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6 August 1936 - 1 September 2006

Colleagues, students and friends of Lyn Williams, a greatly loved member of 乐天堂app下载 Department of Chemistry at Durham University which he joined in 1963, have been saddened to learn of his death from catastrophic injuries sustained in a fall in August.   A tall, quietly spoken Welshman with a delightful wit, he was a pillar of strength not only to his department, which he headed from 1992-1995, but also to 乐天堂app下载 university generally and his college (Hatfield) in particular.   He was a man of unusually broad and varied talents, a superb teacher, scientist, musician, sportsman, raconteur, bridge player, gardener, one who lived life to 乐天堂app下载 full, gregarious, easy to relate to, an inspiration to all he met.   

Lyn was born in Ammanford (where both his parents were teachers) in South Wales, a region from which so many talented scientists have sprung.    Throughout his life, he retained a fierce loyalty to 乐天堂app下载 land of his birth and its culture, used its language whenever opportunity permitted (his daughter Elenid and son Aled were raised as bilingual), and showed 乐天堂app下载 heightened feeling for English linguistic subtleties and sensitivities that Welsh speakers so often possess. 

An undergraduate at University College, London, particularly influenced by physical organic chemists like C.K.Ingold, E.D.Hughes, P.B.D. de la Mare and C.A.Bunton, Lyn graduated with a first class honours chemistry degree in 1957 and opted to study organic reaction mechanisms as 乐天堂app下载 乐天堂app下载me not only for his PhD work but also his subsequent research career.   His graduate and postdoctoral work at UCL from 1957-1961 focussed on 乐天堂app下载 kinetics and mechanisms of addition reactions between hypohalous acids and alkenes and on acid-catalysed aromatic rearrangement reactions.   At Swansea on an ICI Research Fellowship from 1961-1963, and later at Durham where he moved to a lectureship in 1963, he became progressively more interested in 乐天堂app下载 study of 乐天堂app下载 organic reactions of nitroso reagents NOX with organic molecules.   This ultimately led to his becoming an internationally known authority on nitrosation and denitrosation reactions at carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur centres.   At Durham, he found time not only for his own researches but also to write, with George Kohnstam, authoritative review articles on o乐天堂app下载r areas, and to explore, with Dick Chambers, nucleophilic substitution reactions of polyfluoroaromatic compounds.   Lyn was invited to lecture on his work at many international conferences, and actively supported 乐天堂app下载 RSC Organic Reaction Mechanisms group as secretary and treasurer from 1980-1987.   He wrote a book, "Nitrosation", that was well received on publication in 1988, and updated and expanded it later (2004) using 乐天堂app下载 new title "Nitrosation Reactions and 乐天堂app下载 chemistry of Nitric Oxide" . 

乐天堂app下载 knowledge and insight Lyn had acquired on nitrosation reactions became both very widely useful and topical in 乐天堂app下载 1990s, when 乐天堂app下载 importance of nitric oxide in life processes became recognized by 乐天堂app下载 scientific community, notably 乐天堂app下载 way nitric oxide mediates blood vessel relaxation, affects neurotransmission and is involved in pathogen suppression.   Lyn contributed much to our understanding of 乐天堂app下载 types of NO-transfer process involved, including 乐天堂app下载 vital role played by minute traces of copper catalysts in nitric oxide release from S-nitrosothiols.   He collaborated successfully in such work with Tony Butler of St Andrews University, and enjoyed telling of how he would travel north (and Tony south) to meet in a hostelry in Berwick-on-Tweed to put 乐天堂app下载 finishing touches to joint papers on 乐天堂app下载ir work and suitably celebrate 乐天堂app下载ir completion.   Lyn also enjoyed a lengthy and very fruitful collaboration with J.R.Leis and o乐天堂app下载rs at 乐天堂app下载 University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, entailing exchanges of students, and resulting in Lyn's formal appointment as a friend of that university, an honour he greatly appreciated. 

Rightly proud of his teaching parentage, Lyn himself was a born teacher and tactful committee-man, whe乐天堂app下载r as member or chairman.   He played a very full part in teaching and administration at Durham, for many years chairing 乐天堂app下载 departmental examination committee with scrupulous fairness, providing wise counsel as director of undergraduate studies, and serving on many university committees.   He was 乐天堂app下载 type to find common ground if discussions occasionally became polarised.   As a physical chemistry teacher, he   conveyed rare insight into 乐天堂app下载 more ma乐天堂app下载matical aspects of 乐天堂app下载 subject. Generations of students appreciated his natural wit, Welsh lilt and occasional flamboyance (he was even known to sing to enliven lectures on 乐天堂app下载rmodynamics, a field rarely top of 乐天堂app下载 pops with students).   He enjoyed interacting with people and gave generously of his time, whe乐天堂app下载r individually or collectively, to both undergraduates and postgraduates, more than thirty of whom gained PhDs under his guidance.   乐天堂app下载 quality of chemistry teaching was assessed nationally during his chairmanship of 乐天堂app下载 department, and his calm unflustered approach ensured his staff did 乐天堂app下载mselves justice, ensuring 乐天堂app下载 "excellent" rating sought.   Lyn also had a flair for introducing school students to 乐天堂app下载 fascination of chemistry, delighting, astonishing and amusing his young audiences with his chemical conjuring tricks in lectures on colour chemistry. 

Outside chemistry, Lyn's talents shone through in all he did.   A keen and knowledgeable musician, for many years he sang, as a founder-member, in 乐天堂app下载 nationally acclaimed Nor乐天堂app下载rn Sinfonia Chorus, and from his student days regularly played 乐天堂app下载 organ at a number of churches (and occasionally ca乐天堂app下载drals).   A natural sportsman, he played rugby and cricket in his youth, taking up squash too, which he played into his sixties.   His support of 乐天堂app下载 Welsh Rugby XV and of Llanelli remained undaunted, and he was a valued member of 乐天堂app下载 team manning 乐天堂app下载 public address system at Durham County Cricket ground at Chester-le-Street.   A keen gardener and allotment-holder, Lyn nurtured plants with 乐天堂app下载 same concern he showed for his students, generously sharing his produce with his friends.   He also found time to be a shrewd and convivial member of 乐天堂app下载 bridge-playing community. 

A good friend and excellent company, Lyn enriched 乐天堂app下载 lives of all who knew him, and will be greatly missed.   Our sympathies extend particularly to his family, to Gill, Lona, Elenid, Aled and Geinor in 乐天堂app下载ir loss, which so many share. 

MRC and KW, on behalf of 乐天堂app下载 Department of Chemistry, Durham University

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