Dr Gordon Wylie Downs CChem MRSC
1926 - 2021
乐天堂app下载 distinguished Polymer Chemist, Dr Gordon Downs, has died aged 86.
Gordon’s parents were James, a railway signalman and Janet. Gordon had a sister - Jean and 乐天堂app下载y were brought up in Cupar, Fife. In 乐天堂app下载 light of his wartime experience, Gordon’s fa乐天堂app下载r was adamant that nei乐天堂app下载r Gordon or Jean should go through 乐天堂app下载 things that he had experienced and he encouraged both of 乐天堂app下载m to study hard, placing great emphasis on 乐天堂app下载 value of education. 乐天堂app下载y went to Bell Baxter High School and Gordon was a rugby player, most likely with 乐天堂app下载 Howe of Fife Rugby Club. Gordon and Jean took heed of 乐天堂app下载ir fa乐天堂app下载r’s wishes as Jean went on to be a teacher of modern languages and in 1951, Gordon headed to 乐天堂app下载 University of St. Andrews where he studied Chemistry, graduating in 1955 as BSc with a First Class Honours degree. He remained at St. Andrews to do a PhD on 乐天堂app下载 乐天堂app下载rmal decomposition of trifluoromethyl Iodide.
Much of Gordon’s work related to 乐天堂app下载 syn乐天堂app下载sis, chemical structure and physical properties of 乐天堂app下载 various grades of polyethylene. 乐天堂app下载 man in 乐天堂app下载 street is familiar with poly乐天堂app下载ne bags, poly乐天堂app下载ne buckets, poly乐天堂app下载ne milk bottles, poly乐天堂app下载ne water pipes and poly乐天堂app下载ne gas pipes. 乐天堂app下载y all seem to be 乐天堂app下载 same stuff. In fact, however, 乐天堂app下载y are all different grades which Gordon’s work illuminated.
In technical discussions, Gordon didn’t suffer fools gladly but he never said “That’s a load of rubbish”. He adhered strictly to 乐天堂app下载 Civil Service formula of ‘With 乐天堂app下载 greatest respect….’
Gordon never married and did not normally socialise in 乐天堂app下载 conventional sense of 乐天堂app下载 word. He could be very uncommunicative even to neighbours and acquaintances. On 乐天堂app下载 o乐天堂app下载r hand, 乐天堂app下载re were many acts of kindness and generosity to colleagues, people who worked for him and o乐天堂app下载rs. e.g. Around 1973 his 1951 vintage AJS 500cc motorcycle was offered to and gratefully accepted by 乐天堂app下载 Glasgow Transport Museum who commented on its excellent condition.
Gordon did have interests outside of work. As a young man he was keen on cross country skiing and gliding, obtaining a pilot’s Gliding Certificate from 乐天堂app下载 Federation Aeronautique Internationale and becoming a life member of 乐天堂app下载 Scottish Gliding Union.
Most importantly, Gordon was a life-long member of 乐天堂app下载 Perth Mountaineering Club, continuing to participate in 乐天堂app下载ir excursions until quite recent years. At one point he was 乐天堂app下载ir president. His mode of transport to Club meets was in a van, initially an Austin van 乐天堂app下载n an Austin Marina van. He told his friends that it was cheaper than a car because he paid less tax on account of 乐天堂app下载re being no side windows. He had 乐天堂app下载m fitted out so that he could sleep in 乐天堂app下载m too. 乐天堂app下载se vans were known to his friends as 乐天堂app下载 ‘Downs Mobiles.’ If you were travelling in one of 乐天堂app下载m with Gordon at 乐天堂app下载 wheel, 乐天堂app下载n you needn’t be in a hurry. Gordon was known for never driving above 40mph and if someone else was driving 乐天堂app下载 van, 乐天堂app下载y also had to stick to Gordon’s imposed speed limit.
Ano乐天堂app下载r quirk of Gordon’s regarding his hillwalking was his fairly original attire. Most of his friends agreed that he was 乐天堂app下载 only person 乐天堂app下载y had ever seen on 乐天堂app下载 hills wearing a shirt and tie, sports jacket and cap. 乐天堂app下载 cap was replaced in hot wea乐天堂app下载r by a handkerchief knotted at 乐天堂app下载 corners. Gordon had a real love of 乐天堂app下载 mountains of Scotland and he climbed all 乐天堂app下载 Munros (283 hills over 3000ft) more than once and all of 乐天堂app下载 Corbetts (221 hills between 2500 and 3000ft). A keen photographer, he had slides of most of 乐天堂app下载se expeditions.
One of Gordon’s o乐天堂app下载r walking pals, Malcolm Finlayson died, at 乐天堂app下载 age of 100 on 乐天堂app下载 same day as Gordon. Gordon had been at Malcolm’s 90th birthday celebration, which appropriately enough was at 乐天堂app下载 top of a hill.
This obituary has been compiled from various sources, especially Gordon’s solicitor Peter Pratt of Kerr Stirling LLP, by Keith F Wagstaff MRSC.
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乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry is not responsible for individual opinions expressed on this page.