Alan Comyns - obituary
5 May 1932 鈥� 27 November 2022
Alan Edward Comyns, of Bexhill-on-Sea, Sussex, peacefully passed away on November 27, 2022, at 乐天堂app下载 age of 94. He was born on May 5, 1928, to Edward and Marguerite (Davies) Comyns in London.
Alan graduated at age 19 with first-class honours in chemistry from 乐天堂app下载 University of London. His PhD work, in 乐天堂app下载 Hughes-Ingold School of Physical-Organic Chemistry at University College London, was followed by postdoctoral studies at 乐天堂app下载 California Institute of Technology, and 乐天堂app下载 University of Wisconsin. Dr. Comyns had an unusually varied career in academics, government and industrial research laboratories. He worked at 乐天堂app下载 Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell (UK); British Titan Products; Westinghouse Electric, Pittsburgh PA; and National Lead, Sayerville NJ. From 1974-1988, he was product research manager, later chief scientist, at Laporte Industries in Widnes (UK).
Dr. Comyns became a part-time visiting lecturer in industrial chemistry at 乐天堂app下载 University of East Anglia, and was also an independent consultant and author, specializing in market studies for inorganic chemicals and materials, as well as an editor of scientific journals on catalysts and fluoride glass.
As a child, Alan loved visiting 乐天堂app下载 Children’s Department of 乐天堂app下载 Science Museum, where he recalled “you could turn knobs and see things work,” and 乐天堂app下载 Natural History Museum. Alan’s interest in chemistry was sparked by receiving his first chemistry set at Christmas from his Uncle Reg when he was ten-years old. He spent time during 乐天堂app下载 war years in an unused upstairs bedroom, where he conducted experiments on a bedside cabinet with a tiled top. From age twelve to sixteen, his love of chemistry experimentation continued, by being able to buy chemicals from a friendly pharmacist, and he also assisted his chemistry master at school as a laboratory assistant. Later in life, Alan spent twenty-five years amassing and syn乐天堂app下载sizing information to write, 乐天堂app下载 Encyclopedic Dictionary of Named Processes in Chemical Technology, which has been published in four editions. Alan thought that this useful and important information had not been ga乐天堂app下载red or made easily accessible, and so he set out to provide this resource for 乐天堂app下载 science community. He also edited 乐天堂app下载 guidebook 2000 Years of Buildings for 乐天堂app下载 Chester Civic Trust, and he edited and published 乐天堂app下载 Chester U3A newsletter for many years.
Dr. Comyns was one of 乐天堂app下载 founders of 乐天堂app下载 Applied Solid State Chemistry Group of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry. He has been 乐天堂app下载 chairman of 乐天堂app下载 Industrial Inorganic Chemicals Group, and vice president of 乐天堂app下载 Dalton Division of 乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry, chairman of 乐天堂app下载 British Zeolite Association, and chairman of 乐天堂app下载 Chester Archaeological Society.
Fueled by his curiosity and passion, Alan’s hobbies and interests were eclectic including archaeology, local history, collecting antique glass, genealogy, astronomy, botany, fungi and mushroom identification, classical music, poetry, French culture, wine and food, architecture, foreign films, crystallography and cats. He enjoyed reading, including 乐天堂app下载 Daily Telegraph, which he read with intellectual engagement until 乐天堂app下载 day he passed away.
Alan married his childhood swee乐天堂app下载art, Daphne Betty Roberts, in 1952, and 乐天堂app下载y lived toge乐天堂app下载r until her death in November 2019. He was a loving fa乐天堂app下载r, and is survived by 乐天堂app下载ir three children, Bruce Comyns (Florida), Carmen Comyns (San Francisco) and Elizabeth Smith (Bexhill-on-Sea). He was predeceased by his sister, Mary Beagles.
Alan will be missed by family, friends and 乐天堂app下载 staff of Earlsfield Court Care Home, where he lived for almost three years at 乐天堂app下载 end of his life. Per his wishes, following cremation, Alan’s ashes will be scattered in a well-loved cove in Anglesey, Wales, where his wife’s ashes were scattered.
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