships to do a PhD at Cambridge, under the also great F.H. ‘Harry’ Hinsley, who had been part of the secret Second World War world war that Mark researched. He wrote the authoritative book on ‘Britain and the War for Yugoslavia’ and was appointed as Official Historian of the Special Operations Executive in Yugoslavia. He became a lecturer in the brilliant European and Central and South European Studies Departments at the University of Lancaster in 1975, where he was an inspirational figure, splitting the difference between Slavonians, Slovonians (also known as Sclovonians), Slovenes, Slovaks, Ruthenes, Rusyns, Romanians, Vlachs and Cincars with light humour and deftness at 9am on a Monday morning. When finances and university politics closed those departments, he moved to School of Slavonic and East European Studies in London, now part of UCL. He was there during the collapse of Yugoslavia and the years of war, engaged and commentating in news media and policy circles. He became disillusioned with academic life and sought to make a difference, working with NGOs, including as Bosnia Director for the International Crisis Group. He got to make the real difference when he became political advisor to Paddy Ashdown, the international High Representative in charge of the country. It was a halcyon period of progress in post-conflict, unequalled before or after. Mark regarded this five year period as ‘wonderful’ - only to be contrasted with the ‘awful’ ‘five years that followed, partly with Ashdown’s successors. Disillusioned with practice as he had been with academia, Mark retired in 2010, ‘fled’ Bosnia (but not without donating 5000 books to a university library) and ‘hid’ from his former colleagues and friends for some years, Eventually, he was happy to renew contact with some old friends, including Professor Clive Church, who had appointed him in the mid-1970s and me, one of the protégés, he inspired. He was even contemplating returning to his work on the SOE before he died. He is survived Sheila, his divorced wife, daughter Lily and son Harry. (Professor James Gow, King’s College London)

Anthony Max Hill (MA French Studies, 1969, BA French Studies, 1967, Lonsdale) died on 1 April 2022. Born in Ipswich in 1945, Max became a founding member of the University graduating in 1967, surviving the 1968 riots whilst on a trip to Paris the following year. He then graduated with an MA in French Studies at Lancaster and went on to complete his postgraduate studies at Keble College, Oxford. His first teaching post was at Guthlaxton school in Leicestershire, followed by his appointment as Head of Department at Prince William school in Oundle in the early 1970s. Max became Deputy head at Chenderit school in Middleton Cheney, Oxfordshire, then came a first headship at Notley High School in Essex. This was followed by the headship of Sandy Upper in Bedfordshire, with the family living in nearby Beeston. Whatever position Max had in a school, he continued to champion Modern Foreign Languages as an examiner and as an adviser At Lancaster, Max was an avid sportsman (still playing and administrating in cricket until his death). He appeared in the first matches played by Lancaster sides in hockey (as a fearless goalkeeper), cricket, football and badminton. Max also took part in the inaugural Roses event at York. He loved fishing and encouraged many pupils to follow him. With his infectious humour and innocent wind-ups, he was a wonderful teammate. Max became a member of Sandy Town Council in 2015 having previously involved himself with many organisations including The Twinning Association (forging a new link with Skarszewy in Poland), with the Sandy Sports and Leisure Association and he was also a keen supporter of events including the annual Carnival and the Christmas Lights Switch-on. He was instrumental in compiling the Sandy and Beeston Town Plan, 2011 – 2020 and at the time of his death, was Chairman of Sandy Town Council’s Human Resources Committee and member of several others. Max leaves his wife, Ros, daughters Natalie and Liz and four grandchildren.

Emeritus Professor Eric Evans, former history lecturer died on 25 March 2022. Eric graduated from Oxford University in 1966 and obtained his PhD from Warwick University in 1970. He began his subsequent and distinguished academic career as a lecturer at the University of Stirling, 1969-71 In 1971 Eric had been appointed as a lecturer at Lancaster, being successively promoted to senior lecturer, reader and then, finally, professor in 1985. His scholarly output was such that he became a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and even of the Royal Society of Arts There are also generations of students, not just at Lancaster, who had benefited considerably from his scholarship and teaching. He will be much missed, but his legacy will continue to resonate among generations of future historians. A full obituary and a number of tributes can be found on the Lancaster University main obituaries page

Stephen P. Smith (History, 1984, Cartmel) passed away on 15 March 2022. Educated initially at St George’s College in Weybridge, then pursuing his History degree at Lancaster, Steve also held a master’s degree in Historical Research from Birkbeck College, University of London, the subject of his thesis being Winston Churchill during 1911. He later completed the Graduate Diploma in Law at The City Law School, University in London. He eventually developed his career in the insurance field working at Lloyds of London, managing a team, and specialising in contracts. In the U.S., he worked independently as a writer, finding a niche in content areas of business, the stock market and golf. Full obituary on the MyObits website

Dr Kayvan Walker, passed away 2 March 2022 in the city of Mackay, Queensland. He graduated with a degree in Biomedicine / Biochemistry in 2004 (Bowland) before moving to London. There he retrained as a doctor at Kings College, then he travelled the world, eventually settling in Australia. He was an accomplished musician, sailor, and was the life and soul of the party. He leaves behind his wife and two children.

Rev Dr Stephen Hunt passed away on 24 February 2022. He came to Lancaster University in 1969 as a biological sciences lecturer before being ordained in 1991. He was curate at Broughton and become Vicar at Emmanuel Preston. After retirement, Stephen continued in active church service at St James, Shireshead, Forton. Stephen was born in Rotherham before moving to Sheffield as a child. He lived through the bombing of the city something which he blamed for his lifelong tendency to depression. He moved to New Mills where he fondly remembered delivering milk on the horse-drawn dray up and down the steep lanes. At the bottom of the hill lived Ruth the young girl at Newgate's shop and they married in 1964. Via Bolton the married couple arrived in Lancaster in 1969. Stephen loved poetry and he was an avid reader and painter. He loved coffee shop life and would always have time and change for those in need. He was inspired to be a champion for the underrepresented and marginalised in society by Martin Luther King’s 'I have a Dream.'

Professor Robert (Bob) O'Keefe (Computer Modelling for Business, 1979, Cartmel) died on January 31 2022, aged 63, after suffering with MND which had been diagnosed in May 2018. Born in Guildford, he attended Woking Grammar School. After his Lancaster degree he completed a PhD in Operational Research at the University of Southampton. From 2000-2006, with Ray Paul, he was the editor of the European Journal of Information Systems. Bob retired from Royal Holloway University, London on health grounds in December 2020, where he was Professor of Information Management, and Dean of the Faculty of Management, Economics and Law. He had also been Vice Principal for External Engagement and Vice Principal for Student Experience. He had joined RHUL in January 2012, following a sabbatical, during which he held a visiting position at the University of Sydney. From 2002-2010 he was Head of School and then Dean of the Faculty of Management & Law at the University of Surrey. He was previously Professor of Information Management at Brunel University, and an associate of Henley Management College. He also held positions at the University of Kent, Virginia Tech, USA and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA, where he was for 10 years. Bob’s PhD was an early contribution to visual interactive simulation and interactive model building. His subsequent interests were very diverse, but always at the intersection of modelling, decision support and the application of Information Technology. In the US, he worked on an NSF funded project on the process of modelling, and was part of a team that developed a method for assessing the operational quality of an SME. His more recent research and consulting interests were in the use of the Internet to support customer and consumer decision making. Outside his academic career, Bob’s interests were mainly cricket, rugby and music. An avid supporter of Kent cricket, even when moving to Surrey, he was a qualified cricket umpire. Bob was a member of Harlequins and a qualified rugby referee. He is survived by his wife, Jackie (Politics, 1980), and their children, Maddy (30), Tristan (27) and Toby (19). He met Jackie during Freshers' week in 1978. His friend from his time at Lancaster, Roger Enock (History, 1979, Grizedale), gave the eulogy at his funeral.

Nick Crockett (Philosophy 1982, Pendle) passed away suddenly in January 2022. He leaves a wife, Ann Tennet (Educational studies 1981, Pendle College). On leaving Lancaster, Nick had a successful career with management in engineering companies, which took him all over the world. When he had the opportunity to go and live and work in Mexico in 2002, as part of a joint venture, he accepted and never looked back. Nick was a character once met, never forgotten, who always did life, his way.

2021

Professor Clive Church was Lecturer and Senior Lecturer in European Studies from 1966 to 1981 (although he was still teaching at Lancaster until 1983), heading the then-Department of European Studies at Lancaster, before it was dissolved and transferred to the University of Kent, where Clive held a chair and remained until retirement in 2003 and beyond as Emeritus Professor. He joined Lancaster from Trinity College, Dublin, having studied at the University of Exeter — as had several others in his generation at Lancaster. He was a friendly and inspirational figure, who would recognise talent and develop it. He was proudly ‘European’ and key leading figure in UACES — the University Association for Contemporary European Studies and its Journal of Common Market Studies and always sought to promote European links and values. While his early work on the French Revolution was highly noted, it was his later scholarship on Switzerland at Lancaster and afterwards for which he was particularly known, including Political Change in Switzerland, published only a few years before his death and well over a decade after his ‘retiring.’ He was active throughout his life in the Church of England, which both informed his capacity quickly to gauge how many members of an audience or a congregation there might be, and also hid kind and generous nature and treatment of colleagues and students. This is something personally appreciated, as it was he who took me aside as a first year undergraduate, mystified as to how someone who made the kinds of comments and insights in class that a teacher hoped to get, but produced such a duff first essay that he could not work out what had happened. The result of his intervention was that I knew how to write very good university essays and academic articles — and from that intervention, a fortunate career of 40 years followed. He was still working on two studies, one a history of Ticino and the other on external perceptions of Switzerland when he died in December 2021. His wife Margaret predeceased him in 2011 and he is survived by two daughters, Hilary and Joanna, his grand children and his late-life partner Clare. (Professor James Gow, King’s College London)

Mrs Françoise Steel, retired lecturer of the French Studies department, died of Covid at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary on 15 December 2021 where she had been receiving treatment for other illnesses. Françoise was appointed as Lectrice in French Studies on 1 October 1964, a month after David had taken up his appointment in the same department, and she was subsequently appointed as part-time lecturer. Successive generations of students benefitted from her guidance in spoken French, as well as her deep knowledge of French institutions and culture.

Gill Atkinson formerly a Lancaster University Methodist Chaplain passed away on Thursday 9 December 2021. The following tribute was prepared by Kevin Huggett Anglican Chaplain, Lancaster University: "It is with great sadness that we have learned of the sudden death of former colleague and Lancaster University Methodist Chaplain, Gill Atkinson. Gill worked at the Chaplaincy Centre 2001-2003, from where she went on to train and be ordained and serve as a Deacon in the Methodist Church. In learning of this sad news many former students have written to express how influential and supportive Gill was at a critical time in their lives. Gill met up online with some former Chaplains for a reunion just a few days before she died and was as cheerful and full of encouragement as ever, reflecting on what a privilege it was to serve the University together in such a good and supportive Chaplaincy team."

Andrea Blewitt (Brown), Law, 1988, Fylde, passed away on 12 December 2021. She was a family lawyer and partner at BSG Solicitors, Lancaster a firm she helped create through a series of mergers after joining in 1989 and becoming a partner in 1996. She was born in Salford to proud Glaswegians, Alastair and Janette and after primary school her father’s work took the family to South Africa. As the school starting age was higher in South Africa, it was only after much persuasion that Andie was allowed to continue at school allowing her mother, a doctor, to continue to practise to the benefit local women. On returning to the UK, studies continued at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls. Lancaster University followed reading Law. On the first day at Lancaster soon-to-be friend, Amy found herself ‘cloud watching’ with Andie. At that moment, within minutes of arriving, she knew she had chosen the right place to study. Next came York Law School before she qualified to practise law then return to Lancaster to join the firm Swainson Son and Reynolds in October 1989 and where she became a partner in 1996. An early female partner in a firm dominated by men, Andie played a pivotal role in successive mergers before the firm transformed into BSG Solicitors. By 2019, one hundred years after the Sex Disqualification Act paved the way for women to be admitted into the legal profession, BSG Solicitors was an all-female partnership. Andie was secretary of the Lancaster Law Society and on the committee of the Lancaster and District Women’s Aid regularly supporting women fleeing domestic violence. Andie is highly regarded by her clients and professionals including solicitors, barristers and Judges. Many staff joined BSG Solicitors over the years just so they could work alongside her and clients would switch after being on the other side. In 2000 Andie met future husband Mark Blewitt who was visiting Lancaster for an old boys’ rugby game. Andie and Mark were contemporaries at Lancaster University both graduating in 1988. Marriage followed in 2002 with a ceremony on the shores of Windermere, a favourite swimming haunt. Next motherhood first with Ellie Mae then Daisy (named respectively after television characters from ‘The Beverly Hillbillies’ and ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’). A dedicated mother she encouraged her children in their academic and sporting pursuits including swimming, water polo, hockey, dance, piano and singing. As both mother and partner in a law firm, Andie would find out first-hand what maternity leave provisions were like, then fight her then partners to improve them. Outside of work Andie enjoyed a busy social life, she was a keen cook, had a soft spot for dogs, loved holidays, walking and festivals. An avid crossword solver completing the puzzle was part of her Saturday morning ritual. A social card player Andie enjoyed card, board and party games, when playing Mario Kart she would always choose Luigi. When Parkrun started Andie got the whole family ‘Park-running’. Latterly Andie had taken up singing lessons and golf both passions shared with her daughters. As an escape, Andie enjoyed driving ‘Fred’ her Mini which ‘made her smile’. Making people smile was something Andie did.

John Allan Marsh (History, 1978, Furness) passed away on 4 November 2021. Born in Leigh, John arrived at Lancaster, the first in his family to go on to higher education. After graduating he tried a few ‘occupations’: potato picking, mine shaft in Selby, and working on the trams in Blackpool where he had to leave as he had a policy of only charging ‘rich’ folks for the ride and his employers were not particularly appreciative of that philosophy. Moving to The Lucky Star amusements, he found similar employer disapproval when he was found not charging small children to play the machines. He headed to London and a job in housing for local Haringay Council from which he was seconded to run the local branch of NALGO. He became a popular and important figure in the TU movement. He left to set up Mayday Productions with Barry Lucas. He did much work for the Trades Union movement, The ANC and Anti Apartheid with major open air concerts around the UK. John moved into mainstream music events organising one day festival events for UB40, Madness and Paul Weller amongst others. John was highly intelligent, erudite, witty and brilliant company especially if you shared his devotion to his beloved Manchester United. His biggest regret was he died before he could collect a pension from ‘this bunch of clowns’. He will be sadly missed by anyone who had the good fortune to share a pint with him.

Professor Emeritus David M. Craig passed away on 2 November 2021 in his late eighties. An obituary was published in The Guardian on 24 November - https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/nov/24/david-craig-obituary

Dr Stewart Fraser (PhD Politics, 2004) passed away in November 2021. He left Perth High School in 1985 and immediately started work in the Post Office. His school years had been disrupted by renal problems that resulted in Stewart’s mother donating a kidney to Stewart in 1982. In a rather poignant twist Stewart passed away on the eve of the 39^th Anniversary of his surgery. Although he enjoyed his short spell in the Post Office the inner intellectual in him needed a greater challenge, so he enrolled on a Highers programme at Perth College. In 1988 he started on a History and IR Degree at the University of Aberdeen. After graduating, and successfully completing a Masters, he went to Lancaster to study by research for a PhD where his Doctoral Thesis was entitled “Medium Maritime Strategy and the Aircraft Carrier in The Royal Navy 1945-2015”. Whilst at Lancaster, Stewart wrote a series of papers for The Centre for Defence and International Security Studies as well as for a number of journals. It was also at Lancaster that Stewart found his passion for teaching and he taught a number of undergraduate subjects during his time there as well as research for the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth and as an adviser on the 1998 Strategic Defence Review.
Upon completion of his PhD he continued to teach at Lancaster as well as researching for the Royal Naval College at Dartmouth and he was an advisor on the 1998 Strategic Defence Review. In 2004 he returned to Perth College he immediately enjoyed the range of teaching and the great camaraderie within the staff. He was instrumental in the extension of degree provision at Perth from two degrees to over 30 in the Humanities area. In 2012 Stewart became Subject Leader for Humanities and Social Sciences at the College and then in 2014 Sector Manager. With his line manager, he oversaw unprecedented growth in the curriculum taking the staff team from three to 18 FTE. Also, in 2012 Stewart became the Programme Leader for BA Social Sciences and introduced a raft of new Joint Degrees to increase student choice and enhance their experience. After a period of illness in 2017 Stewart demitted the programme leadership but remained as a module leader and learned counsel to his successors. In 2020, Stewart was feeling the strain of academic leadership in the pandemic and retreated to a teaching only role, a move that rejuvenated every part of his life. Stewart continued to share his wisdom, in teaching, as a mentor and panel member for the UHI LTA ALPINE (Professional Development in Education)

Mary Jones (English, 1972, Bowland) died in October 2021 aged 70. She was still working in Aylesbury, teaching English as a Foreign Language. She had no legacy other than her desire to teach. Whilst at Lancaster she was a keen member of the drama group and performed in Thornton Wilder's "Our Town" in 1969. Sadly her demise was rapid, although she had been diagnosed with cancer and was awaiting treatment.

Michael Waller, founding member of Russian Studies passed away on 24 October 2021. Michael was born in Manchester on 14th February 1934 and was educated at Douai College and Altrincham Grammar School. He learnt Russian while on National Service with the Navy. After taking a degree in Classics at Corpus Christi, Oxford, and a period of teaching at the Lancaster Royal Grammar School, he took a second degree in Russian at Manchester. He also worked with the late Barry Gregson to open a pottery at Caton, and he continued to make elegant and distinguished ceramics for many years. The forthcoming University of Lancaster planned to include the study of modern languages within Humanities, and it is said that Michael persuaded Charles Carter (Lancaster's founding Vice-Chancellor) to include Russian. He, therefore, took up a post on 1st September 1964 as the founding member of Russian Studies (subsequently Russian and Soviet Studies), and further additions enabled Lancaster to offer a cluster of East European languages. Michael also met his wife, Manon Allee, at Lancaster, and she predeceased him in 2019. Language studies suffered under the Thatcher cuts to universities in the early 1980s, and the Senate narrowly approved the closure of Russian and Soviet Studies. Michael then moved to the Government Department at the University of Manchester, and in 1993 to a chair in Politics at Keele, where he became Director of European Studies.

Yow Liang Keon (MA Operational Research, 1980, Lonsdale) passed away on 17 September 2021. After completing his course, Yow returned to Singapore where he took up a position with the Singapore Ports Authority where a long and successful career followed.

Dr Tim Jeeves passed away on 10 September 2021, aged 42. Tim studied for his PhD in Theatre, graduating in 2017 with a thesis entitled Towards ‘Economies of Generosity’ in Contemporary Live Art Practice. For several years he was a much loved seminar tutor and supervisor for practical work in Theatre and LICA. Alongside his academic successes, he was a highly respected professional performance practitioner with a focus on issues of health and disability and on the integration of politics and artistic expression in arts activism. Having been active in the Merseyside Labour Party for a long time, he was elected as a City Councillor in Liverpool in 2019. He campaigned tirelessly for social justice and for a Green New Deal. Tim is remembered with enormous fondness by the Theatre staff who worked with him. Despite a long and often very painful struggle with his own health, he always remained positive and optimistic. He was a kind and generous person, a serious and deeply committed political activist but one who also had a life affirming sense of fun.

Anne Dalton, formerly Secretary and Departmental Secretary in Religious Studies, Linguistics and IELE passed away on 6 September 2021. Anne had been diagnosed with cancer only a short time ago and although the operation was a success, her heart struggled to recover from the trauma of the operation. She died peacefully at St John's Hospice in Lancaster in the early hours of the Monday morning. Anne was known and respected by students and staff alike and was always there with a listening ear for those struggling with work or personal hardship. Her years at the University, and the friendships she gathered, were ones she always treasured and she greatly missed the cosmopolitan atmosphere of campus once she retired.

Niladri Narayan Gupta (MBA, 2014) passed away in August 2021, bringing great sadness to many friends and colleagues who knew him well. Moving away from his family in the US, Niladri came to Lancaster to do an MBA in order to pursue his dream of becoming an entrepreneur and making a positive contribution to society. He was a fun-loving and caring character, also he was a great cook. While he was studying chemistry at university and later working as a research scientist, he developed a passion for the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. He was a proud Indian, proud of his Bengali roots, and was very keen to play his part in India’s economic and social developments. Following the completion of his MBA, he returned to India to turn his entrepreneurial dream into a reality and finally launched his healthcare at home business in 2020. During the global coronavirus pandemic, he helped many patients through his enterprise and made his contribution to India’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. He will be remembered by many of his fiends and colleagues not only for what he achieved but also for what he wanted to achieve, what he had the potential to achieve, and what he could have achieved.

Jill Walsh passed away on 13 August 2021, formerly from the Department of Environmental Science. Jill joined the Department of Environmental Studies (later to become Environmental Science) as a technician in 1966, and was with the department for many years until her retirement in 1994. The following tribute was prepared by Ada Pringle, Honorary Researcher. "Jill was born in Manchester but her home was to be in Blackpool. She was educated there and as a boarder at Queen Anne’s School in Reading. She went on to study at Studley Agricultural College before beginning her working life at Nestle in Northern Ireland, where she had close family. She later moved to Garstang Creamery where she met her husband George and they subsequently had three children. After working at Preston Dairies Jill became a Laboratory Technician in the Environmental Sciences Department in 1966 until she retired in 1994. We were departmental colleagues from 1966 to 1976 and I remember how quickly she became a valued member of the then small team. She was kind, helpful, well-organised and efficient and worked easily with both staff and students. Warm tributes have been paid by some of the earliest students and sent to the Alumni Office. Meanwhile Environmental Science colleagues have praised her friendliness and helpfulness." Jill's full obituary and tributes (Internal news)

Professor M. Alexander Stewart, Professor of the History of Philosophy died on 30 July aged 83. Sandy Stewart studied for his first degree at St Andrews and his doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania. He took up his appointment as Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy on 1 October 1965, and played a full part in departmental, college and university life. Sandy, someone for whom even the smallest detail of misplaced punctuation was deeply painful, was renowned for his exacting standards of scholarship and at times for his caustic interventions. Behind that austere façade, however, he invested much effort and care in both students and colleagues, and his contributions were part of the essential standard-setting of a young institution. Sandy's full obituary (internal news.)

Louize Gibson (Marketing and Theatre Studies, 1988, Cartmel) died suddenly on 17 July 2021 at the age of 55, just a few days after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. A member of Cartmel College (where she met her partner, Jeremy Crow, as Freshers) Louize graduated with a first class honours in marketing with theatre studies, at the time, and perhaps still, a unique combination. The marketing side of her degree provided Louize with her career in qualitative market research. Moving to London, she worked with leading research and marketing agencies before beginning a freelance career in 2002 as a consumer insight specialist, earning a reputation for outstanding people and analytical skills, intuition around consumer behaviour, and an ability to produce meaningful insights, ideas and advice for a wide range of clients internationally. Moving in 2007 to live a stone’s throw from the sea in Hove, Louize found herself very much at home with the culture, liberal values and acceptance of difference in the city, combining her work with passions for singing, swimming, the arts and the Sussex landscape.

Karen Burns, UK Student Recruitment Manager, passed away in July 2021. This personal tribute was written by her colleague, Kathryn Lambert who worked closely with her.

Emma Fitchett, LUMS colleague for over 20 years, sadly passed away in June 2021. Emma joined the LUMS community in 1999, where she initially worked with the Reception team. From there she moved to the LUMS Undergraduate Office, before finally in 2014 joining the Professional Support team in the Department of Economics, providing invaluable support to the department’s Postgraduate students on the MSc in Money, Banking and Finance, MSc Economics, and MSc Quantitative Finance programmes. From all the messages received from across the Department, LUMS, and the wider University, there has been a constant theme of colleague’s memories, and that is of Emma’s happy, positive, can-do attitude to all the tasks she undertook, and always with a smile. Her students - that is how she referred to them - knew they could turn to Emma for support in whatever form that took, sometimes just a chat, sometimes advice. She would leave no stone unturned in seeking out the support they needed. She will be truly missed.

Dr Cheryl Simmill-Binning passed away following a short illness in May 2021. After gaining her doctorate in 1999, Cheryl took up her post at Lancaster University the same year and spent the majority of her career in FASS as a Research Associate. She was later promoted to Senior Researcher and Co-Director of ‘ASSURE’ (Applied Social Science Unit for Research and Evaluation), undertaking more than 70 individual commissions for a range of organisations including the Government and Home Office, through to charities and the voluntary sector. She subsequently transferred to work in the Faculty of Health and Medicine in 2015, and later, Student and Education Services. She then joined the Health Innovation Campus team as a Senior Evaluation Fellow, where she was able to continue to pursue her passion for delivering high quality research and evaluation in partnership with diverse organisations, services and communities. Her incredible loss is felt by colleagues and friends, and also former colleagues from FASS and wider. Tributes from her colleagues may be viewed in her full obituary (internal news.)

Professor David Shotter died on 22 May 2021. He was born in London in 1939, and was educated at King’s College School, Wimbledon and the University of Southampton. After two years teaching at Magee University College in Londonderry, he came as Lecturer (and subsequently Senior Lecturer) to Lancaster’s recently opened Department of Classics in October 1966. In 1971 approval was given for the department to extend its range by the inclusion of archaeology, with Dr Timothy Potter as the first appointment within an expanding Department of Classics and Archaeology. David played a key role in this development, and his teaching and research became increasingly orientated towards Roman studies, with an emphasis on the North-West region, and on the lives of the Roman emperors. He contributed widely to the university, including at the board of studies and on Senate, as principal of Lonsdale College, and as an enthusiastic cricketer. The inaugural exhibition in the Scott Gallery, “Romans in the North”, was led by him. He also set up and chaired some forty annual archaeological conferences for the Centre for NW Regional Studies, using his wide range of contacts to attract outstanding speakers on current hot topics. In 1989 the Department of Classics was laid down and David and John Creed were warmly welcomed into the Department of History. David was made Emeritus Professor of Roman Imperial History in March 2003, giving a sparkling inaugural lecture on Gaius Caligula: “Mad or Simply Bad?” He retired the following year, but continued to take an active interest in all things Roman, publishing on Roman numismatics (four volumes between 1990 and 2011) and responding to enquiries far and wide. Professor David Shotter's full obituary

Stephie Barber, who worked in the Research Support Office from 2016-2019 sadly passed away on 22 May 2021. She initially joined on a short-term basis just ‘keep the grey cells active’ over the winter period when it was more difficult to enjoy her usual pastimes of hill-walking and utilising her pilot's license. Her larger than life personality and work ethic meant that we were keen for her to stay longer, and so she incorporated Lancaster University into her ‘OAP in training’ programme and we incorporated her into our hearts. Stephie worked for Stagecoach for 44 years, working her way up the ranks from ticket collector in Rochdale to become Managing Director based in various locations in Scotland, and her love of buses never left her. She was a huge advocate for public transport and it is a testament to her character that Stephie made a point of nipping down to the underpass when on campus to chat to the drivers that she had worked with for so many years, always making herself available to offer them some friendly advice or words of wisdom. When Stephie retired from Stagecoach, she missed the camaraderie that working life offered and wanted to be part of a team again. After joining Research Support, Stephie’s temporary position soon became permanent and she became a much-loved colleague and friend to many in the university, always on hand with a Tunnocks tea cake and a smile. She brightened the office and lives of all she came into contact with and was most likely single handily responsible for ensuring that Wallings stayed open all year round. As well as taking on a part-time role at the university in retirement, Stephie was heavily involved with the local Rotary Club and was very proud of becoming a Local councillor for the Conservative Party representing Bare, where she lived, and really took an interest in the local area. Stephie will be remembered by all as someone who was extremely supportive, generous with her time and wisdom and always willing to engage in a conversation. She spoke up for what she believed in, loved her family and friends very much and was a wonderful colleague, attentive, inclusive and sympathetic to the needs of others. She is still very much missed by those who worked with her, and will forever be remembered fondly by many for her kindness, generosity, laughter and enthusiasm, as well as for her love of listening to classical music, sharing wonderful stories of her previous life, weekly updates on her grandchildren, her fell walking, weather updates and so much more. We feel Stephie won't mind us encouraging donations to MyelomaUK in her memory.

Kenneth Reid (Ken) formerly of the Department of Environmental Science passed away on 20 May 2021. Ken started at Lancaster in the early days of the University in April 1968, as Chief Technician in the Department of Environmental Studies, later known as Environmental Science, and after 28 years of exemplary service retired in August 1996. Tributes from former colleagues (internal news.)

Tom Clarke (MSc Human Resource & Knowledge Management, 2013, BSc Business Studies, 2012, Grizedale) sadly passed away on the 18 April 2021 following a short illness. Tom joined Lancaster University from King Edward the VII school in Lytham, he absolutely loved his time at Lancaster, fully immersing himself into student life and all it had to offer. He made wonderful friends from across the world whom he maintained contact with after his studies. After graduation Tom joined the grad scheme at Hewlett-Packard as a project manager within their IT team in Glasgow, after nearly 3 years there he secured a position with KPMG in Manchester, working on the consultancy side of the business. In November 2020 Tom was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer. Throughout Tom’s illness, the friends that he had made at school, university & work rallied around to support him but despite the best medical efforts of the Christie Hospital in Manchester, it was a fight that he could not win. Tom passed away at home with his family by his side, he was not in pain or discomfort, Tom was just 29. Upon hearing of his diagnosis Tom spoke about setting up a charitable foundation that could support 3 main charitable areas, those being Crohn’s & Colitis, Cancer Care & Support and Hospice care. The Foundation, once created, will be called the Tom Clarke Foundation. His friends will be walking in his memory in August 2021 https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/1220milesforTomTCClarke

Lord Judd, Honorary Fellow of the University died on 17 April 2021, at the age of eighty-six, after a distinguished career in public service. Lord Judd's full obituary

Distinguished Professor Alistair Anderson from Lancaster University Management School’s Entrepreneurship and Strategy department passed away on 26 March 2021. Alistair arrived in Lancaster as an honorary/visiting Professor in 2007 before being made a Distinguished Professor in 2018. A tribute from Professor Sarah Jack.

Dr Lewis Hughes passed away in March 2021. He was a friendly and popular member of the PhD community at Lancaster, and this news will doubtless come as a shock to many. After his PhD, Lewis was employed by Virgin Media as an accountant, a job that he much enjoyed. He continued his interests in History, including plans to develop his PhD thesis into a monograph alongside completing his accountancy exams.

Brian Victor Clifton (Ecology, 1978, Grizedale) passed away peacefully on 10 March 2021 at the age of 92. He had very fond memories of his time at Lancaster University and, being a mature student at the time, there must be plenty of his fellow students still around and young enough to remember him well and the times you spent together. I would be delighted to hear from any of his old friends - do please contact me at janewright7@yahoo.com (Brian's daughter.)

Professor David Allsop passed away on 8 March 2021. Before joining Lancaster University, David was widely travelled; working in both academia and industry. After gaining his PhD from Kings College London, David worked at the University of Nottingham before moving overseas, first to the University of San Diego and then the Tokyo Psychiatric Research Institute (where he was Assistant Director). David returned to the UK to take up an academic post at Queen’s University in Belfast, before moving into industry with SmithKline Beecham in Essex. David returned to academia in 1998, when he joined Lancaster University as a Senior Lecturer and was appointed Chair in Neuroscience in 2002. David’s research was in the field of neurodegenerative diseases and he was particularly interested in investigating the pathological consequences of misfolded proteins in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. David made seminal contributions to this field; including being the first scientist to investigate a link between the formation of amyloid plaques in the brain and Alzheimer’s disease. David was a major force in neuroscience research and will be hugely missed by friends and colleagues in Biomedical and Life Sciences, as well as across the University and beyond. Away from work, David loved music and played rhythm and lead guitar in local bands T-Bone and Aurora, playing at events across Lancashire, Cumbria and North Yorkshire, performing an impressive range of music ranging from ‘the 1950s to the present day’! David was also heavily involved in community events through public speaking, as well as supporting Defying Dementia, the campaign founded to support his laboratory work, and local initiatives such as The Bay Dementia Hub.

Roger Walters (MA International Relations, 1970, Bowland; BA Politics, 1968, Bowland) died on 25 February 2021 aged 73. Born and bred a proud Devonian, Roger came to Lancaster from Totnes in Devon. He did his two degrees in the Politics Department and while undertaking his MA he was also entrusted by Professor Philip Reynolds to lead undergraduate seminars, a rarity at the time. He was widely known across campus for his journalism in the then student newspaper, John O’Gauntlet, and for his love of student politics. In his columns, he would comment and cajole and criticise the university authorities and student leaders alike. He spotted and encouraged candidates like a racing tipster. He acted as Returning Officer in SRC elections being the only person who fully understood the system of proportional representation then in place. He could be found holding forth in Bowland College bar and JCR daily. It was impossible to ignore Roger’s trenchant views. He was in his element in delegations to successive NUS conferences where he would enjoy all night meetings on “composite motions” delighting when he had secured speaking rights on a motion for the Lancaster delegation. After leaving Lancaster he joined the administration of the then fledgling Open University in Milton Keynes and remained there for his whole working life. He was in the vanguard initially of developing the university’s regional consultative network to harness the views of part-time students and staff across the country and then in the creation of the Open University’s Students’ Association. In his later years he was also largely responsible for the formation of the Open University’s Association of Graduates who awarded him Honorary Life Membership. Always active in what was then the Association of University Teachers, he became President of the Open University’s branch of the University and College Union and was elected for many years to the union’s National Executive. Throughout his adult life he supported a wide range of radical causes nationally and internationally. He was involved in the development of the alumni programme at Lancaster and served for many years on the Court of the University.

Professor Richard James Geary, a larger-than-life figure always known as "Dick", died on 21 February 2021. Dick was a leading figure in the German Studies and History Departments in the 1970s and 80s before being appointed a Professor of History at Nottingham University in 1989. The following tribute was given by fellow-historian Professor Ian Kershaw: 'Dick Geary: legend – once met, never forgotten. Everyone knew Dick. I remember once in London someone shouted from across the street ‘Hello Dick’. An Australian looking like Crocodile Dundee crossed over. When he’d gone, I asked Dick who he was. ‘I’ve no idea’, Dick said. ‘I think I bumped into him once in a bar in Vienna’. Meeting Dick could though, be a surprise. Sometime in the early 1980s he phoned to arrange a meeting with a prominent historian in East Berlin. They hadn’t met before. ‘How will I recognise you?’, the East German historian asked. ‘Oh, you won’t miss me’, Dick replied. ‘I am immensely fat.’ Dick was at the time about 30 stone. ‘That’s funny’, the German historian said, ‘You don’t sound fat.’ Dick had a huge personality. He was the centre of any room he entered, a wonderful raconteur, a marvellous conversationist, naturally witty and often uproariously funny. His charisma, together with his intellectual brilliance, his sharpness of mind, and his exceptional clarity of exposition made him an extraordinarily gifted teacher and a spellbinding lecturer.' Dick Geary's full obituary (internal news.)

John Wyld (MA Accounting & Finance, 1981, Cartmel) sadly passed away on 14 February 2021 following a short battle with cancer. As a student of both academia and life, his achievements were vast and varied. He began his higher education with a degree in Business Studies at Staffordshire University. Following his MA at Lancaster, he completed a PGCE at the University of Wolverhampton in 1986. He then studied for a Diploma in Statistics and later obtained a BSc in Mathematics. As a teacher, John’s main role from 1986 onwards was Senior Lecturer at Staffordshire University. He also took up a number of placements across the world as a Visiting Professor and was a tutor at SOAS University of London for a number of years. John made learning mathematics fun and had a very unique way of teaching with a teddy bear! Over the years he gathered many student fans as well as friends across the globe. Once a friend, always a friend.

Lewis Boyd-Hill (BA Philosophy, Politics & History, 2014, Lonsdale) passed away in February 2021. Despite being an 'off-campus fresher' due to that year's over-subscribed intake, Lewis loved getting involved in University life including a radio show on Bailrigg FM, the paintball society, as well as regular "pint and politics" sessions after lectures. He was a very popular student with a great sense of humour that never failed to have the whole room in fits of laughter everywhere he went. After graduation, Lewis returned to the North East, and after a few years as a teaching assistant, qualified to become a much-loved and highly-respected history teacher at a secondary school in Teesside. In Lewis' memory 'The Pieman PT Foundation' has been set up to help empower people to thrive mentally, physically and spiritually - something that was very important to him. He is very much missed by friends, family, and students.

Chris Kenny-Levick, former Marketing Lecturer passed away on 26 January 2021. Chris took his first degree in Economics at Exeter and came to Lancaster to study the new MA in Marketing, staying on to become an assistant lecturer in October 1967, and then lecturer, in Marketing. He was one of the pioneers in that subject, established for the first time in a British university as part of Lancaster’s early commitment to business studies. Chris contributed to a range of courses and also attempted some entrepreneurial activity under the umbrella of the department. He took early retirement and buyback in 1997, as one of the many academic staff personally affected by the cash flow problems of the mid 1990s, and full retirement in July 1999.

2020

Professor Leslie Smith passed away on 29 December 2020 after a long illness. He received his bachelor’s degree from King’s College London in 1967 and his doctorate from the School of Education at the University of Leicester in 1982. After periods of teaching in schools and in further education, he joined the Department of Educational Research as a senior lecturer in 1983, and was awarded a personal chair in psychology and the epistemology of development in 2001. He continued to be active in research after his retirement in October 2004. He was deeply involved with the activities of the British Psychological Society, holding a number of posts within the organisation, and becoming a Fellow in 1996.

Jeevan Mahadev Rao, Research Associate in the Department of Engineering passed away on 25 December 2020, aged 32, at Bangalore, India, after a short illness. Jeevan joined Claudio Paoloni, Head of Engineering’s research group in November 2018 to work on the development of novel sub-THz travelling wave tubes. Full tribute to Jeevan

Professor Sir Arnold Whittaker Wolfendale, the 14th Astronomer Royal and honorary graduate of the university, died on 21 December 2020. Amongst many other distinctions, he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1977, and received its Bakerian medal in 2002. He was President of the Royal Astronomical Society from 1981-83, and Astronomer Royal from 1991-95, the year in which he was knighted. He also chaired a Cabinet Office committee on the public understanding of science, leading to the Wolfendale Report of 1995 that urged the popular dissemination of the results of scientific research. He received an honorary DSc from Lancaster in 1996. Professor Sir Arnold Whittaker Wolfendale obituary (Guardian)

Jen Shepherd, formerly Administrator for the Ruskin Library and Research Centre passed away on 12 December after prolonged ill health. Jen worked in the main Library from 1976 to 1993 and returned in 1998 as part of the founding Ruskin Library team, first as Secretary and from 2008 as Administrator for the Ruskin Library and Research Centre, retiring last year.

Christine Nightingale, Office Manager for the Office for the Associated Institutions until her retirement in 2010 died on 11 December 2020. She joined the University in 1975 as a secretary in the then School of Education. She was the strong heart at the centre of the office, ensuring that process was followed, file records were correct and that the thousands of students from dozens of institutions with which the University partnered could be confident that their Lancaster awards were as secure and accurate as any coming from the Bailrigg campus.

Wendy Francis former Departmental Officer for Politics, Philosopher and Religion, passed away on 15 November 2020. Senior Lecturer and colleague, Gavin Hyman's personal tribute

Dr Aaron Stuart Hunsberger (Psychology Cartmel, 2008, MSc Psychological Research Methods, Graduate 2009, PhD Psychology, Graduate, 2016) passed away on 13 November 2020 at the age of 52. Graduate College staff have many fond memories of Aaron from his time as a student and Assistant Dean. Aaron remained in close contact with many alumni and graduate Dr Muren Zhan shared the following story with us:
"Aaron was the first person I met at Lancaster. I went to the porter's lodge to collect the keys to my room after an exhausting journey and it was there I met Aaron – the then Assistant Dean – who kindly offered to walk me to my new place. We became friends quickly since Aaron was so friendly and always willing to listen. The next year he encouraged me to apply for the position of AD as his replacement, and I am so glad I did since this working experience transformed my life at Lancaster. When Aaron came back to pick up his doctorate certificate in 2014, he shared a lot about his new life in Japan and his passion for teaching. We also joked about writing a novel together someday since both of us were fans of crime fiction. Aaron had always been encouraging and supportive. I will always remember him."

Paul Simons (MA Marketing, 1970) passed away in November 2020 after a long illness. After completing his MA, Paul joined Cadbury Ltd in brand management. After a few career moves he became a well-known figure in UK advertising, ultimately creating his own advertising agency with four partners. During the 90s Simons Palmer was regarded as one of the UK's most creative advertising agencies working with clients such as Nike, PlayStation, Virgin Atlantic and Wrangler. The agency was sold ten years later to Omnicom and following a merger with TBWA, Paul moved to Ogilvy & Mather as Chairman and CEO. After his three-year term in this role, he has developed a portfolio of interests ranging from online publishing to C-Suite consultancy. Paul Simons obituary (More about Advertising)

Ian Howarth (Religious Studies, 1972, Furness) passed away on 10 November 2020. He taught religious studies and mathematics at Scarisbrick Hall School, formerly Kingswood College, for many years. Ian lived in Banks, near Southport and entered widely into the community in which he lived and worshipped. He was chairman of the Southport Extension Society and was Chaplain of Southport College. He was a valued member of Holy Trinity Church Southport acting as a server, Reader, church watcher and liaising closely with Holy Trinity School where he took weekly assemblies. Ian was a History buff and often contributed to the Southport Visiter’s Nostalgia pages. He lived life by his religious principles, cared deeply about his fellow man and was always there to provide help and support. Ian will be sorely missed by his wife Jane and her family and all those who are proud to call Ian a friend.

John Stephen Milner (Steve) Environmental Sciences, 1967, Bowlandhas died at the age of 74. He was a founder member of the University and a much-valued member of the Environmental Sciences family and played a great part in helping many of his peers keep their feet on the ground with his sense of humour and understatement. He wasn’t a great fan of fieldwork – rather an important part of the subject – but went on to have a long and respected career in teaching in Chesterfield. He wrote and co-authored several geography textbooks and his peers have often wondered whether the subject of field-work was ever covered in these. In the last email his friend received, he sounded quite hopeful that his illness left him “not too bad.” He said, “I have fond memories of Lancaster and until more recently made quite regular visits to the North West, especially The Lakes; the last visit was to Walney School, Barrow (virtually on the beach where Ada (Phillips/Pringle), Pete (Cundill) and myself spent a day surveying in June 1967) to deliver an INSET event for Edexcel (his publisher)." So, it appears, Steve did look back fondly on fieldwork.

Robert Fisk (English Literature, Lonsdale, 1968 & Dlitt, 1984) died on 30 October 2020. He collected dozens and dozens of awards for his journalism and established himself as one of the outstanding British correspondents of every decade since the 1970s. He distinguished himself with his bravery, insight and superb writing skills principally with The Independent. Robert Fisk's obituary (Guardian). He also featured on Desert Island Discs in 2006 when he mentions his time at Lancaster!

Gaythorne Silvester (History and English, 1972, Bowland) died of cancer just a few weeks before his 70th birthday. Shortly after graduating, he took up a traineeship with the Scottish publisher DC Thomson and then moved to London where he embarked on a very successful journalistic career as a group editor with IPC’s teenage magazines, deputy editor of Woman and a commissioning editor at two national newspapers, The Observer and Today. He had three children (Abi, Amy and Max) with his first wife, Catherine, whom he met at Lancaster and ended his career working for consumer magazine publisher, Redwood. For the last fifteen years of his life he lived in Brighton with his second wife, Julia, where he had the time and space to rediscover his great talent for painting and drawing. A selection of his artwork can be seen at gaythornesilvesterprints.blogspot.com

Rachel Scowcroft, (Linguistics, 2016, Furness) Communications Co-ordinator in the LU Communications and Marketing team, passed away, aged 25, on 2 October 2020. Rachel, or ‘Rainbow Rach’, was a member of our team in Communications and Marketing. Initially arriving at Lancaster in 2013 as an Undergraduate, Rachel immediately revealed her true passions for people and higher education by working as a tour guide on campus and helping at recruitment events. After graduating she enrolled full time in the Ambitious Futures Graduate Programme for University Leadership, which she completed in December 2017 with an ILM qualification in Leadership and Management. During her placement, and in true Rachel spirit, she researched and co-devised a course with fellow graduate Tom Morley - ‘Ready for University?’ – an online resource designed to give new students an insight into what university life is really like. The course was a huge hit and over 1,000 students engaged in the first two months of its launch. The course is still being used today. She began working in the Press Office in December 2017 in a role that combined both her engagement and HE passions. She was also our key go-to person supporting media statistics for REF and a friendly face in the TV and radio studios. Rachel was part of the Cartmel College welfare team, supporting students facing a whole range of difficulties with kindness, compassion and understanding. She also contributed many pieces for the Staff Intranet, interviewing staff about the great work they do. A colleague has described Rachel as someone who went for life at full throttle with a spreadsheet open. Just ten months ago Rachel was diagnosed with a very rare brain stem tumour. In full Rachel style, she decided to take charge, her way and started a blog to document her experience. Her blog is unapologetic documentation of her journey written with humour, brutal honesty, and compassion for her loved ones in large quantities. It has also showcased her talent as a writer. During her last few months Rachel was being cared for, at home, by the family she loved so dearly and with her fiancé Adam by her side.

Alistair Pratley, Assistant Team Leader in retail, passed away on 1 October 2020. Alistair was recruited by the then University Catering Department in 2005 after having started a second undergraduate degree as a mature student. He was an unstintingly hard worker and proved to be the ‘Go-To Guy’ for the Head of Catering, Tim Holmes. After the closure of the old Fylde Coffee shop, he moved across to the refurbished Fylde Bar and became famed for his soups and salads. He took this flair with him when he moved to Café 21 in InfoLab21. Al had led an interesting life before finding a home with the University and was never shy of regaling friends and colleagues with stories varying from his time studying at Slade School of Fine Art to managing the Alex pub and Warehouse nightclub in the city centre, and a myriad of other adventures. He struggled with a long illness but remained Al to the end: larger than life itself and will be missed and fondly remembered by many. Alistair was for many years an active member of the County College, including in the college dart team, and will also be missed by his many friends from the County alumni community.

Sister Greta Bramley, resident nursing sister at Bailrigg House for over twenty years, died on 1 October 2020, aged 89. The founding vice-chancellor, Charles Carter, took a keen interest in the health and welfare of students. Very early on he appointed a Medical Officer, Dr R.M. (Bob) Moffit, and the original design of University House included a few small rooms on D floor where students could be looked after when they were ill. The rooms were never used for this purpose, but when the Vice-Chancellor and his immediate staff moved out of Bailrigg House to University House in 1967, the mansion was converted into a health centre. Doctors from general practice in Lancaster attended by rotation, and there were nine beds and two resident nursing sisters. Greta Bramley was the senior of the two, coming into post with the opening of the Health Centre and staying there until the arrangement came to an end in 1990.
The facility was particularly valuable at examination time, when invigilators supervised students who were too ill to be in a formal examination hall taking written examinations. There will be many alumni who will remember with gratitude how they were looked after by Sister Bramley, and she for her part was deeply attached to the University and to Bailrigg House for the rest of her life.

Paul McDonald,(Physics, 1969, Lonsdale) who died aged 74, was a physicist and expert in cryogenics whose work advanced a variety of technologies, including satellite tracking, superconducting magnets and cryostat thermometers. Paul McDonald's Guardian obituary.

Michael Mumford, Senior Lecturer in Accounting and Finance, died on 28 June 2020, aged 80.
After taking degrees at the universities of Liverpool and McMaster, Michael came to Lancaster in 1972, to join what was then a department of Financial Control, and subsequently Accounting and Finance. He was a popular teacher across a wide spectrum of courses, and head of department from 1983 to 1987 at a time when the first steps to forming a unitary Management School were being considered.
Michael took early retirement and buyback in 1997, but continued with active writing and teaching, including for engineers, until 2006. His political activities as a Liberal Democrat and a strong supporter of the EU continued unabated. He was a mainstay of the local Liberal Democrat party, and in May 2019 had succeeded his colleague Roger Mace as elected councillor for Kellet Ward. His colleagues and friends, inside and outside the university, think of Michael as a man of strong liberal principles, a vigorous campaigner who was kind and generous, always willing to lend a hand, and fun to be with. He will long be remembered with great affection.

Brian Ingram, former Honorary Research Fellow at The Ruskin – Library, Museum and Research Centre, and the Editor of The Ruskin Review passed away on 23 June after a long illness.
Brian’s academic life initially focussed on the Philosophy of Education and teacher training, and he worked for 35 years at Canterbury Christ Church University, becoming Principal Lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies. Brian’s interests also lay in aspects of print and broadcast media and their association with the arts and culture.
In 2004, Brian moved to Lancaster to pursue his work at The Ruskin. He was as an authority on the life and work of John Ruskin and was accorded the title of Honorary Research Fellow status at The Ruskin. He was also an Editor of the Ruskin Review and Bulletin. Brian also had close links with staff and students of the English department. Post-retirement, Brian wrote extensively on George Eliot and Evangelicalism.

Penny Lind (nee Cant, English, 1968, Cartmel) died in June 2020 following a long illness. She taught English and Drama for many years and, after retirement she travelled extensively in South America and Australia. She was known as an active sailor whilst at Lancaster.

Dr Tony Hindle, former senior lecturer in the Operational Research Department passed away on 21 May 2020, a month short of his 80th birthday, following a road accident in Forton. Outside of Lancaster, he held appointments as Associate Professor of Community Health Sciences, Purdue University and as Research Consultant, Regenstrief Institute for Health Service Research, Indianapolis. Retirement from Lancaster some 20 years ago didn’t stop him working. He taught at Warwick Business School, for instance, and continued to research. Dr Tony Hindle's full obituary (internal news).

Professor Alan Williams (PhD Biological Sciences, 1977, BSc Biological Sciences, 1973, County) passed away on 4 May 2020. Professor Williams held one of the highest accolades awarded by the BHF, the Sir Thomas Lewis Chair of Cardiovascular Science, which he held from 2007 until his retirement in September 2019. Professor Alan Williams - British Heart Foundation tribute.

Dr Brian Tabner, former chemistry lecturer, passed away on 16 April 2020 after a short illness. He studied for the degrees of BSc and PhD at the University of Wales at Cardiff, specialising in electron spin resonance, and was also awarded a DSc in that area in 1987. He came to Lancaster for his post as a lecturer in Chemistry in September 1966. Brian took early retirement as a Reader in Spectroscopy in 1996 returning on a buyback scheme to an active research career in Environmental Science. He also worked with Professor David Allsopp on attempts to identify an early diagnostic test for Alzheimer’s Disease. He finally retired in 2015. Dr Brian Tabner full obituary (internal news.)

Mark Easterby-Smith passed away on 15 April 2020.Mark spent most of his career at Lancaster University Management School, which he joined in 1978, the then School of Management and Organisational Studies. He was part of the Management Teaching and Development Unit (MTDU), which in 1984, transformed into the Department of Management Learning. He retired from being a full-time academic in 2014 shortly after being deservedly awarded a Distinguished Professorship. Professor Mark Easterby Smith full obituary (internal news.)

Bill Blackledge, former superintendent of the Biology Field Station, died of Covid-19 on 14 April 2020. As superintendent, Bill led the field station as it pioneered systems for research into effects of air pollution, ozone depletion and increased CO2. Bill’s expertise and personality made him the perfect fit for Radio Lancashire’s popular gardening advice programmes, and he became a lynchpin of those broadcasts for many years. Bill took early retirement in the mid-1990s and is remembered as a fine Lancaster colleague and as a passionate believer in the power of plants to transform the lives of people in all neighbourhoods, inspiring thousands of people to take part in North West in Bloom and strengthen their communities. Bill Blackledge obituary (internal news.)

Martin Cosgrif (MA Contemporary Theatre Practice, 1992) passed away 12 April 2020 from coronavirus. He was a much-loved actor, director and teacher. He was a proud northerner, brought up in Burnley with a second home in Stratford where he retired to in 2010 where he was very much involved in the arts scene. Martin Cosgrif full obituary (Leamington Observer.)

Professor J. Keith Wigmore passed away on 11 April 2020 after a period of ill health. He came to Lancaster as a lecturer in Physics in October 1969. His research was the study of condensed matter devices for detecting photons and particles of astrophysical origin. Keith was promoted to reader in 1996 and appointed to a chair in physics in 1999. He was also a visiting professor at Kyushu Institute of Technology at Kitakyushu in Japan. He was head of department for some years, and amongst many other activities, he collaborated with Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw in her donation of an observatory, officially opened by Patrick Moore in 2002 and a valuable teaching resource. He was also active in college affairs and was principal of Cartmel College for a period before retirement in 2008. Keith will be remembered as a much-valued colleague, patient with students and staff alike; committed to physics and to the institution of which he was a devoted member for over fifty years. Professor Wigmore full obituary (internal news.)

Dr Richard (Dick) Collins, former Director of Combined Science died on 7 April 2020. He came to Lancaster as a research associate in 1968 becoming a lecturer a year later and was subsequently promoted to senior lecturer. When the university in the late 1980s began to push forward on external collaborations, Dick was seconded to the central administration, while retaining links with Physics. As Director of External Relations, he was responsible to the University Secretary for a portfolio that would now be regarded as impossibly wide. His brief covered undergraduate and postgraduate admissions, publicity and schools liaison, and international affairs, press and publicity and alumni relations. Dick finally re-joined the Faculty of Science and Technology as Director of Combined Science before his retirement some fifteen years ago. Full obituary from the Lancaster University website

Nige Newham, (Environmental Sciences, 1975, County) passed away suddenly on 5 April 2020 aged 65. Despite growing up in Reading, almost within scent of Whitbread’s brewery, he thought the beer to be better in Lancaster. An active member of the caving club he maintained contact with that group for the rest of his life enjoying skiing, cycling and socialising with his many friends. His career was entirely in Social Services, mostly in Southampton, where his abilities ensured he rose to a senior position. He is survived by his partner, Sue, and son, Sam, and will be much missed by all.

John Mowat, a retired lecturer in English Literature sadly passed away at the age of 82 on 3 April 2020. He leaves behind two loving daughters, Hannah and Freya. John was a graduate of Glasgow University and joined Lancaster when the campus was still under construction in the 1960s. John was a lecturer in the Department of English, specialising in 18th-century literature. The University was very much a part of his life: he met his beloved late wife Ursula (Uschi) whilst working there, and he dedicated himself to his students throughout his career.

John Gilbert, former member of the Department of Maths and Stats and former Councillor, Mayor and Honorary Alderman of Lancaster died in March 2020. He formally retired in 1995 but remained in continuous demand to teach a range of courses in the department, even though his years of duty as Lancaster City Council Mayor in 2004. He served on the city council from 1986 to 2011.

Dr David Newton, Reader Emeritus in Physics passed away on 24 March 2020. David took up a post as lecturer in particle physics at Lancaster in 1968 under the leadership of his former supervisor, Arthur Clegg. He became interested in the study of high energy photons and worked at Daresbury and at CERN, where he was a spokesperson of a large collaboration that drew on his ability to build good relations within a team. He also enjoyed the walking and climbing opportunities of the Jura mountains and the Swiss Alps. He then moved to Hamburg for an extended period of experimental work at the HERA collider at the DESY Laboratory, again involving a large international collaboration.
He retired as Reader Emeritus on 1 October 1994 but his involvement with physics and his enjoyment of explaining with great clarity the principles of the subject and its applications remained with him for the rest of his life.

Tom Greenard (History, 1992, County) died suddenly of natural causes on 10 March 2020 aged 50. Affectionately known as 'Tom the Pom' he was a passionate football fan, a devoted father and a talented radio producer. In the UK he originally worked for the BBC and in Australia, he was a co-presenter for the ABC at the 2019 Gold Coast Marathon, a co-commentator at the 2018 Brisbane Tennis International Finals and a reporter at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Whilst at Lancaster he was the drummer with popular student band FMB.

Tony Llewellyn, former member of the Computing Department died on 5th March 2020. He was regarded by many as one of the founding fathers of computing at Lancaster and joined the staff of the University in 1970. In 1997, after almost 28 years at Lancaster, Tony retired and is reported as saying, 'mostly happy memories, perhaps tinged with a little sadness at leaving colleagues and friends.' Tony is remembered as an outstanding colleague, who really understood how to build a collegiate, friendly and mutually supportive department, and encouraged people to do their best.

Tony Madeley former University Safety and Radiation Protection Officer passed away suddenly on February 23rd 2020. He started at the University in February 1985 and retired in March 2011. Tony should not only be remembered for his role as Safety Officer, but for his major contributions to life at the University. He twice held the office of Furness College Principal and in this capacity served on Senate, University Court, the Bars Committee and the Colleges and Residences Committee.

Dave Checkley (MSc Biological Sciences, 1976, County) passed away on February 21 2020. He had been chair-bound since the summer and he had experienced a long illness. He was one of the finest cavers to emerge from both Lancaster University and in British caving generally. He was also a key figure in getting the British Caving Library off the ground in 2008. He also helped to publicise the library and also the Eli Simpson/BSA collection which is now held at the British Geological Survey. Dave Checkley full obituary (cave and karst science.)

John Leslie Illingworth, the subject librarian for over thirty years, passed away on January 4th 2020. John took his degree at the University of Keele. He came to Lancaster on 1 September 1966 as an assistant librarian, at the time when active preparations were afoot to move the Library from St Leonard’s House to its new, purpose-designed building at Bailrigg early the following year. He quickly became a subject librarian, specialising in the social sciences and humanities, including History and Politics. His work involved assisting departments in the selection and procurement of teaching and other material, training students in the use of the Library, overseeing the development of the relevant subject area collections, and helping staff and students gain access to the emerging on-line databases. He actively collaborated with Professor Michael Wheeler on the background preparations around the acquisition of the Whitehouse Collection for the Ruskin Library. He retired in the summer of 1997 and regularly participated in the weekly Ruskin Seminar series.

Professor Robin Flowerdew has recently passed away after a long illness. Robin was a member of the former Geography department for about 20 years prior to leaving for a Chair at St Andrews in the 1990s. He was a quantitative human geographer with expertise in spatial statistics who was well known for his publications on methods in geography. He will be remembered as a very generous person who always had time for staff and students alike.

Dr Xolani Mkhwanazi (Honorary Graduate 2019) alumnus 1978-84, and Chancellor of Vaal University (SA) died after a battle with cancer on 4th January 2020. He was a leading figure in South African education, scientific and business arenas. Among his many positions, he has been chairman of the South African arm of the global BHP Billiton mining company, an important post given that South Africa has the largest mineral reserves in the world. He was Chancellor of Vaal University of Technology, and also holds a Lancaster PhD. He was born in 1955 in KwaZulu Natal but moved to Swaziland. He gained a first degree in the University of Botswana in Physics and Mathematics. Sponsored by the British Council, he then moved to Lancaster University in 1978. After gaining his PhD in Physics in 1984, he returned to his home department in Swaziland rising to become head of the Physics Department.
During his early years, he had been an active supporter of the anti-apartheid movement in Southern and when this made life too difficult for him, he claimed asylum in Australia in 1988 and took up a position in the University of Western Australia working on gravity-wave detection. After the release of Mandela, Xolani returned in 1993 to a South Africa in dire need of technically qualified Africans. He subsequently rose rapidly through the Business and National ranks, joining the Atomic Energy Corporation as a Senior Scientist, moving to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research as Technology Transfer Manager and in 1999 he became Chief Executive Officer of the National Energy Regulator tasked with building it into a reputable Regulatory Authority in Africa. Significantly he had also become involved in mining, becoming the South African Chairman of BHP Billiton, the fourth largest mining company in Africa, a position he held until 2015.
As a graduate student in Physics, he was extremely popular. Xolani was a Zulu (with a big capital Z) and with the boundless Zulu self-confidence, which allowed him to slip comfortably into this northern society. He was not only popular in the University, for example, playing tennis in the head of the department’s circle, but also in the town. When he finally left Lancaster in 1984 a crowd of about 40 well-wishers congregated at the station to see him off. He was a great educator, scientist and businessman, as well as being a freedom fighter. The University is happy that it was able to recognise Xolani with an honorary degree just months before his death.

Patrick Waterson (Politics, 1980, Cartmel) died suddenly, in January 2020. He kept up his interest in politics, history and wargaming throughout his life. Patrick held various offices in the Society of Ancients and will be much missed by his friends for his knowledge, integrity and kindness.

2019

Sir Christopher Audland, KCMG, British diplomat and former Pro-Chancellor of Lancaster University died on 29 December 2019. He joined the Council of the University in 1988 and in 1990 was appointed Pro-Chancellor and Chair of the Council, a post he held for seven years.
This period was formative for the University and included the outstanding RAE success of 1992, expansion of student numbers and a major building programme. It was also the time when the University faced significant cash flow problems, culminating in the successful recovery period that began in 1997.
Sir Christopher played a full part in these developments and in his support of two Vice-Chancellors, Harry Hanham and Bill Ritchie. A report that he commissioned and chaired on the colleges was issued in January 1994 and was influential in ensuring that their important contribution would be more appropriately recognised and resourced. From 1990 onwards he led a fundraising campaign from which the major initiative of the Ruskin Foundation emerged, and he gave unstinting advice and guidance to the complex work of funding the Ruskin Library and the move of the Whitehouse Collection from Bembridge on the Isle of Wight to Lancaster. Sir Christopher Audland full obituary (internal news.)

Ian Alexander Waite (MSc Environmental Informatics, 2012, BSc Earth & Environmental Science, 2010, Bowland) died on 18 December 2019 after a courageous long battle with a benign, but progressive brain tumour. Ian was a mature student with high hopes of developing a new career in the field of Environmental Sciences. Sadly this was not to be as he was diagnosed with the tumour whilst studying.
Ian achieved his educational aims with the assistance, patience, understanding and kindness of his tutors, staff and fellow students as well as his own strength of character and positive attitude to the vagaries of life of which there is little or no control that one can exert, merely manage the impact on our lives or turn them to our advantage. Disappointingly he was unable to attend his graduation ceremony, although he was able to collect his degree and study for his Master's.
Ever optimistic, he adjusted his ambition to, if you can’t 'do' teach philosophy, going on to postgraduate teacher training. Sadly, during his teaching practice at Heysham High his illness moved into a final stage making further attempts to work impossible.
My admiration for my son’s determination and courage in illness and adversity is boundless. He is missed by me, our family and his friends beyond words for his wit, loyalty, integrity, kindness, quiet wisdom and gentleness of touch with all who knew him. Ian considered education as a means to an end not an end in itself; a man who believed in the personal and wider societal benefits of education and the lifelong empowerment of people through self-directed and experiential learning.(Tribute supplied by Ian's Mother, Alice.)

Dr Ng Cho Nam, (PhD Environmental Sciences, BSc Environmental Sciences 1983, Grizedale) passed away on 13 December 2019. His friend, Dr Tam Cheuk-Ming has provided the following obituary:
"Cho-nam and I both received our BSc and PhD degrees from the Environmental Sciences Department where we first met in the early 1980s. Cho-nam was extremely popular at Lancaster and every student from Hong Kong knew him as well as his wife Pinky who is also an alumna. They were very hospitable and regularly organised gatherings in their flat on campus which provided a home-away-from-home for many. After graduation, he became a professor at the University of Hong Kong.
Cho-nam joined the Hong Kong Alumni Association formed in 1986 and was elected as its President in 1989. During his two-year tenure, our membership continued to grow to several hundred strong. Cho-nam kept up his enthusiastic and sportive attitude to organise the Dragon Boat and Football Teams which participated in local competitions, putting Lancaster University's name on the map. He also maintained regular contacts with the Alumni Office to provide advice and support for functions in Hong Kong such as manning of the Lancaster University booth at the British Education Week as well as holding pre-departure briefings to new students going to Bailrigg every September.
Thanks to the generous support from the University, local alumni were able to meet at least once every year. Throughout this period, Cho-nam participated actively and networked well especially with the new alumni. As one of its founding members, his passing away is a great loss to the Association. Cho-nam will be remembered by his helpful and cheerful personality, always having the time and patience for a chat and provide constructive remarks on any subject."

Margaret Gardner MBE, former member of staff for 37 years, passed away on 3 December 2019. Her initial appointment in 1964 was as secretary to the then Finance/Establishment Officer and in 1966 she transferred to the post of Secretary to the Head of Elementary Particle Physics, Professor Arthur Clegg and in 1974 assisted Professor Roger Hadley in setting up what we now know as the Department of Applied Social Science. 1984 saw the pinnacle of her career with the appointment as Personal Secretary to the then Vice-Chancellor, Professor Philip Reynolds CBE. He was succeeded by Professor Harry Hanham from 1985 to 1995 when Professor William Ritchie OBE came to Lancaster from her 'beloved Scotland'. In March 2001 Margaret was awarded with an MBE for Service to Higher Education and she retired from University life after 37 years in some style in 2001 after being the guest of honour at her leaving party attended by two former Vice-Chancellors Professor Reynolds and Professor Harry Hanham. Margaret Gardner full obituary (internal news.)

Antony Michael Hulme (PhD Operational Research, 1974, MA Operational Research, 1965, Bowland) passed away on 2 December 2019. He was born in Upminster, Essex but spent most of his formative years in Whitley Bay, Northumberland. He attended King’s School, Tynemouth where he had considerable academic and sporting success and became head boy. It was during his school days that he met Muriel Grey whom he married in 1965. As an undergraduate at Cambridge, Tony read Natural Sciences for Part I of the tripos and Electrical Engineering for Part II, graduating in 1964. From Cambridge, he went straight to Lancaster for postgraduate studies and as one of the first students at the new university, he helped to write the student charter. In 1974 he was awarded a PhD in Operational Research. In his early career, Tony was employed by several major companies including Dunlop, ICL and British Leyland. He started with two years living in Germany where he enthusiastically espoused the language and the culture. This experience underpinned his later career working from home as a translator of technical material from German to English. Significantly, he not only understood the language but also the scientific context, which was a major bonus for his clients. He is survived by Muriel, their four children, Alison, Sarah, twins Victoria and Edwin, and eight grandchildren.

Admiral Sir John Kerr, former member of the University Council and the Audit Committee, died on 2 December 2019. He was appointed to the council in 1993 and was chairman of the Audit Committee at the time when Lancaster was facing cash flow problems in the mid-1990s. Sir John was also a key member of the Council of the Victoria University of Manchester from 1998 when the merger with UMIST was in preparation. He was the inaugural Pro-Chancellor of the newly-created University of Manchester from 1993 to 2012 and was awarded the University’s Medal of Honour on his retirement from that position. He was a Commissioner of the Museums and Galleries Commission and served as vice-chairman of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission from 1992-94 and as a member of the Lake District National Park Authority from 2007-10.

David Murphy, former Programme Director of the Executive MBA (2000-2005) passed away on 23 November 2019. He was highly regarded by our students as an exceptionally talented teacher of accounting and finance on the LUMS MBA and post experience programmes.
Chris Saunders, Associate Dean for LUMS, provides an insight into David's career: "Born in Stirling, David was a practising accountant, having developed his career at KPMG. He continued to practise throughout his life, helping with charities through his involvement with the Catholic church. David first came to Lancaster in 1977/8 to study on the MA (yes, MA – not MSc!) in Accounting and Finance. He held Lecturer and Principal Lecturer positions at Liverpool University and Manchester Metropolitan University before returning to Lancaster as a full-time member of staff in 2000. David was a visiting lecturer at Warwick business school from 1984, developing and running the accounting module for the online MBA programme.
Throughout his career, David authored several business taxation books and accounting workbooks. His engagement activity included being an examiner for the International Stock Exchange and for ICAEW. He was also a Justice of the Peace until 2004 for the Bury area where he lived. David was a committed member of his local Catholic church. Each year he would spend several weeks as a volunteer at the sacred pilgrimage site of Lourdes in southern France, helping the millions of pilgrims who come looking for healing, support and peace. David was a great colleague and friend, and he will be deeply missed by many who worked with him over the years."

Clive Hodsdon (French Studies, 1976, Lonsdale) died on 21 November 2019, two weeks before his 67th birthday, after living with cancer for four years.
As an undergraduate Clive was an active member of the university motor club, sailing club, archaeology society and ballroom dancing society where he met his future wife, Judith (History, 1974, Fylde.) After completing his PGCE at St Martin’s College, Clive spent thirteen years teaching at Verulam School in St Albans, rising to Head of Department in 1984. In 1990 he moved to York as Head of Modern Languages at St Peter’s School. At both schools, he improved the departments with the introduction of modern technology and ran very successful exchange programmes with schools in Burgundy. He retired in 2011.

Michela Masci, formerly of the Department of Languages and Cultures passed away on 14 November 2019. She had worked at the university since 1986, initially as an Italian language assistant. She retired a few months ago on health grounds from her role as a Teaching Fellow and one of the Department of Languages and Culture's pioneers in consolidating the teaching focussed career path at Lancaster. She was the department's Careers Officer for a long time and her many innovations became the Department of Languages and Cultures way of doing things over that time.

Professor Tony Guénault died on 30 October 2019 after a short illness. He was a student at Trinity College, Cambridge. He came to the Physics Department as senior lecturer in September 1965, from a post at DKC Macdonald in Ottawa. He was awarded a personal chair in 1989. His teaching centred around statistical and condensed matter physics, and his research was focused on quantum fluids, especially superfluid helium-3 and helium-4. He was a leading member of the ultra low temperature group whose work was for a time known for creating the coldest place on earth. He held a variety of roles in the department and was head of it at a critical period for its future in the early 1990s.
While Tony officially retired in October 1998, he continued as a part-time research professor until September 2002, and his journal articles continue into 2019. His monographs have run into several editions and made a significant impact in the field.

Ian Cross, Chancellor's Wharf Porter, passed away on 26 October 2019. Ian had been a member of staff since 2003 in a number of roles including Security Officer, Great Hall Porter, Chancellor's Wharf Porter and County College Porter. Ian was well known at work and also locally, particularly for his dry sense of humour and his passion for his beloved Staffordshire Bull Terriers.

Malcolm Greenhalgh (Biology, 1968, Bowland) died on 25 October 2019 due to an aggressive infection following elective surgery to replace a heart valve. Contemporaries may remember him as a passionate ornithologist who spent any free time at Leyton Moss or traversing Ribble Salt Marshes collecting and recording information.
Born in Bolton, he attended Kirkham Grammar School and he developed an early interest in wildlife and countryside, especially birds and their habitats. He wrote a report for the Bird Study magazine in 1963 on the impact of the 1962 -63 winter on dipper populations and in 1965 he won The Prince Philip Prize awarded by The Royal Zoological Society of London for his reports on Ruff Migration on the Ribble Estuary.
At Lancaster, Malcolm also enjoyed courses at Ferry House and developed a great interest in freshwater biology, invertebrates and fish in general. Following Lancaster, he gained a PGCE from St Martin`s College and taught for a time at KGV Southport and Leigh Grammar School (later College) as Head of Biology. Returning to his “home patch”, ie. the Ribble Saltmarshes and Mosslands and the Lancashire Coast, Malcolm completed a PhD (Liverpool) in 1975 on the Foods and Feeding Ecology of Wading Birds and his first book ‘Wildfowl of The Ribble Estuary’ (WAGBI) was published in 1975.
From then onwards he continued to write and teach, and articles for magazines including Trout and Salmon, Salmon Trout and Sea Trout, Fly Fishing and Fly Tying, Shooting Times, Environment Now and Lancashire Life allowed him to hone his writing skills and approach publishers leading to the publication of a number of books. These early books gave a wider introduction to radio, television, video, and angling associations. At 39, he decided that writing and lecturing to interested groups was to be his future. He received many invitations to visit, sample and write about fishing on many rivers and lakes in the UK, Europe and the Americas. This widened his knowledge and experience. In total, Malcolm had over 25 books published and contributed to many others. He also wrote hundreds of articles for newspapers and magazines.
He was proud of his Lancastrian Heritage and promoted the delights of Lancashire at every opportunity. Writing was part of his life in addition to being an obsessed naturalist. At the time of his death, three pieces of work were still ongoing.

Professor Emeritus Ian Whyte died on 24 September 2019. Ian was appointed to a lectureship in Geography at Lancaster University in 1979, having previously been a lecturer in the Geography department at Glasgow University. He had completed his undergraduate and postgraduate training at Edinburgh University with a PhD thesis on Agrarian change in lowland Scotland in the seventeenth century. He was awarded a personal chair at Lancaster in 1996 and retired in 2012.
Ian’s main research interest was in Scottish Historical Geography, especially the evolution of landscape, economy and society in early-modern Scotland, ranging from agriculture and rural society to urban development. While at Lancaster he also extended his research to the study of landscape change, and associated socio-economic changes in the upland areas of Northern England, particularly the process of parliamentary enclosure. He had a strong interest in the English Lake District focusing on issues of landscape and heritage management. He published widely, including some 17 books and many journal articles. In many ways, Ian was ahead of his time in his research. Not only did he meticulously research many aspects of Scottish economy and society in the early-modern period, but also he studied the critical links between environmental change and human society long before these issues became the high-profile topics that they are today. His research had an unusual breadth in its combination of detailed archival investigation with an excellent understanding of environmental change and its impacts on human societies. His books are likely to continue to be seen as authoritative sources for many years to come, and his scholarship was formally recognized by the award of DSc (Edinburgh University 1989) and an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society in 1998 for ‘distinguished service to geography in Scotland’.
Beyond the department, Ian worked with a wide range of colleagues elsewhere in the university, particularly in History, Modern Languages (Ian had a strong interest in the historical geography of France) and in the Centre for North-West Regional Studies. He also undertook extramural teaching, especially through his work with the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society where he edited the society’s journal for several years.

Roger Mace, former Senior Lecturer in Accounting and Finance and Director of the suite of Master's degree programmes passed away on 20 September 2019. Roger was born and brought up in Birmingham, and studied at Bristol and the London School of Economics, before taking up a post at the University of Manchester. He was appointed to Lancaster as a senior lecturer in Accounting and Finance in 1976, where he pioneered computer programming for accounting in the undergraduate degrees. In the 1990s, he became director of the suite of Master's degree programmes, which grew substantially. His special interest was taxation, particularly the history of tax. He collected memorabilia, and his office at the University became a virtual Aladdin’s cave of rare books and artefacts.
After his retirement in 1997, Roger became active as a local Conservative councillor, representing the Kellet ward for 20 years until earlier this year. He was Mayor of Lancaster in 2017-18, and Leader of the Council from 2007-09. He was elected an Honorary Alderman on his retirement. His hard work and care made him a valuable Councillor, and his good advice was given freely and generously across party boundaries.
He was chair of the Friends of Lancaster City Museum, and took an active role in securing funds for special projects and, at a time when museums in Lancashire were under threat, making the museum better known across Lancaster and beyond.

Lesley A. Catchpole (nee Morrey), (International Politics, 1967, Bowland) died on September 13 2019 after a short stay in hospital. She had been part of the very first intake at Lancaster along with future husband, Peter Catchpole and had been part of student debating and other college organisations. She went on to have a career in systems analysis and enjoyed travelling around the world with Peter and their two daughters.

Graham Austerberry (English, 1973, Bowland) passed away in August 2019 after a long illness aged 67, a day before his 68th birthday. Graham was active in student politics at Lancaster and held office in the students union. He also had a strong sense of community involvement and took a sabbatical year performing charity work with the gypsy and traveller community in Kent. Graham was joint editor of ‘In Dark Mill Shadows - An Anthology of Bailrigg Poems’. After graduation, Graham started working as a careers officer based in Keighley, West Yorkshire, which, on local government re-organisation, became part of the Bradford Careers Service. Graham worked there for many years undertaking various specialist and managerial roles. He then worked at Bolton College and for the years up to his retirement, as Head of Careers at Bradford College. Graham leaves a widow, Avril, and a son, Alex, and became a grandfather shortly before his death.

Mandy Gates, Digital Skills Training Assistant in ISS passed away on 24 August 2019. She was well known to many across the University where she helped to develop and deliver training. She started in October 2005 as a member of the ICT Focus team in InfoLab21 and moved to the Training team in the new ISS building in 2010. She particularly enjoyed helping those across the University who were struggling to develop their IT skills. She leaves behind her son Shaun, a Lancaster alumnus, currently living and working in Australia.

David Helme, who ran the University’s Bailrigg Service Station with his wife, Ann, for 27 years, passed away on 23 August in Royal Lancaster Infirmary after a short illness. Dave, as he preferred to be known, ran the garage, which provided car sales, servicing and repairs, fuel and vehicle hire.
Customers, who included University staff and students, came from near and far to benefit from Dave’s top-class service, a good deal and some straight-talking customer management. Steve Price, who worked for Dave at Bailrigg for more than 20 years, said: “Dave was renowned as a real prankster who always loved a laugh and a joke. Somehow, he could always get away with being cheeky. “But he was a great listener who had a big heart – would do anything for anybody – real salt of the earth.”
Born and bred in Garstang, Dave left Garstang High School at 15 and became an apprentice motor mechanic at the former Oliver Rix Garage in Lancaster. After qualifying, he later worked at Mayfield Garage in Bare before taking up a role at Lancaster Police Station where he and his dad, Dennis, ran the garage looking after all the police vehicles. Some 14 years later, he took over the University garage, which he ran with Ann until the couple decided to retire earlier this year.
His diagnosis with cancer accelerated the business sale to Pye Motors in February. The original team of mechanics are still at the garage, now managed by Richard Gamble.

Paul Raymond Herrington, founder member of the Economics Department, died aged almost 80 on 18 August 2019 and after a difficult time suffering with Parkinson's Disease.
Paul was appointed in 1964 and is remembered by the first cohort of Economics students at Lancaster as an entertaining and thoughtful lecturer, as well as a helpful tutor and guide. He was always available to clarify and explain particular concepts and methodologies used in economic analysis. Paul was a pioneer in the field of environmental economics; especially water supply and management. He was interested in showing practical application to his particular areas of economics and not just the theory. We didn't realise it then, but he was only 5 or 6 years older than most of his students. He taught and researched at Lancaster before joining the University of Leicester in 1967; the same year that his first students graduated. He is survived by his wife Margaret, herself a 1967 graduate, and children Dominic, Kate, Damian and Nancy. (Obituary supplied by LU graduate Vic Seddon)

Professor W.M. Fairbairn, M.A. (Glasgow), B.A. (Cambridge), PhD (Birmingham), F.Inst.P., C.Phys., peacefully at home in Keynsham on 18 August 2019. Walter was born in Glasgow in 1928. He first became a student at the University of Glasgow, followed by further study at Cambridge and Birmingham. He taught at Glasgow and Manchester, before coming to Lancaster and joining the new Department of Physics on 1st October 1964 as a senior lecturer in Theoretical Physics. The department was initially based at St Leonard’s House in Lancaster. In an interview of 2015, he fondly recalled having an office on the top floor, next to the common room where all staff met for coffee and of giving lectures in the Centenary Church. He was quickly promoted to reader in September 1967, and to a personal chair in April 1969, the first such internal appointment by the University.
Walter became the second head of department, from 1973-79. He became increasingly involved in the work of senior bodies of the University, and there were few bodies on which he did not sit or take the chair. From the Development Committee in 1978, and including stints as the Chairman of the Board of Graduate Studies and Dean of the Office for the Associated Institutions, he also played key roles at Senate, Council and Court. He was appointed as Pro-Vice-Chancellor in 1984 and subsequently became the first Deputy Vice-Chancellor, the position he retired from on 30th September 1993.
Walter’s 29 years at Lancaster were hugely significant for the University. They spanned its early rapid development, the retrenchment and recovery from the Thatcher years and the successful push for research intensity in the late 1980s.

Professor Beth Harland, Professor of Fine Art passed away on 31 July 2019. Beth trained as a painter at the Ruskin School, Oxford University and the Royal College of Art, London. She worked internationally, including in Berlin and at the British School at Rome. She curated exhibitions, published widely on painting and was a founding editor of the Journal of Contemporary Painting. Her most recent project, Impermanent Durations, a collaborative exhibition with artists from Singapore, Australia and the USA is currently showing in America, at the University of Ohio.
She started and led the Lancaster Institute for Contemporary Art research group Insight, served on university committees and represented fine art practice on the most recent Research Excellence Framework exercise (2014).
Her teaching was inspirational at all levels. Keen, patient observation, profound knowledge of the history and theory of historical and contemporary painting –allied to one great, indispensable pleasure in Beth’s life, that of simply working in her studio– inspired Lancaster students to paint, think, talk and experiment boldly and beautifully. She was a wonderful colleague and will be missed by all who were privileged to know and spend time with her, most especially by her sister Jo and partner Ian.

George Cockburn, former University Secretary died on 16 July 2019. Mr Cockburn, who had taken an MA at St Andrews and served as Education Officer for the Colonial Service in Zambia, took up the post of Secretary to the School of Education at Lancaster on 19 August 1967. The School had been formally established by the Council on 18 July 1967, and the Department of Education and Science ratified the transfer of Area Training Organisation status to Lancaster in September. The founding director of the School, Professor Alec Ross, and Mr Cockburn developed and gained approval for certificate, diploma and degree schemes at St Martin’s College in Lancaster, Edge Hill College of Education and four smaller colleges in the region. The School became a distinguished national leader in teacher training education and its work subsequently led to two of its accredited colleges achieving university status; Edge Hill University (2006) and the University of Cumbria (2007).
Mr Cockburn also became Principal of Cartmel College from 1972 to 1976. These were the years that included the most significant rent strike in the history of the university during 1975-76, with Cartmel initially at the eye of the storm. It is a mark of his affection for the college that, when Mr Cockburn retired, he asked that any contribution to a leaving present be used not for the fishing rods colleagues had anticipated, but for the Cartmel College Bursaries Fund.
In 1981 the founding University Secretary, A. Stephen Jeffreys, retired and Mr Cockburn was appointed in his place. In 1992 Lancaster achieved outstanding national success in the research assessment exercise and was planning further expansion, including extensive capital expenditure. Mr Cockburn’s insight into and knowledge of the university’s finances caused him to anticipate the problems that were to manifest themselves in the cash flow problems of 1996. His concerns for these emerging difficulties resulted in his retirement in September 1993. Full obituary on the Lancaster University main obituaries page.

Sally Hollis, former staff member died in June 2019. She joined Lancaster University in 1995 as one of three founder members of the Medical Statistics Unit within the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. Her previous employment was a lone statistician at Royal Salford. Her knowledge of the NHS and wide-ranging experience of clinical research projects were critical to the success of the unit’s collaborative work at the academic/non-academic interface. Sally was soon promoted to Senior Lecturer and played a major role in setting up and delivering the MSc in Medical Statistics that was the forerunner of the department’s current, more broadly based set of master’s programmes.
Sally left Lancaster in 2014 when she was head-hunted to a post in the pharmaceutical industry, at Astra-Zeneca’s Alderley Edge site.

Dr Richard Payne (MRes Science of the Environment, 2001, Graduate) passed away in May 2019 while attempting to climb Peak 6477, a previously unclimbed subsidiary peak of one of India’s highest mountains, Nanda Devi.
Richard was a Senior Lecturer in Environmental Geography at the University of York where he had taught since 2015. He was a broad-ranging Environmental Scientist interested in environmental change and environmental management. His colleague Professor Roland Gehrels from the Department of Environment and Geography at the University of York commented: “ Richard’s career was tragically cut short by an avalanche in the Himalayas while pursuing his other passion: climbing. His passing is a huge loss to the scientific community, especially in the areas of peatlands and climate change.”

Mr Harold White, formerly Finance Officer at the University, passed away in May 2019, aged 91.
Harold White, TD, AIMTA, joined Lancaster on 1 November 1969 as a management accountant in the Finance Office. The incumbent Head of Finance and Personnel, Robert Boumphrey, was able to become a full-time Establishment Officer. Harold quickly became Finance Officer, the post he held until his retirement on 30 September 1992, to which he subsequently added Deputy Secretary. The changes that took place during his time at Lancaster were immense. His first annual accounts showed a balance sheet of £13 million; his concluding balance sheet was heading close to £100 million. When he arrived, most financial and personnel records were kept manually; by the time he left, his staff of 15 included a data processing officer and four analysts/programmers. He served under five pro-chancellors, three vice-chancellors and two university secretaries, and helped to steer the university through the steep inflation of the early 70s, the Thatcher cuts of the early 80s, and the period of growth and rapid expansion of the research activity that began in 1986 and concluded with Lancaster in a leading research position by 1992. The extensive capital programme during his time in office included Engineering, Gillow House, Lancaster House Hotel, George Fox Building, the colleges of Fylde, Pendle and Grizedale, and the initial version of the Graduate College. Quietly efficient and working long hours, he was effective and prudent.

Dr Lindsay M Newman, former Assistant Librarian in the University Library in 1966, died on 27 May 2019. She built up the modern languages, classics and English collections and later theatre studies, visual arts and music. Lindsay was a “scholar librarian” with extensive knowledge of her subjects and their bibliographic resources and greatly respected by the departmental staff with whom she worked. Lindsay also built up the Library’s Special Collections, including rare books, and when the Library’s large extension was built in 1997, she ensured that proper provision was made for the increasingly important rare-book collections. She retired from Lancaster University Library in September 2000, after 34 years of dedicated service

Professor Emeritus Maurice Kirby passed away on Friday 17 May 2019 and ends a life of great accomplishment as an economic historian and a notable contribution to the Economics Department and Lancaster University’s wider life.
Maurice graduated from Newcastle in 1967 and was awarded a Sheffield doctorate in 1971. He quickly made his mark as a scholar who identified central questions in British economic history - and addressed them in a craftsman-like way, producing at a brisk but steady pace six major books, three edited collections and many articles, all widely seen as robust and original in their underlying research and sound in their judgements. He explored the debate about British economic relative decline after 1870 and its industrial foundations, especially in the great staples of cotton and coal - and this took him into a consideration of Government economic policy. In a pioneering study, he examined the interface between social and religious life and the economy through a history of an important Quaker industrial dynasty. This led him to a history of the Stockton and Darlington Railway - the first public steam railway - and its impact on the Teeside region where he grew up. In later years, his position in a Management School stimulated him to open up an entirely new field, when he provided a magisterial account of the history of Operational Research in Britain in the twentieth century. This scholarship placed him among the leading figures in economic history in Britain.
Maurice came to Lancaster from Stirling University in 1985. Deeply loyal to the Department, he happily supported all activities including seminars well beyond his own interests. His research commanded progression to a Readership in 1990 and a Chair in 1998. He began to take an interest in wider responsibilities, becoming Principal of Pendle College (1991-6) and then Provost of Colleges and Student Relations (1995-8). He enjoyed the sense of being at the centre of University life and working productively with colleagues and students across the campus to develop Lancaster’s reputation as a student-friendly institution. He was President of the Lancaster Association of University Teachers (1998-9) before becoming Head of the Economics Department (1999-2003). He retired in 2008.

Professor Damon Berridge, Lecturer then Senior Lecturer in Statistics at Lancaster between October 1991 and June 2014 died on Friday 12 April 2019. Damon’s early work was on modelling data with ordered categorical outcomes. He developed a regression diagnostic for the continuation ratio model and a random-effects continuation ratio model for longitudinal data which was incorporated into the data analysis software R.
In more recent years Damon returned to medical statistics and took up a Chair in Applied Statistics at Swansea University. He was an active member of the statistical consultancy service at Lancaster and collaborated with a wide range of social scientists and biologists.
Damon was a colourful character and a keen cricket, tea and cake fan. He was also a stalwart of local quiz leagues and Lancaster choirs. He will be much missed by his students who appreciated his careful expositions and quirky sense of humour, and by his colleagues both at Lancaster and elsewhere for his extensive collaborative work.

Dave Bleasdale (ISS) passed away in April 2019. Dave worked at the University for nearly 30 years after starting his employment in 1989 until his retirement in August last year (2018). Always willing, determined and thorough, Dave supported staff and students with their use of technology during his time here through a number of roles - first as Training Officer, then as Information Officer, and more recently as Software Manager responsible for the licensing of software applications.
Amongst Dave’s achievements were playing a key role in the introduction of the LancasterAnswers knowledgebase, and a series of online ‘Home pages’ that provided staff and students with relevant links and resources (like mini portals, at a time before the Student Portal and Staff Intranet existed).
In his spare time, Dave was a keen photographer (with a particular liking for rusty skips) and artist. He always had his trusty camera with him and would often spend lunchtimes photographing buildings and life across campus; after retiring he was regularly still spotted on campus, always with his camera and often meeting up with colleagues for lunch.

Professor Samson Olatunde Oduleye (PhD Biological Sciences, 1973) passed away, aged 75, on 3 March 2019. He was the former chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities, Unilorin Chapter in Nigeria and spent a considerable part of his life and energy in the struggle for the development of the Nigerian University system and the Nigerian nation. His full obituary can be viewed in the This Day publication

Bob Bond (French Studies, 1972, Cartmel) died on 17 February aged 69. Bob arrived in Lancaster in 1968 and will be remembered by his contemporaries as the sharpest dressed fresher of that year; often be-suited, remaining loyal to the style of his teenage years in south London. Bob was popular and well known not just for his appearance, becoming actively involved with student journalism and politics winning election to Chair of the Student Representative Council. He also furthered town-gown relations by holding parties at the long gone, but not forgotten, Casa Baba cafe in Lancaster. After graduating, he remained in Lancaster to obtain his teaching certificate, practising at Heversham Grammar School. In the same year he married his contemporary Lancaster student Sylvia Hodgson. Teaching posts followed in London and Leicester until settling in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk where he became a much respected and popular Head Teacher in three schools. Latterly he became an educational advisor to the County and a leadership mentor for prospective Head Teachers. Although probably a Chelsea man by heart he maintained his love of sport, but was loyal to his adopted county in being a season ticket holder for Norwich FC. He also trained as a tour guide for Norwich and guests would be treated to a knowledgeable and enthusiastic exploration of that beautiful city. He remained a Francophile and lover of red wine.
Bob died shortly after diagnosis of an aggressive lymphoma. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter and seven grandchildren.

Richard A Fagence (English, 1967, Lonsdale) a founding student at Lancaster died on 16 February 2019, aged 72. After a career in teaching and later in sales, he will certainly be remembered for his untiring work as a Lib Dem Councillor in Windsor for 17 years. He will be greatly missed by Catherine, his wife of 28 years and his family and friends.

(Mohamed) Asraf Sattar Suleman, (MA Contemporary Sociology, 1988, Sociology & Politics, 1986, Cartmel) sadly passed away on 21 January 2019 after a battle with cancer. Asraf devoted his life to educating people beginning his teaching career at Lancashire Polytechnic, now UCLAN. He then relocated to Cheshire and taught at Stockport College for 15 years where OFSTED awarded him many ‘Outstanding’ marks for his way of teaching. Asraf was also Headteacher for a time at KD Boys Grammar School in Manchester. Later in life Asraf enjoyed travelling but was never happier than when at home with his family and fish and chips. He is survived by his loving wife, 3 daughters and 1 son, all of whom miss him dearly.

Dr Peter John Hudson (History, 1976, Pendle) passed away on 8 January 2019 after a career of tireless dedication to archaeological excavation and profound study of the history of Verona. He went to Verona in 1981 and devoted himself to the "Scavi Scaligeri", the excavation of the former court of Verona. In 1990 he became both a founding member and technical director of the Veronese co-operative, Multiart. With his death, Verona has lost an important witness of its evolution as a city, from the time of its foundation through to the Middle Ages.

2018

Brendan Stuart (MA Religious Studies, 2010, BA Religious Studies, 2009, Furness) died after a battle with cancer on 20 December 2018. He was a teaching assistant in Religious Studies and Assistant Dean in Lonsdale College. Brendan was very popular in campus life, both among his undergraduate students and postgraduate peers and had been battling his illness for some time.

Dr Martin Edmonds (PhD Pub Politics, 1989) passed away on 8 December 2018 at the age of 79. Martin came to Lancaster on 1 October 1966 as a Lecturer in Politics and subsequently built up a strong research profile in defence studies, culminating as Director of the Centre for Defence and Security Studies from 1990 onwards. He retired in 1996 and was made an honorary professorial fellow, later returning in a part-time capacity until 2004. He and his wife Eve were active in university affairs, including in Fylde College and the Services Dining Club. Full obituary on the Daily Telegraph website.

Geoffrey Thomas (Religious Studies and Sociology, 1980, Grizedale) passed away in October 2018, aged 60, after being taken ill on his bicycle near his home in Islington. He lived an unconventional life of semi-leisure dominated by racehorses, greyhounds, cycling and tennis. By 1996 he had become the chief executive of the British Greyhound Racing Board. After his resignation over a dispute seven years later, he became freelance, writing and editing the two-page Saturday supplement on racing for the Daily Star up until his death. Full obituary from The Guardian.

Malcolm Kear, County College Porter from 1972-2002, passed away on 11 July 2018. Malcolm was one of the longest-serving porters on campus and certainly a foundation stone of County College. Originally from Castleford, Yorkshire, Malcolm joined Lancaster in 1972 as one of the porters. In that time, he never failed to show his support and genuine care for all County members. He had the rare ability to have exactly the right words for any situation at any time, never spoiling the fun whilst maintaining 100% professionalism. Malcolm made many, many friends with students he had looked after over the years and genuinely kept in touch, often long after their time at County was over.

Andy Shaw, University staff member, passed away after a short period of illness on 6 July 2018. Andy started at Lancaster in 2001 and after a brief period of time working within the Catering team, was appointed as Licensee of Lonsdale Bar (and in later years Fylde Bar) where he became an integral part of College and University life for many years. Andy was incredibly well-loved by colleagues, students, staff and alumni. Andy was an influential member of the Retail Services department, his hard work and dedication to his team and his tireless desire to give all students a great experience at University were an inspiration to everyone who came into contact with him.

Jane Lewis, (Music, 1989, Bowland) passed away on 1 July 2018 just after her 50th birthday and 25th wedding anniversary. She was a musician and a very fervent evangelical who married Simon Tolaini, a young catholic. Unfortunately, Jane developed MS shortly after marrying which progressed until she was unable to walk and was confined to a wheelchair. She leaves behind husband Simon and two sons (Samuel and Elliott) who are currently both at university.

Carolyn Stone, Lecturer in the Department of Educational Research from 1974 to 1997, died on 23 June 2018. She served as Director of Studies for the combined major in Educational Studies and Religious Studies and was highly active in the establishment of Women’s Studies at Lancaster. Her research focus was on the evaluation of feminist philosophy and research methods, including oral history and autobiography. In 1992 she received a Pilkington Teaching Award, for the “excellence of your teaching contribution in both education and women’s studies”, drawing on evidence of the high quality of work of her students, often when working on difficult abstract issues, and to the careful preparation, rigorous presentation and thorough feedback they received.

Professor Margaret Canovan, a former member of the Politics Department passed away on June 16 at the age of 79. She read History at Girton College, Cambridge and joined the staff at Lancaster shortly after its establishment in 1964. She remained there until her marriage in 1971. Following the birth of her daughter, she joined the Politics Department at Keele University in 1974 where she worked until her retirement in 2002. Following her retirement, Professor Canovan moved to south-west Scotland where she found great happiness indulging her lifelong passions for country walking and wildflowers. She died peacefully in Kirkcudbright Hospital on 16th June 2018 following a short illness. She leaves behind a husband, James, and daughter Cherry, both of whom are Lancaster University alumni.

Professor Gregory Kamwendo (MA Language Studies, 1993) passed away on 22 May 2018. He was a Professor of Language Education and the Dean and Head of School of the School of Education from May 2012 to February 2016, before leaving to assume the position of Dean of the Arts Faculty at the University of Zululand. During his time at UKZN, Professor Kamwendo was instrumental in leading the process of curriculum transformation and he was a strong advocate for IsiZulu teaching.

Dr Peter Metcalfe (PhD Environmental Science, 2017) died in an accident in the Lake District in May 2018. He was climbing with his girlfriend, Dr Mary Saunders at Raven Crag in the Langdales when he suffered multiple injuries in a fall. He had been working at the University as part of a flood prevention research team based at the Environment Centre and specialised in using computer modelling in flood risk management.

Professor Karen Dawisha (Politics, 1972, Furness) died on 11 April 2018 aged 68. She devoted her professional life to the study of Russia. She taught at the department of government and politics at the University of Maryland (1985-2000) and then went as professor to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio based in the department of political science. She met her husband Adeed Dawisha, an Iraqi academic at Lancaster. Visit the Guardian website for full obituary.

Michael Moran (Politics, 1967, Lonsdale), one of our first cohort at Lancaster and a leading authority on British government and public policy, died on 3 April. He went on to do a PhD at the University of Essex and then became a lecturer and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Social Science at Manchester Polytechnic, now Manchester Metropolitan University. He later moved to the University of Manchester and then part-time at the Alliance Manchester Business School. He was preparing a new MBA course at the time of his death. The full obituary can be found on the Times Higher Education website.

Professor Harry Townsend, former Chair of Economics passed away in February 2018. Harry began working at Lancaster in 1972 as Chair of Economics and took the role of Head of the Economics department in 1979. Harry studied at Cambridge and the London School of Economics, and during the 1939-45 war, he served as a Sub-lieutenant in the Royal Navy. He was a Senior Lecturer at the London School of Economics and had been a Reader in Industrial Economics, building his reputation in the field as an expert on the actual practices of large firms in the UK. Over a professional lifetime in that area, he had acquired an unparalleled knowledge of how firms are structured and how they interact with one another and had published quite extensively on this subject. He retired to Southport in the 1980s, but continued to visit the Department for many years after he had formally left it. Professor Geraint Johnes, who shared teaching duties with Harry, said “Harry was a gentleman and a gentle man. His reader, Price Theory, was read and devoured by countless trainee economists in the 1970s and 1980s.” After retiring from work in 1982, Harry later returned to the University to teach part-time until 1991.

Lady Josie Farrington (Honorary Degree) died on 30 March 2018. She was a Lancashire Labour politician with particular interests in education, local government, the environment and women's issues. Born and educated in Loughborough, she worked as an unqualified teacher. She moved with her husband Michael to Lancashire in 1968, and began her political career as a town councillor in Preston. In 1977 she was elected to Lancashire County Council and chaired the Education Committee from 1981-91, as well as being chairman of the Council for a year in 1992-93. From 1989 onwards she represented a range of regional interests in Europe. She was President of the Council of Europe’s Committee for Culture, Education and the Media, and was chosen as UK European Woman of the Year in 1994. She was a Labour Whip in the House of Lords for fifteen years. The award to her of a Lancaster honorary degree by the Chancellor, Sir Christian Bonington, on 12 December 2007, marked the university’s recognition of a grassroots politician who was able to make a real difference to people for whom she cared.Professor Harry Townsend passed away in February 2018. Harry began working at Lancaster as Chair of Economics, then became Head of Economics in 1979. Harry studied at Cambridge and the London School of Economics. He was a Senior Lecturer at the LSE and had been a Reader in Industrial Economics building his reputation as an expert on the actual practices of large firms in the UK.

Jimmy Armfield CBE, Honorary Graduate, died on 22 January 2018. He won 43 caps for England between 1959 and 1966 and captained his country fifteen times. He played in the 1962 World Cup in Chile where he was acclaimed as the “best right back in the world”. He was included in the 1966 World Cup squad which England won but missed out on the tournament due to injury. Following an FA campaign to persuade FIFA to award medals to all the squad members, he was presented with his medal by the then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown at Downing Street in 2009. He was awarded the CBE for services to the community in Lancashire in the 2010 New Year’s Honours List, and received Doctor of Laws from Lancaster on 22nd July 2011. His full obituary appears on the BBC Sport website.

Alexander Geoffrey Thompson, OBE, Honorary Graduate and former University Treasurer, died on 5 January 2018 after a long illness. Mr Thompson, a former Vice-Chairman of J. Bibby and Sons PLC and Fothergill-Harvey PLC, became Chairman and subsequently Treasurer of the Finance Committee in September 1983, and continued until July 1993. He was a co-opted member of the Council for ten years, and of the Planning and Resources Committee, at a time when the University was resuming a period of growth and development, particularly in research, under the third Vice-Chancellor, Professor Harry Hanham. Mr Thompson, previously Chairman of the Francis Scott Charitable Trust, and using his contacts as Chairman of the then Lancaster District Health Authority, also led pioneering medical health fundraising for the University. He and his wife Irene were generous in the keen interest they took in the University’s affairs and their participation in its cultural and social activities and maintained contact for a long period after his retirement from these roles. An honorary LL.D. was conferred on him in July 1994.

John Skitt (MA Politics, 1968, Politics, 1967, Bowland) passed away in January 2018 having devoted his professional life to Further Education. He was an enthusiastic internationalist, a lifelong Liberal and a great believer in the application of liberal values in all social contexts. Visit the Guardian website for his full obituary.

2017

Paul Mather (Information Engineering, 1990, Cartmel) died on 28 December 2017 after a 2 year battle with cancer, aged 52. Paul lived in Malaysia where he ran his own consulting business, having earlier in his career lectured at Blackpool and Fylde College and then in Singapore. He leaves behind a wife, Vivian. Paul was a real character with the biggest heart and a great big smile and he will always be remembered fondly by all of his university friends.

Professor Bob Hale passed away on 12 December 2017 aged 72. Formerly a member of the Department of Philosophy from 1969 until transferring to the University of St Andrews in 1989, and latterly Professor of Philosophy at Sheffield University, he has been described as one of the most outstanding philosophers of his generation. A tribute is published on the Sheffield University website.

Dr Alan Thomson, former staff member in the Chemistry, then Department of Biological Sciences, passed away on Sunday 10 December 2017. He retired from the University initially in 2007, although later returned that year to undertake various roles within the Lancaster Environment Centre until final retirement from the University in 2015.

Katarina Pardula, former University staff member died on 30 November 2017. Katarina (Kat) had been a member of staff at Lancaster since 1994 in a number of roles, Sports Centre receptionist until 1996, then Sports Centre secretary until 2004. She also worked in the Ceremonies & Events office until 2008 when she took a break from university work, returning in 2013 to take up a role as Faculty Administration Assistant in the Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FASS) and latterly in a Personal Assistant role to the Dean in FASS.

Trevor Hart (Economics, 1967, Bowland), one of the first cohort at Lancaster, died on 7 November 2017. During his career he worked for Runcorn Development Corporation and Local Government in Somerset where he was involved in town planning, economic development and tourism. He was a consultant for Binder Hamlyn and Spicers and a Senior Lecturer in Town & Country Planning at Leeds Metropolitan University, the University of Dundee and Newcastle University. He lived in York from 1987 to 1998. Click here for a full obituary which appeared in the York Press.

Sir John Manduell CBE, the first Director of Music at Lancaster in 1968 passed away on 25 October 2017 at the age of 89. He moved to become the Founding Principal of the Royal Northern College of Music in 1973. His full obituary appears on the RNCM website.

Steve Packham (Sociology, 1973, Cartmel) passed away on 24 October 2017 aged 66. He was the Chief Executive of Chelmsford City Council for 13 years and was described as making a 'huge impact' leading the team responsible for Chelmsford's successful bid for city status to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. In 2017 he received a long service award in recognition of 18 years of continuous accreditation with 'Investors in People'. He took on the top role at the council in 2004 and was renowned for seeing the value in nurturing talent. He was proud to introduce the Council's Internship Scheme in 2010.

Paul Ramsden (PhD Educational Research, 1982) died suddenly at home on 2 August 2017 from a pulmonary embolism. Of dual Anglo-Australian nationality, he worked in Australian universities for twenty years, where he was the architect of the Course Experience Questionnaire, a central feature of quality assurance in Australian Higher Education (which was also the model for the UK’s National Student Survey). He returned to the UK in 2004 to become the founding Chief Executive of the Higher Education Academy. Professor Ramsden was an internationally respected expert on improving the quality of university teaching, sharing his insights in two acclaimed books, Learning to Teach in Higher Education and Learning to Lead in Higher Education which have inspired thousands of academics to improve their students’ learning and their professional practice.

Gabriel Epstein, one of the original architects of the University died on 25 July 2017. On a visit to the University in 2009, then aged 91, was quoted as saying that to return to campus was 'a very magical experience' and that it was great to see lots of activity going on as it did 40 years ago. The full obituary written by the University Archivist, Marion McClintock, is featured on the Lancaster University website.

Gary Waller (Politics & International Relations, 1967, Bowland) passed away on July 21 2017. He was a Conservative MP representing first Brighouse & Spenborough and then Keighley between 1983 and 1997. As well as championing the West Riding's embattled woollen industry, he was a keen sports car racer, spoke on vehicle safety, was briefly PPS to the Transport Secretary David Howell and promoted parliamentary bills for British Rail. Out of the Commons Waller became a director of Which? and in 2011 was elected to Epping Forest council, becoming its cabinet member for 'safer, greener and transport' issues, a post he held up to his death.
A memorial service was held on Wednesday 17th January 2018 at 2pm at St Stephen's with John Church Westminster, 38-42 Rochester Row, London SW1P 1LE.

Peter Whalley (Philosophy, 1967, Lonsdale) passed away in July 2017. He was described as a 'story genius' an wrote over 600 episodes of the soap 'Coronation Street' - more than any other writer in the show's history. In 2009 he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2009 British Soap Awards. He went on to retire in 2013. He kept in touch with the University and helped regularly with the mentoring scheme.

Ian Stewart (English & Medieval Studies, 1980, Furness) died on 11 June 2017 from a brain tumour. He was an inspirational and highly popular English teacher and went on to become Head of English and Head of Sixth Form at a comprehensive school in Milton Keynes. In addition, he worked for AQA, the exam board as a Senior Examiner and developing specifications for 'A' Level English Literature exams. He was married to alumna Arabella Stuart for 40 brilliantly happy and funny years.

Miss Joy Welch, one of Lancaster's longest-standing friends and philanthropic supporters died on Tuesday 16 May 2017, aged 90. She has supported Lancaster since 1963. She established the Joy Welch Educational Charitable Trust to help fund educational projects, in particular those that are scientifically based and offer potential benefits to the UK economy. The University is grateful for her generosity and inspiration. A fuller obituary appears on the Lancaster University website.

Dr Steve Dempster passed away on Wednesday 29th March 2017 aged 46. Steve was a Lecturer in the Department of Educational Research and Vice-Principal of County College. He graduated from Lancaster after studying a BA in Educational Studies and Religious Studies in 1992, returned to do an MA in Education which was completed in 2002, and was awarded a PhD in 2007. From 2002 Steve was a teaching associate and a research associate in the Department until he took up his lectureship in September 2014. Steve also played a central role in the life of County College during his time at Lancaster, culminating in holding the role of College Dean for 10 years from 2006 and Vice-Principal from 2016 until his death. He served on University Court from 2009-2013 and on Senate from 2011-2013. Steve was completely committed to Lancaster and its students and embodied a great many of the University’s strengths and values.

John Graddon former staff member died on Sunday 12 March 2017. John joined the University Careers Department in 1978 as an advisor and worked here until 1998, latterly becoming Deputy Director of the Careers Service. John was well-liked and well respected for his service to students and will be fondly remembered.

Dan Lucas (German Studies, 2009, Cartmel) passed away suddenly on 11 March 2017 aged 31. He was an enthusiastic, knowledgeable and engaging author of the Guardian's popular cricket and rugby union live online reports since 2013. A full tribute can be read on the Guardian website.

Dr Gareth Hughes passed away on 1 March 2017. He joined the Lancaster High Energy Physics Group in 1970 following his studies at Oxford University. His main strength was in the understanding of computers and computing. In the 1990s as well as being a member of the CERN Central Computing Committee, he was Chairman of the committee that produced the reviews guiding policy on computing for the UK Particle Physics. He eventually became the Director of Undergraduate Courses in the Department of Physics. He retired in 2007 but continued his involvement with the ATLAS experiment as an Emeritus staff member.

Mario Soares, Honorary Graduate Mario Soares LLD (Honoris Causa) 1986, former Prime Minister of Portugal, died on Saturday 7 January aged 92. A full obituary appeared in The Guardian.

2016

Tony Evans, former Head of Security from 1995 to March 2009 passed away on 28 December 2016 aged 72. He was a valued member of Furness College having served as both Vice Principal and Senior Tutor during his time here. A full obituary is published on the Lancaster University website.

Nom Habu, former LU Regional Officer for Nigeria from May 2011 until August 2013 died on 15 December 2016. He came to Lancaster after his regional role to start his MSc in Quantitative Finance. On successful completion, he returned to Nigeria to take up the post as Office Manager for LU Ghana heading up a small team.

Donald Kershaw, Reader Emeritus in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics died on 21 December 2016 at the age of 88. He had not been well for some time and suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. His mathematical speciality was numerical analysis. A full obituary appears on the Lancaster University obituaries page.

Dr Ken Oates passed away on Friday 25 November 2016. Ken was a former member of staff in the Department of Biological Sciences and worked at Lancaster from 1969 until he retired in 1993. A full obituary is published on the Lancaster University website, written by his son, Tom.

The Right Honourable Lord Thomas Taylor of Blackburn CBE JP DL died on Friday 25 November 2016 following an accident. A founder member of the University, Lord Taylor of Blackburn became one of the original members of the Court and was the first of its members to be elected to the Council in December 1964. Mr Taylor, then a Labour member of Blackburn Borough Council, was an active member of the Executive Council for the Establishment of a University at Lancaster from 1963 to 1965. He received an honorary doctorate (LLD – Doctor of Laws) in 1996. At the request of Lord Greenwood, Pro-Chancellor, Tom Taylor took evidence for the influential Taylor Report of 1973, leading amongst other things to the setting up of an Information Office. A full obituary appeared in The Telegraph.

Professor E. Roland Dobbs, a founder Professor of Physics at Lancaster passed away on 24 October 2016. His vision and energy gave the department a flying start. He oversaw the design and construction of the Physics building and the appointment of a range of physicists. His own interests were in low-temperature physics and ultrasonic studies of solids. He was at Lancaster from 1964 and left to return to London in 1973.

Norman Sherry, Emeritus Professor died on October 19 2016. Norman joined the 1970 as Head of the English Department until 1982. He then worked as the official biographer of novelist Graham Greene.

William Smethurst (History, 1967), founder of the Lancaster University magazine, Carolynne, who went on to be Editor and Producer of The Archers in the 1970s and 80s died on 22 July 2016 aged 71. He joined the programme in 1974 as a writer having started his career as a journalist and writer of radio plays at the BBC. He was script editor on Play for Today working with writers such as Malcolm Bradbury and David Edgar at the time he was appointed as Editor of The Archers in 1978. A full obituary appeared on the BBC website.

Dr Alan Waters passed away on 22 July 2016. Alan worked for many years in the University's Institute for English Language Education (IELE) and then joined the department in 2001. His specialism was Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). He held positions in several countries before coming to Lancaster (Sierra Leone, Kuwait and Thailand), ran courses in many other parts of the world and acted as a consultant to several major ELT development projects. His publications include Interface (Longman), ESP: A Learning-centred Approach, Study Tasks in English (both Cambridge University Press), A Review of Research into Needs for English for Academic Purposes (ETS), two edited volumes of papers and a number of journal articles. He retired in 2012 and continued to maintain an interest in TEFL while pursuing his other passions, which included particularly opera and hill-walking.

Dr Alan Geoffrey Betjemann, who died on 24 June 2016, gained his BSc in Physics at Queen Mary College of University of London in 1955 and followed this with his PhD in solid State Physics in Queen Mary College in 1959. He then lectured in Physics at Battersea Polytechnic before later moving to GEC in Wembley as low temperature research physicist. In August 1964 he joined the academic staff in the Physics dept. at the newly formed University of Lancaster. While he lived in London, in his vacations, he worked as a lighting operator at the Golders Green Hippodrome and was deeply involved in the University of London's Gilbert and Sullivan Society. His love of theatre and particularly the technical side of production stayed with him all his life. During the first year of the opening of the University Academic staff were encouraged to assist in setting up student societies as they were starting from scratch. He helped to form the University Theatre Group and worked with them for several years until they were established. He represented the University at the meetings to set up and establish the North West Arts Association and later represented the university for meetings to form a Civic Theatre in Lancaster which opened as the Dukes and he became the first Chairman of its Supporters Club. He and his wife became very much involved with Lancaster Footlights the owners of the 200 year old Grand Theatre in Lancaster. Until Bailrigg was developed the Grand was the largest lecture theatre available to the University. In later years Dr Betjemann researched the history of the Grand and in time for its bicentenary he wrote the definitive history of the theatre which was published by Lancaster University Press. He donated all royalties to the theatre. A shorter 2nd edition followed later. It was no surprise that when Media Service were set up that he moved across to set up the Educational Television Production Unit where his experience was invaluable. He still always kept close contact with the physics research of his colleagues in Lancaster. In 1976 he took a year's sabbatical and gained an MA in Education, returning to Media Services as Director of Media Services and University Copyright Officer. Both posts he held until he retired on 31st December 1990 when subsequently he and his wife moved to the Dordogne in France where they lived for 25 years returning to the UK in 2015 the year before he died. One small regret he had on moving to Lancaster was that he could no longer partake of his other love which was being a mechanic for a very successful formula 2 motor racing team called DRW in London. (Revised 8/3/2022)

Chris Higgins, (Religious Studies, 1973, Furness) passed away on 31 May 2016. A librarian by trade, Chris worked in many types of libraries, including children's libraries before moving to the Highlands direct from helping to establish a university library in rural Africa. As well as his work as a Humanist celebrant, Chris was also a beekeeper and one of only two known Millwall supporter in the Highlands and Islands. He had a keen interest in the Beatles and celebrated his 64th birthday in Paul's old house in Liverpool.

Porsche Ellis, who worked in the central alumni office between 2001 and 2008 passed away on 30 April 2016 at St Catherine's Hospice in Preston aged 41. Porsche was a key member of alumni staff and was involved with many alumni activities including editing the STEPS magazine and co-ordinating the alumni careers fair, and, as such was well known to many Lancaster graduates. Our greatest sympathies go out to her family, friends and all who knew her. Her husband, Andrew Ellis, also worked at the University as Programme Manager in Network Services Limited between 2001 and 2011.

Richard Watts-Tobin, retired member of staff passed away on 26 April 2016 after a long illness. Richard started with the Physics Department in 1967 and retired in 1996, however, he continued to work on a part-time basis until 1999. His research interests were in the theory of superconductors. At undergraduate level, his style of teaching inspired students, several of whom stayed on to do research for higher degrees under his supervision. He was an active member of Furness College and took great interest in the provision of wine within the college.

Dr Chris Paice, who was a member of the Computing Department for 40 years, passed away on 21 April 2016. Chris joined the then Department of Computer Studies as a Research Associate in 1969-70; moving on to a Lectureship and retiring in 2009. Chris was acting Head of Department in 1977-78 and Head of Department 1979-82. His main research contributions were in the area of Information Retrieval and in particular on stemming, anaphor resolution and automatic abstracting.

Mark Goddard Memorial Oak Tree - This is to inform the family and friends of the late Mark Goddard, a Geography undergraduate who sadly died in 1988, that the oak tree they planted in his memory has been moved. It was close to the Geography Department in the Physics Building but subsequently, the Department joined with other allied departments to form the Lancaster Environment Centre in 2008 on the west of the campus. As the Physics Building is now being extended, Mark’s oak tree has been moved with care to an area of the campus which is designated as a memorial woodland. This is close to the top of Bailrigg Drive near Bailrigg House. We trust the tree will thrive there as well as it did on its original site.

Tim Holmes, Food Operations Manager, long-serving colleague and friend to the University, passed away on 18 April 2016. Tim worked at the University for over 40 years and was well-loved by his team. He was a highly-respected and well-known colleague across the University, illustrated by the support and respects paid at his retirement events in December by current and former staff and students. Tim embodied the values of Lancaster and was dedicated to the contribution he and his team could make towards the University’s success. His legacy will continue to be felt in the years to come as we continue to benefit from his management, flexibility and inventiveness. In recent years this has led to being the first University to be awarded two Gold Food for Life awards and winning the CUBO award for Best University Catering thanks to his hard work and leadership. The University thanked him for his outstanding work over the years with a Staff Award at the degree congregations as part of our 50th Anniversary.

Judy Merry (English, 1970, County) passed away on 27 March 2016 in the company of her husband, two sons, daughter-in-law and baby granddaughter after battling cancer for two years. She worked extensively for the BBC, both in radio and TV. In addition to her broadcast work, Judy taught English, Radio Production and Media Studies at a variety of Further Education Colleges in the North West and lectured for the Journalism degree at the University of Central Lancashire, as well as writing a book with Clare Jenkins about the experience of bereavement within the family, Relative Grief. She led training in how to interact with the media in both industry (with AMTV) and in the voluntary sector. Outside work, Judy volunteered with The Samaritans, sang in choirs and was involved in several amateur dramatics groups.

John Urry, Distinguished Professor, died unexpectedly on 18 March 2016. John embodied the tradition of world-class Sociology that he was central to creating at Lancaster University. He is a former Head of the Sociology Department, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and University Dean of Research, and made a significant contribution to the establishment of the Academy of Social Sciences. John not only guided the development of the Sociology Department, which he joined in 1972 but also the direction of research in the wider community of Sociology itself, with interests that crossed disciplinary and national boundaries. John was reassuringly “local” in loyalties and critical engagement during his 44 years at Lancaster University, yet he was equally firmly a “cosmopolitan” with a global intellectual presence and international recognition as a public intellectual. John launched the career of many students and scholars; his influence reaching far and wide. He provided enthusiastic and inspirational support to students and colleagues over five decades. A restless intellectual spirit, John worked at the leading edge of theoretical, empirical and applied fields in the social sciences, reflecting social trends and shaping innovative work on emerging fields and policy areas.

Brian Heron, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council from 1997 to 2003, died peacefully on 11 February 2016. He leaves a wife, Margaret, children Joanna and Michael, and their children. Mr Heron retired in 1990 as Chief Executive of a major subsidiary of Turner and Newall. He was Chairman of the Working Party on Corporate Governance set up by the Committee of University Chairmen in the late 80s, and he was a keen amateur sailor. He took up office at Lancaster while the university was managing the cash flow problems of 1996 and assisted with the process of its rapid recovery. His period of office included the start of the developments at Alexandra Park and the refurbishment of the colleges, a major review of the Charter and Statutes, and the appointment of Professor Paul Wellings as fourth Vice-Chancellor.

Dr Richard Xiao (Linguistics and English Language) passed away on Saturday 2 January 2016. Richard started his career in China and first came to Lancaster to study towards his PhD, which he received in 2002. He stayed on as a Research Associate until 2007 and returned as a Lecturer in 2012 after working at UCLAN and Edge Hill. In 2014, he took early retirement due to ill health, having been promoted first to Senior Lecturer and then to Reader. In those two years, Richard introduced Chinese at both UG and PG levels, acted for a year as Director of the Confucius Institute, published many papers and several books, supervised several PhD students, and received funding from the British Academy and the ESRC. His premature death is a huge loss to Corpus Linguistics, Chinese Linguistics and Translation Studies. He will be much missed by colleagues in the Department of Linguistics and English Language, the Lancaster Confucius Institute, and around the world.

Lindsey Tasker (Economics, 1991, Cartmel) died suddenly on 1 January 2016 aged 45 after recently being diagnosed with cancer. After graduation, Lindsey was accepted onto a graduate scheme with Barclays Bank and undertook a number of roles for Barclays over a 12 year period. He also held senior leadership positions with Halifax Bank of Scotland, Lloyds Bank and Asda. Most recently Lindsey was an HR Director at Wm Morrisons. Lindsey was the beloved husband of Maria and a devoted dad of Holly and Joe. A service to remember Lindsey and celebrate his life was held at the Park Wood Crematorium, Park Road, Elland, on Monday 18th January.

2015

Raymond John Lawrence died on 30 December 2015 at the age of 90. He was Professor of Marketing at Lancaster from 1 August 1965 until summer 1988, thereafter Professor Emeritus. Ray was awarded the first chair in Marketing to be established in the UK. He was particularly fond of mathematics and classics, areas in which he continued to read long after his retirement. He also had a passion and aptitude for chess which he continued to play until the last weekend of his life. He leaves a daughter, a son, five grandchildren and two great-children. A funeral was held in France where he has lived on and off for the last 30 years since his retirement from the University.

Ivor Dykes, the former Chief Technician in the Nuffield Theatre between 1968 and 1989, died on 28 December 2015. He was a much-valued member of the University and was involved in many societies and was a very active member of the union. An obituary for Ivor was published in the South Leeds Life Online.

Elaine Dodson (nee Smith) - (Educational Studies, 1977, Furness) passed away on the 15 December 2015 at the age of 60. After graduating she went on to complete a postgraduate diploma in Library and Information Science at Birmingham Polytechnic and her first job was as a Librarian at Sydney Stringer School in Coventry. From 1995 she worked as the Learning Resource Centre Manager at Myton School, Warwick. Thanks to her experience, enthusiasm and determination, the library became the first school of its kind to be awarded the Warwickshire Gold Standard for outstanding provision. She joined the Saint Michael's Singers at Coventry Cathedral in 1977 and continued to sing with them for the rest of her life. She was delighted when her daughter, Jane, chose to come to Lancaster University in 2005 giving her a great excuse to make many return trips and visit old haunts.

Rob Dunkley (Accounting and Finance, 2001, Pendle) passed away suddenly on 13 December 2015. Rob was a valued mentor on the Lancaster Career Mentoring programme and his enthusiasm towards helping his mentees was much appreciated. He will be missed by fellow mentors and all those who knew him at Lancaster.

Dee Amy-Chinn (Politics 1981, Fylde) died on 3 December 2015, after four years of living with cancer. Dee joined the graduate scheme in the civil service, but went on to do two Master's degrees at Birkbeck College, London - and then a PhD at Royal Holloway, London. Dee became a Lecturer at Oxford Brookes University and then, from 2006, at Stirling University - in the Department of Communication, Media and Culture. She was much loved as a teacher, and formidable as a writer and researcher. Dee co-founded the Master's programme in Gender Studies at Stirling, where there is a student Scholarship in her name. Dee and Steve (Chinn) met and married at Lancaster in 1980, and Steve welcomes all who knew Dee to contact him at stevechinn@btinternet.com.

Philip French, Observer film critic and Honorary Degree recipient passed away aged 82 on 27 October 2015. His full obituary was published in the Guardian.

Dr Jayne Steel (English & Creative Writing, 1995, County, MA Creative Writing, PhD English) died on 10 October 2015 aged 57. Jayne had a long association with the university, latterly as a member of staff. A full obituary, written by Michael Greaney, Department of English and Creative Writing, appears on the Lancaster University website.

Charlie Pottins (History, 1973, Furness) passed away on 15 September 2015. Charlie came to Lancaster in 1969 and was a part of that generation of working-class mature students, with a strong grounding in left-wing politics and trade unionism, which had a major impact on the culture of the new university. He was a member of the Socialist Labour League, a fundamentalist Trotskyist grouping renowned for the dour political workaholism of its membership. Charlie, though, never fitted the stereotype. He was witty, sociable, and well-read with broad interests in music, art and literature. He would often be seen on the Spine, selling his newspapers and happily engaging anyone in conversation. He was also a gifted organiser and was instrumental in establishing the Socialist Society on campus which for the first (and only) time, united the various left-wing factions into a major force in the university. His RandomPottins blog can still be accessed.

Dr Andy Bailey passed away on 28 June 2015 following a short illness. Andy was a former Head of Department of the Management Development Division and subsequently Director of the Centre for Strategic Management at Lancaster in the Management School (LUMS). An obituary written by Steve Kempster appears on the Lancaster University website.

Susie Parsons (French Studies, 1972, Cartmel) died aged 65 on 6 June 2015 following a stroke. She was a feminist, a socialist and a campaigner dedicated to challenging and innovative projects in the voluntary and public sectors. Full obituary on the Guardian website

Richard Dow (PhD Physics, 1984, Bowland, MSc Applied Cryo Physics, 1981, Theoretical Physics, 1979) and 'Bowland Tuner' died in May 2015. He was involved in the Gregson Centre, Lancaster for over thirty years as a Trustee and as a Director of Gregson Centre Limited (GCL). Richard touched so many lives with his immense generosity, humanity, positivity and humour and will be very sorely missed by all who had the good fortune to know him. He leaves behind four beautiful children Lawrie, Alex, Emily and Eva.

John Crookes, a staff member of the Department of Management Science from 1967 to 1995 died on June 3 2015. John came to Lancaster after industrial experience in Operational Research with Richard Thomas and Baldwins Ltd and British European Airways. He made a huge contribution to the Department and the profession of Operational Research, in which he was particularly noted for his developments of computer simulation.

Professor Joe Shennan, former Head of the Department of History and subsequently Deputy Vice-Chancellor, died on 25 May 2015. An obituary, written by Professor Andrew Jotischky, current Head of the Department of History can be viewed on the Lancaster University website.

Arthur Boen, Chemistry porter for many years, died on 19 May 2015 aged 94 years. Arthur first worked for the University at St Leonardsgate, and then at Bailrigg.

John Hughes, Emeritus Professor of Sociological Analysis, died on 15 May 2015. A memorial written by Professor Bob Jessop and in consultation with other colleagues who knew John well is available to view on the Lancaster University obituaries page.

Professor Christopher Noel Candlin died on 10th May 2015. Christopher was a major figure in the field of Applied Linguistics and instrumental in its establishment as a respected discipline worldwide, read Modern Languages at Jesus before embarking on an academic career as a Research Fellow at the University of Leeds, where he worked on a Schools Council Project in English for Immigrant Children. In 1968 he was appointed Lecturer and subsequently Senior Lecturer in the Linguistics and Modern English Department at Lancaster University. In 1976 he set up the Institute for English Language Education, which provided courses at Lancaster and conducted training projects throughout the world, and in 1983 he founded the Centre for Language in Social Life. He left Lancaster in 1987 for Macquarie University, Australia, where he founded another Centre for Language in Social Life, before becoming Professor of Applied Linguistics at City University, Hong Kong, in 1998. He returned to Macquarie in 2002 as a Senior Research Professor, and developed and nurtured a department with diverse interests, including applied linguistics, audiology, editing and publishing, speech and hearing sciences, speech pathology, and translation and interpreting. Candlin’s work pursued a greater understanding of the role of language and other forms of communication in a range of social contexts, and on using this understanding to develop solutions to issues in a wide range of areas including language teaching and learning, and professional communication. His contributions to the field and to society came through his own considerable research output, his editorship of influential book series and journals, his mentorship of PhD students (many of whom are now leaders in the field), his founding and leading of numerous highly regarded and productive research centres (including the National Centre for English Language Teaching & Research at Macquarie), his development of postgraduate courses which have trained thousands of language teachers and other language professionals internationally, and a teaching career that spanned almost 50 years. He also gave service to the academic community as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences, UK, and as President of the International Association of Applied Linguistics. He was a scholar and teacher with vision, deep and broad understanding, and with a generosity of spirit. He leaves his wife, Sally, who obtained her PhD from Lancaster and is a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Linguistics at Macquarie.

Colin Adams, former Planning Officer from 1990 to 2004 died on Friday 1 May, aged 75. He served under five Lancaster Vice-Chancellors during more than forty years of service for the University. Colin came to Lancaster on 1 October 1964 from Keele University, as an assistant lecturer and then a lecturer in the then Department of Biology, with special interests in animal physiology and ecology. He was Senior Tutor of Bowland College from 1968-77, and Principal of Fylde College from 1977-82, when he moved to the central administration as Senior Assistant Secretary for Colleges and Welfare Services. After retiring from full-time work in 2004, he returned to support the formation of the Lancaster Environment Centre. In 2008 he fully retired from the university and took up a consultative role at the University of Kurdistan, Erbil, Northern Iraq, where he was engaged in rewriting the university’s constitution until 2010.

John Ulyett (Politics, 2005, Cartmel) passed away suddenly on 8th April 2015 in London. John was a licensing manager at TfL and much-loved husband, son and friend. During completion of his undergraduate degree at Lancaster, he proudly captained the Cartmel Men's Pool B-Team and forged strong friendships. His generosity, humour and kind nature will be missed by all that knew him.

Michael French, the first Head of the Engineering Department and its founding professor, died on Tuesday 24 February 2015. The undergraduate course he set up at Lancaster embodied radical ideas: extensive use of design-build-test projects in place of formal laboratories and a broad start to the course before students chose a specialist field of engineering. That these features of the course have endured to this day and latterly have been imitated elsewhere, is witness to Michael’s forward-thinking. Sadly, he died just one week before the new Engineering Building on the campus was due to be formally opened.

Professor Shaun Fisher, member of the Department of Physics died on 4 January 2015. Shaun joined the department in 1988 and apart from a brief period working at CNRS in Grenoble has been with the department ever since. Shaun is regarded as one of the world’s leading low-temperature physicists. Already as a graduate student, he was devising experimental techniques which have since been taken up worldwide. In 1998 he was awarded the Charles Vernon Boys Medal and Prize of the Institute of Physics “for a distinguished early research career in low-temperature physics…” He has a long list of research firsts to his name but will be best remembered for his discovery of quantum turbulence in superfluid helium-three at microkelvin temperatures (previously thought impossible). He sat on the editorial boards of several journals and was in great demand for international conference talks and was a key member of the European MICROKELVIN network of leading low-temperature laboratories. The wider low-temperature community has responded to this loss with many messages of support from around the world. The Lancaster Ultralow Temperature Group has lost a valued member and leader whose innovative and meticulous experimental abilities inspired and energised his colleagues. He will also be greatly missed by his colleagues in the Physics Department, where he was Director of Undergraduate Teaching for 5 years and by numerous cohorts of Lancaster physics students who benefited from his comprehensive, enthusiastic and stimulating lectures and laboratory demonstrations.

2014

Simone Novello (PhD Marketing/ Sociology, 2006) passed away on 27th November after a prolonged illness. Simone arrived in Lancaster in June 2002 after completing a degree at the University of Trento to start his doctoral work under the supervision of Professors Elizabeth Shove (Sociology) and Luis Araujo (Marketing). He was awarded a Lancaster University Management School scholarship in his first year and the prestigious Tom Lupton scholarship from the Society for the Advancement of Management Studies (SAMS) for the remainder of his studies. After graduating, Simone joined CESUGA (Centro de Estudios Superiores Universitarios de Galicia) in La Coruña, Spain, an institution associated with University College Dublin. He leaves behind his wife Pilar Murias, a Professor of Economics at the University of Santiago de Compostela and a young daughter.

Anne Cluysenaar, former member of staff, died on 1 November 2014. Anne was a lecturer at Lancaster from 1965 to 1971, she was a member of the Department of English; primarily a poet but someone who also taught stylistics and even general linguistics, as well as American literature.

Judith Kirk, née Smallwood (English, 1979, Pendle) died in September after suffering with MS for many years. Judith started a successful career in public relations with Manchester University Press before moving to Thorsons Publishers in Wellingborough as publicity manager, eventually becoming publicity director. After Thorsons was bought by HarperCollins, Judith, not relishing the prospect of working for Rupert Murdoch, set up her own business as a public relations consultant (Smallwood PR) specialising in natural health products. This continued with great success until 2010 when she was forced to retire through ill health. As well as running a business, Judith was an active Labour Party member in Market Harborough, Leicestershire and Redditch in Worcestershire and an enthusiastic school governor. Judith met her future husband, Peter, on their first day at University in 1976 and they married in 1984. Judith will be remembered by many contemporaries in Pendle for her individual style which marked her out against the uniformity of the late-1970s denim-clad campus.

Professor Graham Chapman died suddenly on 31 August. Following degrees from Cambridge and a Chair at SOAS, Graham joined Lancaster’s Geography Department in 1994 and was HoD from 1995 to 2000. He took early retirement in 2008 and was given Emeritus status. He was former Chairman of the British Association of South Asian Studies, a Fellow of the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (1994) and the Centre for Advanced Studies (Oslo) 2008 to 2009. His main research interests included geopolitics, water and the environment. His interests in South Asia were well known across campus. In particular his lectures, that drew heavily on his personal experiences in India, gave a unique perspective and were rich in detail appreciated by students. Graham was a familiar figure cycling to work and on the University squash courts and will be sadly missed.

Nicholas Russell, the sixth Earl Russell (Politics, 1994, County), a tireless campaigner for disability rights and a member of the Lancaster University Court for 9 years died aged 45 in August 2014. He dedicated his working life to a combination of his favourite passions: disability rights and politics. He worked for a variety of disability rights organisations including the RNIB and Guide Dogs for the Blind, and he was politically active in not just the Labour party but also the Co-operative Group, where he was on the board, as well as the Socialist Environment and Resources Association and Transport 2000. The grandson of Bertrand Russell and the son of the historian and Liberal Democrat peer, Conrad Russell, Nicholas was styled Viscount Amberley between 1987 and 2004, and succeeded to the earldom at his father’s death on 13 October 2004. His full obituary appeared in The Guardian.

Emeritus Professor Geoffrey Leech died on Tuesday 19 August 2014 at the age of 78. He joined Lancaster University in 1969 and was a founding member of the Department of Linguistics and Modern English Languages. He retired in 2002 and became Emeritus Professor in the department. In March 2009, he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of Lancaster University, in recognition of his service and contribution to the University, particularly in research, and it was at this time he wrote a moving autobiography. He had an international reputation for his work on stylistics, pragmatics, and descriptive grammar and his research on computer corpora, including the compilation of the LOB Corpus and the BNC (British National Corpus), has been instrumental in establishing Lancaster within the world top 10 for Linguistics. His expertise, knowledge and passion for Linguistics and the English Language will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him, and Lancaster University as a whole. Read an obituary written by Greg Myers, Head of Department of Linguistics and English Language.

Professor Peter Harman from the Department of History died on 14 August 2014, at the age of 70, after a long illness. Peter’s widow Juliet has sent the following message:
Professor Harman joined Lancaster University in 1974 and stayed until his retirement in 2007. He published chiefly on the history of natural philosophy and physics in the 18th and 19th Centuries. His major research endeavour was on the 19th-century physicist James Clerk Maxwell, whose seminal contributions - field theory and statistical physics - rank in importance with the work of Newton and Einstein and whose writings have been widely influential. His edition of The Scientific Letters and Papers of James Clerk Maxwell was published in three volumes by Cambridge University Press (1990-2002) and reissued in digital paperback in 2008. He had diverse interests in literature, music and art. His last work, The Culture of Nature in Britain 1680-1860 (published by Yale University Press in 2009) is a study of the aesthetics of nature. It embraces themes in art, literature, philosophy and science, exploring the interaction and cultural context of conceptions of ‘nature' in this period. Juliet Harman would like to thank the many former colleagues of Peter who have sent messages of condolence.

Dame Kathleen Ollerenshaw, a Deputy Pro-Chancellor at Lancaster from 1978 to 1992, died in Manchester on Sunday 10 August 2014 at the age of 101. Dame Kathleen had a distinguished career as a mathematician, including as the first woman President of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications and as an outstanding researcher on magic squares; as an educationalist, for which she was appointed DBE in 1971; and as an expert amateur astronomer. The full obituary appeared in the Guardian.

John Cecil Clegg, mathematician and concert pianist (1928-2014) died suddenly on 9 August 2014. A service of thanksgiving for his life was held at St Mary’s Church, Kirkby Lonsdale on 15 August.
John was unusual in combining two separate strands in his career. He took first-class honours in Mathematics from Jesus College Cambridge in 1949 and then went to the Royal College of Music for three years. He came to Lancaster from Aberystwyth and was appointed as lecturer in mathematics on 1 January 1966, but with an agreement by the vice-chancellor, Charles Carter, that he could couple this role with external work as a concert pianist. He was subsequently given a joint appointment by Lancaster, as pianist in residence, from 1981 to 1993. He toured all over Europe, Africa and the Middle and Far East, contributed recitals to BBC radio and television, and made numerous recordings.

Sir Richard MacCormac (1938-2014), Architect of the Ruskin Library, the University Library extension and Reading Room has died, aged 75. Sir Richard was one of Britain’s foremost modernist architects who was also responsible for Southwark Tube Station and Oxbridge college buildings. He was also a former president of the Royal Institute of British Architects. A full obituary appeared on The Guardian website.

Professor Alan Mercer, founding member of the University, died following a stroke in July 2014. In 1964, when he had the chance to start the Department of Operational Research (OR) at Lancaster with Pat Rivett and Mike Simpson, he could not resist the challenge of seeking to bridge the gap between industry and a University. This focus was to the fore throughout his career here. He formally retired in 1998, though, after retirement, he came to the University every week until all his doctoral students had obtained their degrees, and continued to lecture to the MSc course for a decade. Until very recently, he chaired most of the Department’s PhD vivas. Last September, he closed the Department’s 50th-anniversary celebrations with a lecture of reminiscences which several of the alumni present regarded as spellbinding.

Dr Liliana Coposescu, recipient of a doctoral degree in Linguistics from Lancaster University in 2002, died in June 2014, aged 61, after a long battle with cancer. She entered a PhD programme at Lancaster University in 1997 through the LANCDOC project the University was then contributing to, in collaboration with the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research. Throughout her time at Lancaster, Liliana displayed a work ethic, determination, and personal qualities which won her the admiration and friendship of her supervisors as well as her colleagues. The friendships she struck up there continued long after she had returned to Romania, where she continued her professional progress by achieving habilitation not long before she passed. Liliana leaves behind a grieving family, loyal friends and many grateful students.

Julie Stenning (nee Turner, History, 1981, Pendle) died on 26 June 2014 following a long and brave battle against cancer. After graduating she started work in the National Audit Office in Cardiff, where she met and married, David Stenning (Pendle 1976-79). Motherhood soon followed with a daughter Hannah and son Sam. She later joined the NHS as an accountant and became Deputy Director of Finance of several NHS organisations in the Midlands. She became a grandmother in 2010 and 2012 before being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Julie always spoke of her time at Pendle with great affection.

Cliff Wilkinson, from the Department of Management Science, passed away in June 2014, following his battle with cancer. Cliff came to Lancaster, to what was then the Department of Operational Research in 1965, from Liverpool University, where he had been involved in studying bus routing and scheduling. Following his retirement in 1990, he continued to be involved with teaching in the Department for another decade. Cliff made a huge contribution to the fledgeling department, and will be remembered fondly by former colleagues and many students, particularly those he supervised on Master's projects.

David Curle (History, 1975, Furness) died on 23 May 2014. His history degree from Lancaster stood him in good stead for his future career, helping him to gain positions within various companies including Bristol Myers and Whitbread where he became Procurement Manager for the group. At university he broadcast for URB and became the envy of his friends when he interviewed some of the rock bands of the day, including Freddie Mercury and Hawkwind. He also used to visit the local folk club on Fridays, though the attractions was possibly the beer rather than the music!

Peter Fisher (Environmental Sciences, 1977, Cartmel), a leading figure in the development of geographical information science, died on 20 May 2014. After Lancaster he moved to the University of Reading for his MSc and completed a PhD at Kingston Polytechnic in 1982. Professor Fisher served as editor of the International Journal of Geographical Information Science (later Science) from 1998 to 2007, the very time when GIS was establishing its credentials within the wider arena of information sciences. He also worked on more political topics such as the impact of closed-circuit television and Global Positioning Systems on human rights.

Brian Kennett MA Marketing Education, 1973, passed away following a heart attack on 3 May 2014 aged 72.

Dr Andy McCabe (Engineering) died suddenly at home after a short illness in May 2014. Andy was a valued colleague, an alumnus of the School of Computing and Communications, LEC and Engineering and had been associated with the university for over 20 years. He was popular with everyone who had the pleasure to work with him and will be sadly missed.

Scott Anderton died on Sunday 20 April 2014, aged 37. Scott joined the University in October 2012 in the Jisc Regional Support Centre (RSC) based in Bailrigg House and in this role he supported practitioners and managers at learning providers across the Northwest. Colleagues from RSC have paid tribute to Scott’s professionalism, positive energy and good humour. Scott is survived by his wife Kelly-Anne and children, Jamie, Sophie and Wilson.

Sylvia Bianconi, née Warburton (French Studies 1968, Bowland) passed away on March 31 2014 after a long and heroic battle against cancer. Her ashes were laid to rest on April 7 near her home in Fontenay-sous-Bois, Paris.

Frank Foster passed away in March 2014. Frank retired in 2000 after 34 years service to the Department of Physics as a lecturer, senior lecturer and reader in Physics. He was a member of the Particle Physics group and was involved in a number of very successful experiments at CERN, DESY and elsewhere. Beyond his departmental duties, he was a very enthusiastic and devoted road runner and one of the instigators of the annual Physics Relay race around the campus.

Professor Jaroslaví Krejci passed away on Sunday 16 February 2014 at the age of 98. Professor Krejci taught in the Departments of French Studies, German Studies and Religious Studies from 1969 to 1983 and received an honorary doctorate from the University in 2000. His funeral took place on Monday 24 February at Lancaster and Morecambe Crematorium.

David Bennett Taylor, MA Marketing graduate from November 1974, died on 10 February 2014. David emigrated to New Zealand in 1975, where he joined Waikato University as a Lecturer in 1975 and retired in 2007. During that period David advanced to Senior Lecturer and then Associate Professor. He was also Acting Dean from 1989 to mid-1990 and Chairperson of Marketing & International Management from 1992 until 2002. Since his retirement David was in demand and held many temporary contracts with WMS in teaching from 2007 to March 2013. David was a founding faculty member of a business school that the city and community can be very proud of and he was known for his quick wit and humour and was well respected by students, colleagues and friends.

Professor Emeritus Keith Soothill died in February 2014. He came to Lancaster as a part-time lecturer in Sociology on 1 September 1973 and subsequently became a senior lecturer. His research interests were in the sociology of deviant behaviour, medical sociology, and the sociology of sport. When the Department of Social Administration was set up in 1974, he played a part in its Centre for Youth, Crime and Community. He was made a professor of social research at the end of the 80s and his inaugural lecture, on 21 April 1993, was entitled “Sex Crimes: Changing Patterns of Social Response”. After Social Administration became Applied Social Science in 1989, he became its second head of department in 1991. He was made a Professor Emeritus on 1 September 2006. Keith is survived by his wife Jennifer, son Anthony, daughter Debbie and his grandchildren, Iván, Tom and Joe.
His full obituary appeared in The Guardian.

Faizel Vohra (English Language and the Media, 2007, Bowland) died in a car accident in February 2014. He worked as an account manager in public relations and in November 2012, he was featured in PR Week magazine as one of '29 under 29', a competition to find the best young talent in the UK PR industry. He also ran an online blog featuring new innovations in the food industry and mentored students at Lancaster.

John Richard Wheeler (PhD Physics 1999, BSc Physics, 1993, Fylde) died suddenly and unexpectedly on January 20 2014. Husband of Susie (nee Susan Davis, Culture & Communication, 1996, Pendle), father of Lydia and Eleanor and brother of Diane (Biological Sciences, 1984, Fylde). Susie would like to thank everyone who joined them in a creative, uplifting and loud farewell to John on January 31st and for all the messages of condolence.

John Patrick Brooke Rowley (History, 1976, Cartmel) died peacefully on 10 January 2014 aged 58 years in Shrewsbury after being diagnosed with terminal cancer last July. He leaves a wife, Susan, and two daughters, Katherine and Eleanor. He worked as a teacher in Hampshire before joining the Advisory service, working in London and finally Shropshire. He loved reading The Guardian, watching football, researching his family tree, walking in the countryside and going on holidays to France and Spain.

2013

Gill Sudlow was known to many staff and students on campus, having worked since 2003 managing campus guest rooms, and then transferring to Fylde College as College Residence Officer. She was always willing to roll her sleeves up and meet fresh challenges head-on. It was rare that a meeting with Gill would not result in laughter, either as a result of her distinctive way of putting things, or the crazy facts that she would impart. Gill was diagnosed with terminal cancer 18 months ago, but always hoped she would be able to return to work. She finally accepted that this would not be possible and we held a packed retirement do in December. Gill passed away at home on 29 December 2013.

Philip Aspden (MA 1968, PhD 1972, Operational Research) died suddenly on December 22, 2013, at his home in Washington, D.C. He came to Lancaster after receiving his BA (Hons) in Mathematics from Cambridge University. At the time of his death, Philip was Chief, Population Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs). He was also a professorial lecturer at the School of Public Health and Health Services of The George Washington University. Philip chose the public sector joining the British civil service immediately after graduate school, eventually serving in the Department of the Environment, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Treasury. Seconded by DHSS to the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Vienna in 1979, he met and married Jeannette Weiss Lindsay; they were married for 34 years, and their two children have carried on his legacy of dedication to the public good. Cricket was Philip’s passion: he was an active member of the Association of Cricket Statisticians and of the C.C. Morris Cricket Library and he umpired at the Philadelphia International Cricket Festival for many years. He achieved cricket nirvana in 2008 when he umpired a Halifax Cup match involving the Gentlemen of Philadelphia at Lord’s, albeit on the Nursery Ground.

Rosanna 'Rosy' Gwynn nee Weatherall (French & Italian Studies, 2001, Pendle) died in December 2013 at the age of 35. She was diagnosed with cancer at 27 and battled with the brain tumour thereafter. Her father commented that her greatest asset was her voice and communication skills and the last two months of her life were the most difficult as she had lost her speech and her ability to communicate.

Wing Commander RAF Regiment (retired) Brian Liversidge (MA Management Learning, 1998, Graduate) died at home on Sunday 20 October 2013 after a long illness, aged 69. He was Chief Executive of the Brathay Educational Trust, Ambleside for 14 years from 1992-2006

Malcolm McDonald, Graduate Studies Officer in the office of the Academic Registrar for over twenty years, died on 5 August 2013, just three weeks short of his 80th birthday. Malcolm joined the staff of the university on 24 August 1964 as a Graduate Assistant, and he was thus one of the elite group who worked in Bailrigg Mansion before the university was officially open. A Board of Graduate Studies was set up late in 1964, independently of the undergraduate boards of studies, with responsibility for all graduate studies and students from admission to graduation. Malcolm oversaw a huge increase in programmes of study and student numbers before his retirement in December 1992 and his work laid the foundation of postgraduate studies as we know it today.

Gemma Oliver (BBA, 2009, Pendle) passed away peacefully on Friday 14 June 2013 aged 26 years.

Dave Foster passed away suddenly in February 2013. Dave came to Lancaster to read Economics in 1967. A member of County College, he was a fine sportsman and played in the University 1st XI football team which got to the final of University Athletics Championship. He enjoyed socialising in the legendary Shakespeare Hotel and what then was the newly built County College Bar. In later years, along with Peter Waller, he made annual visits to campus and his old haunts in Lancaster and Morecambe. He is sadly missed by his son Jack and all of his friends from those days. His funeral took place in Northamptonshire.

2012

Professor Keith Morgan, M.A., D.Phil., FRIC, Professor of Organic Chemistry from 1968 and Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor under three of Lancaster’s Vice-Chancellors died on 6 May 2012, aged 82.
After Manchester Grammar School and the University of Oxford, Keith undertook research at the Ministry of Supply and the University of Birmingham, where he was appointed lecturer. He came to Lancaster as lecturer and founding member of the Department of Chemistry on 1 October 1964, and was awarded a Personal Chair four years later. In 1974 he was appointed as Pro-Vice-Chancellor, with particular responsibility for finance, appointments and industrial relations, and from 1978-86 was senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor. This appointment covered the period of the Thatcher retrenchment in higher education, when many tough and unpalatable decisions had to be made, but Keith tackled the protracted negotiations with patience and fairness. He was also a governor of several local educational institutions, and President of Lancaster’s Assistant Staff Association.
He left Lancaster at the end of 1986 to become Vice-Chancellor of the University of Newcastle in New South Wales, and after six years there made his way first to Tokyo University and then to the Hiroshima Institute of Higher Education, where he edited a journal of higher education and undertook research on the earning power of graduates in Australia and Japan. He was also an adviser on the governance and management of higher education institutions in Japan, and was admired as someone who combined deep knowledge of western institutions with respect for Japanese institutions.
Keith continued to maintain a close interest in Lancaster’s fortunes. He regularly called in on former colleagues during his visits to the UK and on one of the last of them was particularly glad to learn of the plans to revive chemistry at Lancaster.

2011

Raymond Saffin (MPhil Physics, 1972, Bowland) passed away in September 2011 after a short illness, aged 64.

2010

Geoffrey Nigel Brown (Philosophy, 1976, County) died suddenly in August 2010 while living in Huddersfield aged 57. Geoff had wide-ranging talents and interests. He was an accomplished musician, a piano and church organ player, and a composer. At Lancaster, he edited Scan magazine late into the night in an office above Alexandra Square. While doing this, he was happy to provide stimulating conversation, accompanied by somewhat less stimulating Nescafe coffee whitened with lumpy milk granules. In those days Scan was put together from typed text pasted onto sheets of paper which would then be copied and printed. The process involved blue pencil which did not show up when copied, and many applications of Tippex to hide typing errors and marks. How times have changed in the magazine world. Geoff took aim at some of the more pretentious characters at Lancaster in his William Wormcast column. Somehow he also found time to be one of the first members of LURG – the Lancaster University Revue Group, founded by Keith Macdougall. He gave a memorable revue group performance as Victor Adereth, paying homage to one of the leading political figures on campus at that time.

After leaving Lancaster, Geoff gained a PhD at Newcastle University and went on to lecture at Newcastle, at Sheffield University and had two spells lecturing at Leuven in Belgium. His next job was in Leeds, where he changed from focusing on philosophy to working in computing.