Obituary

Cyril Keattch

With the very sudden death of Cyril Keattch on 9 July 1999, at the age of 71, thermal analysis has lost a well-known and highly respected personality - as well as one of its strongest protagonists.

Cyril Jack Keattch WAS BORN IN Hampstead, London, on 17th June 1928. He received his secondary education at Christ's College, Finchley, where he became so indoctrinated with chemistry that he set up a home laboratory - resulting in may bangs and one explosion that caused temporary deafness. But he survived and moved on to the Chelsea Battersea and Northern Polytechnics, gaining his ARIC by examination in 1952. His FRIC followed in 1961 and he was awarded a Ph.D. by the University of Salford for a thesis on the history of thermogravimetry (TG) in 1977.

On gaining his FRIC, Cyril moved from analytical research at the British Non-Ferrous Metals Research Association to research on the platinum metals at the International Nickel Company (Mond) Ltd., where he first realised the potential of TG. Later as Chief Analyst at John Laing 9R&D) Ltd., he applied TG with great success to studies on building materials. In 1967 he moved to Lyme Regis, Dorset, where he set up a consulting practice and, along with his wife, combined this with a hotel business. His intense interest in thermal analysis, and particularly in TG, remained unabated, however, and the Tudor House Hotel became a Mecca for visiting thermal analysts worldwide. Many will remember Cyril sitting in the subterranean bar with its low beams (the cause of many a sore head!) and its ancient well, helping himself to numerous tots of whisky as he discoursed on all sorts of topics with guests. The same bar, was indeed, the site of many meetings of committees with which Cyril was associated.

The move to Dorset deprived Cyril of laboratory facilities but also caused him to look for other ways of serving TG and thermal analysis in general. Thus, his book 'An Introduction to Thermogravimetry' appeared in 1969 and also, as a second edition with David Dollimore, in 1975. He also spent much time on historical research in his search for primary sources on TG, visiting several foreign countries, including Japan, at his own expense. His thesis on the history of TG (19770 is a model of its kind, avoiding errors due to reliance on secondary sources and, along with the papers arising from it, represents the only comprehensive and definitive history of thermogravimetry available. As editor of ICTA/ICTAC News from 1973 to 1996, he saw it grow from an annual newsletter of a few pages to a bi-annual publication of over 130 pp. per annum. For his services he received a plaque from ICTAC in 1992. The growth in both size and quality owed much to Cyril's energy, enthusiasm and stringent editing. His editorials always contained matter of moment and although one raised some eyebrows by its forthrightness (one of Cyril's characteristics), it was, for many of us, justified. He also served a period as a regional editor for the Journal of Thermal Analysis.

It is for his long-term service as Hon. Sec. 9as he liked to call it) of the British Thermal Methods Group that Cyril will undoubtedly be remembered by thermal analysts in the UK. One of a small group that met at Battersea Polytechnic in 1964 to consider establishing a thermal analysis society or group, Cyril was appointed secretary pro tem. And was instrumental in the Thermal Analysis Group being constituted as a subject group of the Society of Analytical Chemistry (SAC). As the Thermal Methods Group, it is still a subject group of the Analytical Division of the Royal Society of Chemistry (AD of the RCS) - the successor of the SAC - and Cyril remained its Hon. Sec. until his death (35 years). He was also, from 1965 to 1992, Secretary of the Nomenclature Committee of ICTA/ICTAC that produced the recommendations later endorsed by IUPAC - and indeed contributed much to these.

Cyril was the ideal secretary. Knowledgeable in the subjects involved, he could produce concise and accurate Minutes from the most convoluted discussions. Moreover he had the knack of keeping all committee members - including the chairman - on their toes in connection with their duties between meetings. An excellent meetings organiser (as all TMG members know) he had very little sympathy for anyone whose organisation fell below standard. He was a shrewd judge of character and ability and put this to good use in assessing potential future committee members. Enthusiastic and well aware of the power of a secretary wields in determining the status of a committee, he several times refused to be nominated as chairman - nor was he ever pressed to do so.

He also gave yeoman service to the SAC and the AD of the RSC, serving a term as Vice-President of the AD. He chaired the Group Policy and Liaison Committee of that body from 1981 to 1985 and, for his contributions, was presented with the Distinguished Service Award of the AD in 1986.

Cyril's hallmarks were energy and enthusiasm in all he undertook, including his non-scientific activities, such as 'Do It Yourself' which he used extensively to make repairs and improvements to the hotel. Interested in all aspects of motor sport - he owned a Porsche at one time - he even drove his son's sports car around a racing circuit. On retiring from the hotel business, he took up woodturning (exhibiting his work at craft fairs) and became an enthusiastic golfer. His non-scientific writings reveal the whimsical sense of humour that was so appreciated by his friends.

In a way, Cyril was a larger-than-life character who will be sorely missed in very many circles. Our sympathy goes out to his wife of 46 years, Jean, his son Martin, his daughter Allyson, his son-in-law Mick and baby Emily, his first grandchild and a source of great joy.

R. C. Mackenzie