For full obituaries and tributes visit www.lancaster.ac.uk/alumni/in-memoriam 2022 Bob Brown, former staff member, passed away suddenly on 9 April 2022. Bob joined Lancaster University in May 1970 as a clerk within the Admissions team and worked there for over 43 years, before retiring as the much-loved Deputy Head of Undergraduate Admissions in 2013. Mark Wheeler, Lecturer in South East European Studies at Lancaster from 1975 to 1983 passed away on 7 April 2022. He was Official Historian of the Special Operations Executive in Yugoslavia during the Second World War and later political advisor to Paddy, Lord Ashdown, High Representative for Bosnia and Hercegovina. Anthony Max Hill (MA French Studies, 1969, French Studies, 1967, Lonsdale) died on 1 April 2022. Born in Ipswich in 1945, Max became a founding member of the University graduating in 1967 and surviving the 1968 riots whilst on a trip to Paris the following year. He then graduated with an MA in French Studies at Lancaster and went on to complete his Postgraduate studies at Keble College, Oxford. He rose through the ranks to various headships and whatever position Max had in a school, he continued to champion Modern Foreign Languages as an examiner and as an adviser. Jeremy Oppenheim (Sociology, 1977, Cartmel) former Chief Executive of Jewish Care, Director of Safeguarding at the Home Office and from 2017 Director of Managing Together Consultancy passed peacefully on 25 March 2022 after a progressive illness. He was a man with a lively curiosity about life and an immense capacity for love and friendship. Emeritus Professor Eric Evans, former History Lecturer died on 25 March 2022. Eric graduated from Oxford University in 1966 and obtained his PhD from Warwick University in 1970. He began his subsequent and distinguished academic career as a lecturer at the University of Stirling, 1969-71. In 1971 Eric had been appointed as a lecturer at Lancaster, being successively promoted to Senior Lecturer, Reader and then, finally, Professor in 1985. His scholarly output was such that he became a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and of the Royal Society of Arts. Stephen P. Smith (History, 1984, Cartmel) passed away on 15 March 2022. Educated initially at St George’s College in Weybridge, then pursuing his History degree at Lancaster, Steve also held a Master’s Degree in Historical Research from Birkbeck College, University of London, the subject of his thesis being Winston Churchill during 1911. He later completed the Graduate Diploma in Law at The City Law School, University in London. He eventually developed his career in the insurance field working at Lloyds of London, managing a team, and specialising in contracts. Dr Kayvan Walker (Biomedicine/Biochemistry, 2004, Bowland), passed away on 2 March 2022 in the city of Mackay, Queensland. He moved to London where he retrained as a doctor at King’s College, then he travelled the world, eventually settling in Australia. He was an accomplished musician, sailor, and was the life and soul of the party. He leaves behind his wife and two children. Rev. Dr. Stephen Hunt passed away on 24 February 2022. He came to Lancaster University in 1969 as a chemistry lecturer before being ordained in 1991. He was Curate at Broughton and become Vicar at Emmanuel Preston. After retirement Stephen continued in active church service at St. James, Shireshead, Forton. Professor Robert (Bob) O’Keefe (Computer Modelling for Business, 1979, Cartmel) died on January 31 2022, aged 63, after suffering with MND which had been diagnosed in May 2018. After his Lancaster degree he completed a PhD in Operational Research at the University of Southampton. From 2000-2006, with Ray Paul, he was the editor of the European Journal of Information Systems. Bob retired from Royal Holloway University, London in December 2020, where he was Professor of Information Management, and Dean of the Faculty of Management, Economics and Law. He had also been Vice Principal for External Engagement and Vice Principal for Student Experience. 2021 Professor Clive Church was Lecturer and Senior Lecturer in European Studies from 1966 to 1981 (although he was still teaching at Lancaster until 1983), heading the thenDepartment of European Studies at Lancaster, before it was dissolved and transferred to the University of Kent, where Clive held a chair and remained until retirement in 2003 and beyond as Emeritus Professor. He joined Lancaster from Trinity College, Dublin, having studied at the University of Exeter — as had several others in high generation at Lancaster. He was a friendly and inspirational figure, who would recognise talent and develop it. He was still working on two studies, one a history of Ticino and the other on external perceptions of Switzerland when he died in December 2021. Françoise Steel, retired Lecturer of the French Studies department, died of Covid at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary on 15 December 2021. Françoise was appointed as Lectrice in French Studies on 1 October 1964, a month after her husband David had taken up his appointment in the same department, and she was subsequently appointed as part-time lecturer. Successive generations of students benefitted from her guidance in spoken French, as well as her deep knowledge of French institutions and culture. Gill Atkinson, formerly Lancaster University Methodist Chaplain, passed away on 9 December 2021. Gill worked at the Chaplaincy Centre 2001-2003, from where she went on to train and be ordained and serve as Deacon in the Methodist Church. In learning of this sad news many former students have written to express how influential and supportive Gill was at a critical time in their lives. Gill met up online with some former Chaplains for a reunion just a few days before she died and was as cheerful and full of encouragement as ever, reflecting on what a privilege it was to serve the University together in such a good and supportive Chaplaincy team. Andrea Blewitt (Brown), (Law, 1988, Fylde), passed away on 12 December 2021. She was a family lawyer and partner at BSG Solicitors, Lancaster, a firm she helped create through a series of mergers after joining in 1989 and becoming a partner in 1996. She joined the firm Swainson Son and Reynolds in October 1989 where she became a partner in 1996. An early female partner in a firm dominated by men, Andie played a pivotal role in successive mergers before the firm transformed into BSG Solicitors. By 2019, one hundred years after the Sex Disqualification Act paved the way for women to be admitted into the legal profession, BSG Solicitors was an all-female partnership. John Allan Marsh (History, 1978, Furness) passed away on 4 November 2021. Born in Leigh, John arrived at Lancaster, the first in his family to go on to higher education. He headed to London and a job in housing for local Haringay Council from which he was seconded to run the local branch of NALGO. He became a popular and important figure in the TU movement. He left to set up Mayday Productions with Barry Lucas. He did much work for the Trades Union movement, the ANC and Anti-Apartheid with major open air concerts around the UK. John moved into mainstream music events organising one day festival events for UB40, Madness and Paul Weller amongst others. Professor Emeritus David M Craig, pioneering creative writing lecturer, poet and prolific writer on landscape, literature and social history, passed away on 2 November 2021 in his late eighties. A full obituary was published in The Guardian on 24 November 2021. Mary Jones (English, 1972, Bowland) died in October 2021 aged 70. She was still working in Aylesbury, teaching English as a Foreign Language. She had no legacy other than her desire to teach. Whilst at Lancaster she was a keen member of the drama group and performed in Thornton Wilder’s Our Town in 1969. Sadly, her demise was rapid, although she had been diagnosed with cancer and was awaiting treatment. InMemoriam 21
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