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Obituary: Dr Lionel Ripley

Dr Lionel Ripley, one of the longest serving members of the University, died suddenly and unexpectedly on 16 January, only 18 months after his retirement as Reader in Electronic Engineering.

Profile photo of Dr Lionel Ripley. Smiling. Head, sholders and chest.Dr Lionel Ripley

He will be hugely missed by colleagues, both within Engineering and more widely in the University, particularly in Admissions and the International Office.

Lionel joined the then School of Applied Sciences as a postdoctoral research fellow in 1966 after completing his PhD in solid state electronics from the University of Wales, Bangor.

He initially worked on magnetic materials with Tony Simpson. He also took on major administrative roles within Engineering, both as Senior Tutor/Sub-Dean, and started what became a lifelong interest in overseas recruitment.

Dr Philip Baker, who worked in this area with Lionel for many years, recalls: “Lionel was one of the pioneers of Sussex’s international recruitment and partnership development.

“He displayed a passion for recruitment which extended beyond his own subject area to an understanding of the whole range of Sussex’s disciplines, travelling extensively to represent the University especially in East and South Asia as well as closer to home in Europe.

“He was instrumental in establishing and coordinating foundation schemes for the University in Greece, India, China and Nigeria, and was Sussex’s representative in a consortium of UK institutions linked with colleges in Malaysia.

“Lionel had an engaging personality which made a lasting impression on students, their parents, alumni, partners and work colleagues.”

Such was the immense energy, impact and effectiveness of Lionel’s work in this area that even today his presence is remembered by people at all levels.

The Director of Student Recruitment,  Marcus Williams, says: “Over the last few years at overseas functions, Sussex alumni from vice-chancellors to leading business people have often asked after Lionel and then recounted how he helped them settle into life on campus, a mark of respect for the impact he made on their experience at Sussex.”

Lionel’s office was festooned with all the exotic gifts from friends and colleagues overseas that he had collected over many years.

However, it was not just overseas that Lionel will be remembered fondly. Rob Evans, Head of Admissions, recalls: “Always cheerful whenever he made one of his regular stops at the Admissions Office, he was for so many years a very welcome member of the wider Admissions team and made a huge contribution to the University.

“His absence in the office since his retirement has been noticeable and, for all of us who worked with him, this has been extremely sad news.”

He was no less enthusiastic in his role as Senior Tutor, a post he kept until his retirement. Lionel knew every student by name and could quickly give a synopsis of their academic progress in response to any query. Today, there are still students in the Engineering department who gained entry to their degree having passed Lionel’s ‘quick maths test’ and interview.

Despite the considerable time that Lionel gave to teaching and administrative duties, he was no less active in research.

Lionel’s main area of research was in relation to his invention and subsequent development of a sensitive quantitative colour vision test, which was successful in the early detection of diabetic retinopathy.

Latterly, he also worked with orthopaedic surgeons from the Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) on improving replacement procedures for hip joints.

His final piece of research was in the development of a device for the quantitative measurement of the taste response, from which he discovered the interesting result that, although (as might be expected) large quantities of alcohol depress the taste response, small quantities actually enhance it. Lionel described it as “an intriguing result leading to a possible physiological justification for the custom of the pre-dinner aperitif”.

Dr Rupert Young, Department of Engineering and Design

John Sander, International Liaison

  • Lionel’s funeral is at 1pm on Tuesday 4 February in the North Chapel at Brighton’s Woodvale Crematorium, followed by a wake at the Bull Inn in Newick from 2.30pm. No flowers please, but charity donations can be made via Arka Original Funerals, Brighton: T 01273 621444.