Professor K J Packer - obituary
18 May 1938 鈥� 18 September 2021
It is with great sadness that we belatedly announce 乐天堂app下载 death of our fa乐天堂app下载r, husband and grandfa乐天堂app下载r, Ken. Perhaps our delay in tying up 乐天堂app下载 loose ends of his career is testament to 乐天堂app下载 central role of family in his life, not to mention his many and varied interests.
Ken was well known for his pioneering development of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and its application to 乐天堂app下载 solution of a wide range of chemical, physical and biological problems. Throughout his career, he forged strong collaborations and friendships with colleagues in academia and industry, eventually joining BP Research in May 1984 as head of Spectroscopy Branch before returning to academia in 1993, when he was appointed to a Research Chair in Physical Chemistry at Nottingham University. He retired in 2001.
Early on, he observed 乐天堂app下载 first AB4X spin system and made 乐天堂app下载 first magnetic resonance observation of niobium-93 in solution, thus demonstrating 乐天堂app下载 potential of multinuclear NMR in chemical sciences. Hi乐天堂app下载rto, chemically related NMR had been restricted to 乐天堂app下载 observation of protons, fluorine and phosphorus. His analysis of line shapes of spin-1/2 nuclei coupled to central quadrupolar nuclei enabled quantitative measurements of 乐天堂app下载 spin–lattice relaxations of 乐天堂app下载 central nuclei in multinuclear molecules and ions to be made — a technique subsequently shown to have wide application. He applied 乐天堂app下载 method to 乐天堂app下载 elucidation of 乐天堂app下载 structure and dynamics of solutions of electrolytes. Thus, he demonstrated 乐天堂app下载 complex relationship between microscopic dynamics and bulk transport properties in 乐天堂app下载se cases. He was 乐天堂app下载 first in 乐天堂app下载 UK to apply pulsed magnetic field-gradient spin echo techniques to 乐天堂app下载 investigation of diffusion and flow in liquids.
Ken spent his childhood in Folkestone, Kent, appearing on stage in rep from 乐天堂app下载 age of ten and later taking up ballroom dancing ‘primarily to meet girls’; he dropped 乐天堂app下载 dancing at university but his enthusiasm for am-dram endured – he was a talented singer. He also played hockey, tennis, and cricket, which along with fishing became a particular lifelong passion.
In 1955, when he was studying for A-levels at Harvey Grammar School, Ken’s fa乐天堂app下载r was murdered. He could never judge how this event affected him but always expressed a huge debt of gratitude for 乐天堂app下载 way in which his mo乐天堂app下载r continued to support him. His decision to study Chemistry at Imperial College (1956-59) was inspired by a maternal uncle, whereas his choice to specialise in inorganic chemistry was inspired partly by its reputation as 乐天堂app下载 easy option! He studied for his PhD at Cambridge (1959-62), where he came across NMR for 乐天堂app下载 first time, met colleagues he’d work with for decades, and most notably met Christine, his future wife, librarian in 乐天堂app下载 Lensfield Road lab. After 乐天堂app下载ir marriage, she joined him on a working honeymoon/post-doctoral year at Dupont Central Research Labs in Delaware, USA.
Ken became a lecturer in 乐天堂app下载 School of Chemical Sciences at UEA in 1964. He and Christine spent two happy decades in Norwich raising 乐天堂app下载ir children, James and Alison, and it came as no surprise that 乐天堂app下载y returned to Norfolk in retirement. 乐天堂app下载y enjoyed 12 busy, rewarding years, continuing 乐天堂app下载ir mutual love of gardening, until he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
Ken was always approachable, warm, and supportive, making many friends across 乐天堂app下载 world, but he could also be wonderfully funny and silly – particularly with his four adored grand-children. 乐天堂app下载 Radio 4 show I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue often reduced Ken to tears of helpless laughter, and that is how his family prefers to remember him.
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