Colin Atherton, scientific photography technician for the School of Life Sciences, died suddenly on 25 February at the age of 72.
During his National Service Colin was a photographic technician in the Royal Air Force. He then worked in the Zoology department at University College London before moving to Sussex in 1965 as photography technician for the School of Biological Sciences.
Many members of faculty will remember him for his outstanding photographic skills with biological research materials - prior to the advent of computer imaging - and for developing many new photographic techniques for displaying scientific photographs in research publications.
My predecessor John Burns recalls that Colin also captured photographically, with great interest and little fuss, the School's expansion and building development over the years.
John says: "Colin was always a calming influence on those who approached his photographic suite, even when slides for a lecture were requested ASAP. His dry sense of humour often confounded those members of staff whose 'irritability threshold' hovered around boiling point!"
Although Colin took early retirement in 2000, he continued his work in Life Sciences up until the present day as an unpaid advisor and helper in photography.
He was always happy to help any member of staff or student with advice on photographic problems, both traditional and the more modern digital variety.
Over the years he spent much of his time photographing various events and people in the School and about the University; in fact there is probably no one who has worked for Biological or Life Sciences who was not 'snapped' by Colin.
Chris Leech
former Technical Services Manager, School of Life Sciences