In Memoriam
In Memoriam
This year we have said good bye to Derek Wilson and Mary Watts,
who were both members of our community. They will be missed.
Derek who died on 8th April
was a long-time member of Grey
College, serving as College Tutor
for 40 years from 1970. He, along
with his late-wife Rachel, were
always prepared to offer help and
hospitality to their tutees, offering
their home to them unstintingly.
Derek joined the Department of
Mathematical Sciences in 1958,
having spent some 5 years in
West Africa – at the University of
Ibadan, Nigeria; and at the University of Ghana, Accra, where
romance blossomed and he married Rachel. He enjoyed working
as a Lecturer for many years,
retiring in 1994, but continued
to attend the department daily
until 2011. Derek was devoted to
his subject and its teaching, was
a well thought of member of and
worked tirelessly for many years
for the Association of University
Teachers (AUT).
At the memorial service held for
him in the College Chapel in April
tributes were given by long-time
colleague Dr John Bolton and the
Reverend Neville Griffiths, former
Grey College Chaplain, who commented on his sense of humour
– having nicknames for everyone,
his concern for this students,
and his dislike of time-wasting.
Indeed, as Neville said, “His style
was brisk, unstuffy, directed and
often humorous, but always rooted in practice. An excellent and
efficient administrator himself, he
had no time for time-wasting and
scepticism about bureaucracy. It
was always a relief to know that
he was present at a meeting for
he would interject in his distinctive voice if any strayed from the
point.”
We note with gratitude the
length and quality of his service
to Mathematics, the department
and to Grey; and his devotion to
his wife Rachel and his children
and grand-daughter.
Mary Watts sadly passed away in
February of this year. She was a
long-serving tutor at the College
and attended SCR events until
a few years ago when ill health
prevented her from continuing
to do so. Members of her family
have fond memories of attending various events at the college,
from their time living on site
whilst Victor was both Vice-Master and then Master of Grey of
the College.
LEFT Mary
Watts at the
Grey College
reunion 2010.
ABOVE Derek
Wilson and his
wife, Rachel
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