Brian Nicholas

Brian Nicholas, who died on 24 January, was a Lecturer in French at Sussex from 1964 until his retirement in 1997. His major strengths were in 19th-century French literature, but he also had a special interest in comedy, with particular reference to Molière and Wilde.

For ten years Brian was Sub-Dean of Student Affairs in the School of European Studies and had to be persuaded to give up this responsibility, which he loved, in order to have more time for his own research. He was a paternal, caring figure to several generations of students and for his colleagues he was completely identified with the role.

In addition to this he served the School in a variety of different administrative positions - Academic Secretary, Graduate Chair, School Admissions Tutor and more.

The funeral will take place on Monday (10 February) at 11am in Kingston church near Lewes.

Donald Wood

The historian Dr Donald Wood, whose work changed perspectives on the British Caribbean, died on 29 December at the age of 79.

Donald joined the University of Sussex in 1964, retiring 25 years later as Reader Emeritus. Based in the School of African and Asian Studies, he taught undergraduate courses on Caribbean history, literature and society, and on the consequences of slavery in the Americas. Among his students was Kamau Brathwaite, the Barbadian poet and historian.

After retiring from Sussex in 1989, Donald returned to the Institute of Commonwealth Studies in London, where he had written his classic work, Trinidad In Transition: The years after slavery.