We regret to announce the death of Dr John Williams, who was a lecturer in Chemistry from the very earliest days of the University (when it was based in Ashley Down, Bristol) until he took retirement at the end of 1987.
A native of Swansea, John started his career as a works chemist analysing the output from the local gas works and studying chemistry at Swansea Technical College. After the war he trained as a teacher and, after several teaching posts, joined Birkbeck College of the University of London from where he obtained his PhD in analytical chemistry.
He was appointed as an Assistant Lecturer at Birkbeck before moving, in 1958, to the Bristol College of Science & Technology – the precursor institution of the University of Bath. He was one of the founding members of the (then) School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering when the University moved to the Claverton campus.
John’s teaching and research interests lay in analytical chemistry. As befits the subject, his lectures were always very precise and well crafted.
His research centred on measuring the concentrations of metals and other species in water and a good deal of the last part of his career was spent in writing an encyclopaedic guide to measuring the concentrations of virtually every anion known!
John was an active member of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Analytical Division and received their Distinguished Service Award in 1987, the year that he retired.
After his retirement, he was often seen in the Library working on the next editions of “his book”.
John had a range of interests outside chemistry, chiefly painting. He was a gifted watercolourist and exhibited right to the end of his life.
He was an enthusiastic supporter of Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institute (BRLSI) since its re-birth, a regular attender at meetings and he exhibited his watercolours at the annual Member’s Art Exhibition.
He was also interested in the wider aspects of science and the Bath area and published a book, Bath – Some connections with science (together with Diana Stoddart) chronicling the scientific and technological achievements of people who lived in and around Bath.
The funeral will take place at Haycombe Top Chapel is at 2pm on Thursday 28 October.