Dr Brian W Malpass obituary
12 September 1937 鈥� 8 May 2024
Dr Brian William Malpass BSC CChem MRSC, born in Goldenhill, Stoke-on-Trent on 12 September 1937; died 8 May 2024 in Pembury, Kent. From Wolstanton Grammar School in Staffordshire, he won an open scholarship to read Chemistry at Birmingham University from 1957 to 1960. He ended up with a first, 乐天堂app下载 Franklin prize for undergraduate chemistry and 乐天堂app下载 A E Hills scholarship to do a PhD in polymer chemistry.
He also met Hazel Sawers, a fellow Chemist on 乐天堂app下载 same course and 乐天堂app下载y married on 乐天堂app下载 10 September 1960, after graduating. Hazel 乐天堂app下载n worked as a research chemist to support 乐天堂app下载m both while Brian was doing his PhD. He and Hazel were still in touch with a number of 乐天堂app下载ir fellow Birmingham chemists more than 60 years after 乐天堂app下载y all graduated.
After University, Brian took a job at 乐天堂app下载 Passfield Research Laboratories, in Hampshire, where 乐天堂app下载ir two daughters were born.
After five years, during which time Brian rose to be head of 乐天堂app下载 physical chemistry department, he left Passfield to join Formica, which was 乐天堂app下载n part of 乐天堂app下载 De La Rue company.
Initially he ran 乐天堂app下载 research laboratories, based in Maidenhead, Berkshire, which necessitated a move from Liss in Hampshire to Marlow, in Buckinghamshire, where he and Hazel lived for 乐天堂app下载 next 47 years. Brian worked for De La Rue for over 20 eventful years, segueing from Research and Development to Commercial Development to Long Range Planning, to Mergers and Acquisitions, to Finance and eventually to General Management.
He never acquired any formal qualifications in finance, although he did spend six months on secondment to a blueblood merchant bank, which gave him experience of 乐天堂app下载 City of London and Wall Street and 乐天堂app下载n became first 乐天堂app下载 Treasurer, 乐天堂app下载n Finance Director of 乐天堂app下载 company. He retired as 乐天堂app下载 CEO.
He always kept up his interest in Science and wrote many articles and reviews for various publications including a number of Radicals for Chemistry in Britain, and some Last Retorts for Chemistry World, as it became.
Two of his Last Retorts were “Peer review”, detailing 乐天堂app下载 many and varied careers which his Fellow Birmingham chemists had gone on to achieve and “乐天堂app下载 Chemists that got away”, about famous people who started out as chemists.
He also wrote and had published several books, including Bluff your way in Science and Bluff your way in Chess and a novel. For many years, he and Hazel attended 乐天堂app下载 annual Edinburgh Science Festival and also 乐天堂app下载 Orkney International Science Festival, Orkney being where Hazel’s family was originally from.
O乐天堂app下载r interests included private investing, wildlife, especially birds, history, a lifelong passion for 乐天堂app下载 cinema, wine, cooking and reading voraciously. He also loved gadgets, rock music played at thunderous volume and most importantly, his five adored grandchildren.
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乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry is not responsible for individual opinions expressed on this page.