oBituaries

DR RoBERT coATEs

Lecturer in Mathematics

Bob Coates first came to Mansfield in 1986, to cover Janet Dyson’s maternity leave, and stayed on until his retirement in 2003, becoming a Stipendiary Lecturer in 1989. His contribution to Mansfield was immense. He was an excellent mathematician and one of the best teachers of mathematics either of us have ever encountered, thinking carefully and deeply about how to explain complex mathematical ideas. For Janet he was a wise and supportive colleague, particularly in admissions, where his gentle yet persistent probing helped candidates to show what they could do. For his students he was a much appreciated tutor and mentor, as can be seen by the many emails from alumni that the College received after his death. Indeed, a group of students plans to endow a maths prize in his memory.

Bob’s day (and evening and weekend!) job was at the Open University, for which he worked as a Staff Tutor based at the Open University’s Oxford office from 1975 to 1997. With his closest colleague Derek Goldrei, who succeeded him at Mansfield, he managed a team of over 100 part-time tutors on the OU’s maths and computing courses and helped to create and run several of these courses. His most significant contributions were to the OU’s Mathematics Foundation Course M101, studied by over 100,000 students across its lifespan. Bob not only drafted a considerable proportion of the course materials, but also helped run the summer schools and devised and presented many of its TV and radio programmes. With his acting skills, he was a natural choice for the latter! Bob and Derek co-presented over 60 radio programmes, basing themselves shamelessly on the Two Ronnies, and Bob was for many years one of the key faces and voices for OU mathematics with the BBC.

As well as his deep interest in mathematics, Bob’s cultural interests ranged widely from art, music and literature to ceramics and architecture. The theatre was one of his passions and he was very proud that he held a Canadian professional Equity ticket and had played Potso in the first professional production in Canada of Waiting for Godot. He was a man of extraordinary generosity, giving freely of his time and knowledge. Bob leaves Heather, his wife of 46 years, and will be sorely missed by his many friends, and his colleagues at both OUs (Open and Oxford).

By Janet Dyson (Emertius Fellow in Mathematics) and Derek Goldrei (Fellow in Mathematics)

PRoF MALcoLM PARkEs

Lecturer in English

Professor Malcolm Beckwith Parkes, who died on May 10th 2013, made a significant contribution early in Mansfield’s years as a Permanent Private Hall, before moving to a very distinguished career elsewhere. He was the College’s Lecturer in English Language and in Medieval Literature throughout the 1960s and, together with his colleague in English Literature, the late Stephen Wall, was Mansfield’s first academic appointment outside of Theology. At the same time, he held a lecturership at Keble College, advanced to a fellowship in 1965.

Palaeography, the study of ancient writing systems and texts, was Malcolm’s specialism, and he was a world authority on the scribes and manuscripts of the medieval period and on the history of the book. Among much else, he transformed ways of working in his field through a series of classic publications, notably English Cursive Book Hands, 1250-1500 (1969), Medieval Manuscripts of Keble College, Oxford: a Descriptive Catalogue (1979), Scribes, Scripts and Readers (1991), Pause and Effect: an Introduction to the History of Punctuation in the West (1992), and Their Hands before Our Eyes: a Closer Look at Scribes (2008). In 1985 he was awarded an Oxford DLitt and in 1996 a personal chair in palaeography. His visiting and overseas appointments included membership of the Institute of Advanced Study, Princeton.

The wit and incisiveness, as well as the erudition, of his renowned books were already evident to those of us who were his pupils at Mansfield in the 1960s. The clarity and order of his thinking – though not always of his day-to-day life! – set a standard that some of us aspired to emulate. He was also a tutor of robust friendliness, generous with his time, his companionship, and his whisky.

Malcolm’s wife Ann Dodman predeceased him, and he is survived by their two sons.

By John Creaser (Emeritus Fellow in English)

THE REv PAuL BENJAMIN gREEN

Theology, 1949

Paul Green was born on June 29th 1928 in Stourbridge, Worcestershire. He graduated in English at Birmingham University before entering Mansfield College (1949) to read Theology in preparation for the Congregational ministry. With other Mansfield ordinands, he rowed for St Catherine’s Boat Club.

A keen member of the Student Christian Movement, Paul welcomed the growing hopes of closer ecumenism. In 1952 he married Betty and embarked on 12 years of ministry, first in Stretford, Manchester, then in Low Fell, Gateshead. In 1964 he transferred to teaching English and Religious Education at Whitley Bay Grammar School. In retirement at Low Fell and later at Bicester he continued to influence many, old and young, by his sharing of poetry, peace-making and God’s gospel of love.

When Paul fell ill with motor neurone disease, his faith shone undiminished. He died peacefully on December 24th 2012, aged 84. Betty, their sons Christopher and John and their families survive him.

John Derek Jones was born in Wallasey, Merseyside on April 12th 1927. During the war he was evacuated to Ruthin in Wales. He loved to climb and was proud of his accomplishment of climbing the highest peaks in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. He first attended Oxford University in 1948, where he obtained an MA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics; he then attended Mansfield College where he was awarded a Diploma in Theology.

In May 1954 Derek was appointed by the London Missionary Society to serve in its Southern Africa Field in Maun in the North of the Bechuanaland Protectorate. This was followed by periods of time in Lobatse and Kanye, Botswana. In 1965 he was posted to Gaborone and asked to gather the LMS people together to find a plot and build an interdenominational church, and that is where we are gathered today – Trinity Church. Derek was the Minister of Trinity from 1965 to 1972. He was always very proud to tell us that David Livingstone’s London Missionary Society number was 1, and his was 197 – Derek was the last LMS Missionary in Africa.

Throughout his years in Botswana, Derek was part of huge changes in the country, being appointed the first Mayor of Gaborone in 1966 after serving on the town council throughout the city’s development. He was awarded the OBE by Queen Elizabeth II in 1968 and was granted Botswana Citizenship by His Excellency the President. He received the Paul Harris award for services to the community twice.

Derek will be sorely missed by his four children and their spouses, ten grandchildren and six great-grandchildren: a very great Papa who will be greatly missed. He is now with the loves of his life – God, and his wife Joan.

Taken from the order of service at the Rev Jones’ funeral, March 9th 2013

cHARLoTTE HAILs

Geography, 2001

Charlotte Adelin Hails, a former Mansfield student, died aged 30 on June 12th 2013. Charlotte distinguished herself in her short life by her many considerable achievements, her selfless nature and her positive spirit in the face of great adversity.

Charlotte was born in 1983 and grew up near Buxton in the Peak District. She was noted by her former headmistress as a talented violinist, and music was a large part of Charlotte’s life: she played in several University orchestras while at Oxford, and later in London in the Lambeth Orchestra.

Charlotte was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 15, but she spent much of her time helping others, notably at a summer camp in Florida in 1998 working with disabled children and teenagers. She fought illness with fortitude, and despite delaying treatment to complete her exams, gained five A grades at A level. She matriculated in 2001 and read Geography. Studious and dedicated, she approached her studies with enthusiasm. Despite the repeated need for further surgery on her tumour, she remained remarkably positive and never let it affect her academic work. She was always keen to try new activities, including a disastrous first outing of the Mansfield women’s Eight, which landed the entire crew in the Cherwell!

Charlotte moved to London after graduating, gaining a place on the highly competitive NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme. She later worked for Bromley Healthcare, motivated by her strong desire to improve NHS service delivery. Unfortunately the cancer continued to return despite treatment. This interrupted her work, but not her enthusiasm for helping others, particularly in supporting the International Society of Paediatric Oncology at conferences and the charities The Rhinology and Laryngology Research Fund and Facing the World, which supports children with severe facial disfigurement.

Charlotte’s interests were many. A tireless Bon Jovi fan, she saw every gig she could, travelling around the country during their UK tour. She also had a passion for Scottish music, playing at an annual music festival on the Isle of Lewis every year she could for two decades. In 1997, late in choosing a school trip, she found that a cricket match was the only option available; this was the beginning of her becoming a huge cricket fan, and she enjoyed meeting the England cricket team in 2011 in an event organised by the Willow Foundation. Charlotte also enjoyed walking in the Peak District and Scotland, in particular Rannoch Moor and Glencoe (‘one of my favourite places in the world’), where she and her parents spent her last summer holiday in August 2012. She remained a keen walker right up to the end of her life, which came sooner than any of us, Charlotte included, expected.

Charlotte took part in trials of a new cancer drug, and was excited that this might provide life-changing treatment for others in the future. Her surgeon spoke movingly at her funeral of the huge impact that she had on those around her. People have asked him about her more than any other patient in his career, because of the unique impression she left on people by her strength of character in adversity. In his words, ‘Charlotte didn’t live to be 90, but in her 30 years she left more of a positive impact on others’ lives than many of us will, even if we live to be 90’. A favourite quotation of Charlotte’s that epitomises her own principles comes from a prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr:

‘God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference.’

Charlotte’s funeral was held at St Bartholomew’s, Longnor, Staffordshire, on June 19th 2013, and she is buried in Longnor graveyard. She is survived by her parents, Jason and Doreen. Charlotte expressed the wish that any donations be sent to the charities mentioned above.

By James Blackburn (Geography, 2001), with help from Jamie Vicary (Physics, 2001), Imran Mubeen (Physics, 2001) and Tony Lemon (Emeritus Fellow in Geography)