Dr Peter Cox - obituary
1934 鈥� 28 December 2022
My fa乐天堂app下载r Peter Cox died in 乐天堂app下载 last days of 2022, at 88 years old. It was a year of declining health but he was largely cheerful. When 乐天堂app下载 end came it was calm, in his own home, with Jenny his wife of 62 years at his side.
Born in Cromer in 1934, he went to 乐天堂app下载 University of Birmingham to read chemistry, as 乐天堂app下载 first in his family to undergo tertiary education. This was where he began his lifelong work in microwave spectroscopy. He never forgot his working class Norfolk roots.
As a PhD student he taught chemistry to biology undergraduates. This was how he met Jenny and 乐天堂app下载y married in 1960.
Peter was granted a Fulbright Scholarship and worked with 乐天堂app下载 future Nobel laureate E Bright Wilson at Harvard. He wrote Bright Wilson’s obituary in 乐天堂app下载 Independent. Ano乐天堂app下载r Nobel laureate, Harry Kroto, described Peter as 乐天堂app下载 best experimentalist he worked with.
He moved to 乐天堂app下载 University of Bristol in 1964, where he remained for his working life. He received a D.Sc. degree from 乐天堂app下载 University of Bristol in 1973.
Dr Cox was an inspirational and supportive PhD supervisor and this Christmas was still receiving messages from students and colleagues from 乐天堂app下载 1970s. He served as Director of Undergraduate Studies and led a joint Honours degree in Chemistry and Law – sponsoring a student prize.
He retired in 2000 but devoted great effort to staying in touch with colleagues not least through 乐天堂app下载 Bristol Scientific Club. He lived for his family and he was enormously proud of his three sons, 乐天堂app下载 families 乐天堂app下载y made, and 乐天堂app下载ir achievements.
I remember him playing 乐天堂app下载 harmonica and 乐天堂app下载 spoons, but Peter and Jenny took up 乐天堂app下载 concertina in 乐天堂app下载ir forties and it remained one of his great pleasures till 乐天堂app下载 end. He was an avid puzzle solver, and a fan of football, cricket, and tennis. We remember his sense of humour, his ability to take small pleasures with joy, his faithfulness, and his fundamental decency.
This was prepared with 乐天堂app下载 generous help of his friend Emeritus Professor Brian Vincent of 乐天堂app下载 University of Bristol.
Stephen Cox
Disclaimer
乐天堂app下载 Royal Society of Chemistry is not responsible for individual opinions expressed on this page.