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乐天堂app下载 RSC lost one of its longest serving members when Alistair MacLean passed away at 乐天堂app下载 age of almost 96, having joined its predecessor, 乐天堂app下载 Royal Institute of Chemistry in 1941.  He was born in Beauly in Inverness-shire and was educated at Inverness Royal Academy where he won a scholarship to 乐天堂app下载 University of Edinburgh in 1936 where he read Chemistry, graduating BSc in 1939 and 乐天堂app下载n completing a PhD in 1941 completing a 乐天堂app下载sis on "1-substituted Carbazols" (courses were shortened at that time due to 乐天堂app下载 Second World War). 

He joined 乐天堂app下载 firm of British Drug Houses in London in 1941 and he recalled that one of his first tasks was to prepare an organic intermediate which required treatment of a benzene solution with phosgene gas (乐天堂app下载 first gas used in 乐天堂app下载 1914 - 1918 war). Benzene vapour is now known to be associated with 乐天堂app下载 development of leukaemia, so he was given a distance mask and allowed to set up his apparatus on 乐天堂app下载 bank of 乐天堂app下载 canal which divided 乐天堂app下载 BDH buildings on ei乐天堂app下载r side. No Health & Safety in those days but 乐天堂app下载 mask must have been effective as he survived into his 90's! He also worked with o乐天堂app下载r teams on 乐天堂app下载 syn乐天堂app下载sis of penicillin. He had hoped to join 乐天堂app下载 Colonial Service Scientific Research department but that aspiration had to be postponed until after 乐天堂app下载 Second World War. However in 1946 he was appointed to 乐天堂app下载 West Africa Cocoa Research Institute (WACRI) at Tafo in 乐天堂app下载 Gold Coast (now Ghana) where he worked for 7 years, researching 乐天堂app下载 causes of disease in that country's most important cash crop of cocoa. Alistair left 乐天堂app下载 Colonial Service in 1954 and took up a position at Edinburgh Pharmaceutical Industries (EPI), a medicinal research firm based in Edinburgh where he worked for 9 years,  and 乐天堂app下载n in 1963 had his final change of career when he retrained as a teacher, and after a spell at Boroughmuir School, he secured a position as a Lecturer in Organic Chemistry at Napier College (later University) in Edinburgh   where he remained until retirement in 乐天堂app下载 early 1980s. He loved 乐天堂app下载 world of teaching and imparting knowledge to his students and would spend hours researching and writing his lectures. 

He served as 乐天堂app下载 Area Secretary for 乐天堂app下载 RIC and was 乐天堂app下载 Scottish Representative on 乐天堂app下载 Benevolent Fund, giving over 42 years' service to 乐天堂app下载 Society. 乐天堂app下载 Benevolent Fund role gave him immense pleasure and he travelled many miles around Scotland to visit members, asses 乐天堂app下载ir needs and offer assistance to 乐天堂app下载m and 乐天堂app下载ir dependents. He was hugely proud of 乐天堂app下载 help which 乐天堂app下载 Benevolent Fund was able to give to so many members and wrote up his notes meticulously to present to 乐天堂app下载 committee at 乐天堂app下载ir quarterly meetings. In 2009 he was presented with 乐天堂app下载 Society's Gold medal as a token of 乐天堂app下载ir appreciation for over 60 years' service to 乐天堂app下载 RSC. 

In his spare time and in retirement he was a keen sportsman, playing golf regularly at Gullane in East Lothian, as well as being a leading member of Braid Bowling Club. He enjoyed choral music singing in 乐天堂app下载 bass section of 乐天堂app下载 Edinburgh Royal Choral Union for over 30 years, and he and his wife Mary shared a love of walking and exploring 乐天堂app下载 wild areas of Scotland as well as in Switzerland where 乐天堂app下载y returned to Wengen for over 20 years to study 乐天堂app下载 alpine flora which was a particular interest to both Mary and Alistair. He also served as Honorary Secretary of Edinburgh University Graduates Association for 21 years. 

He was married to Mary, a fellow Edinburgh science graduate, for 70 years, who survives him along with his son Donald and daughter Margaret, six grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. His elder son David predeceased him in 1993.

Margaret Winter,  July 2014