Guy Dodson
13-1-1937 to 24-12-2013
One of the most beloved and influential figures in the development of protein
crystallography has died. Guy Dodson passed away peacefully on Christmas Eve,
with Eleanor and other family members at his side. Together, Guy and Eleanor
have enriched many lives. Many more tributes will follow, and the purpose of
this short notice is just to make sure that this sad news reaches as many of
their wide network of friends as possible.
Born in Palmerston North, New Zealand (“the centre of the universe” as Guy put
it), Guy went to Oxford in 1963 for postdoctoral studies with Dorothy Hodgkin
and quickly became her right-hand person in the successful solution of the
structure of insulin. These were exciting days, and set the stage for Guy’s
subsequent establishment of wonderfully vibrant structural biology labs, first
at the University of York and then at NIMR, Mill Hill. Many scientific
successes followed, but for many of us our abiding memories are of Guy’s
passion for life, and for science, his instincts for what was important, his
great sense of fun, and his ability to make all of those who worked with him
feel special. We all consider it a great privilege to have known him.
We also wish to express publicly our support and affection for Eleanor and
their wider family, who became part of many of our families, too.
Ted and Heather Baker
- on behalf of the New Zealand structural biology community.
and all members of the York Structural Biology Laboratory.
