Obituary: Dr Richard Evans

It is with sadness that we inform SaRS members of the sudden passing of longstanding SaRS member Dr Richard Evans on 28th May 2021 . Born in Everton, Richard was a proud Liverpudlian, who followed his beloved blues loyally.   Richard studied chemistry at degree and PhD level at Oxford and joined BNFL in 1978 as a research and development chemist after completing his doctorate.  He moved to West Cumbria work to at Sellafield and joined the Plant Safety Assessment group in the early 1990s.   Richard was a member of SaRS from then until his retirement in 2018.  Richard was a quiet, private individual on first meeting but built longstanding friendships with many, who appreciated his eye for detail, intelligence and humour.  He was deeply respected by his colleagues who were extremely impressed when he managed to produce his very first assessment which passed the very rigorous QA process without attracting any adverse comments whatsoever.  He worked extensively on safety assessments for both Thorp and SMP, and his dedicated support for keeping plants operational was greatly appreciated.  

Richard retired as a senior radiological safety assessor in late 2018 and was enjoying his retirement in West Cumbria, gardening and walking both in the lake district and further afield.  Despite the COVID restrictions, a number of former colleagues were able to attend his funeral service to pay their respects to a highly respected friend.  Richard is survived by his wife Sue and his children John and Claire who I am sure will appreciate our condolences.

Andrew Buchan Chair Elect