Geof Callely passed away peacefully at Papworth Hospital on the eighteenth of December 1990. We should remember him for his great cheerfulness, courage and optimism through his extended illness. He had retired early from the College only last September.

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Geof came to Cardiff in 1959 as a Lecturer in Microbiology directly after finishing his postgraduate work at the Biochemistry Department of the University of Leeds. He had worked with the very distinguished Dr S. Dagley on pathways of carbon metabolism.

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At that time Microbiology at Cardiff was a subdepartment within Professor G.F. Asprey’s Department of Botany; Geof was made responsible for teaching all aspects of microbial physiology and biochemistry, an enormous load for a neophyte! But Geof was a highly conscientious and enthusiastic teacher, and in those days all students doing Honours Microbiology were obliged to take two years of either the Honours Chemistry or Biochemistry courses. After one year. Geof also began to supervise PhD students; the first in a long line was Miss Jean John.

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In 1964 the Department of Microbiology was founded under Professor David Hughes, and the Golden Age of Science in British Universities brought riches to Cardiff, as to elsewhere. Geof played a major role in guiding the continuity of activities of the Microbiologists under the new leadership, and into the era of great expansion. The new emphasis was on Industrial Microbiology, and Geof's own special field of the biodegradation of organic molecules was very appropriate; he became very much involved with the problems of the bacterial treatment of industrial effluents (e.g. from chemical works) and the decomposition of a wide variety of aromatics and heterocyclics, for instance by pseudomonads obtained from the soil by enrichment procedures. This work, although of great importance to industrialists (and much of it way ahead of its time, and the current wave of environment consciousness), was all founded on fundamental biochemical principles and considerations, and (unlike much of the work in this area) involved precise measurements of degradative rates and stoichiometries. Geof was often correctly dismissive of the excessive claims of some of the less careful and cautious of his contemporaries. He was always one to ask simple and basic questions that may have been overlooked, and to be absolutely demanding of the correct control experiments. His students could not have received a more rigorous introduction to the business of tempering enthusiasm with deliberate care. His fatherly manner made him an effective and popular Tutor.

 

Geof spent academic session 1965-66 as Fulbright Senior Scholar in the Biochemistry Department of Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover. New Hampshire, working on photosynthetic bacteria with Dr Clint Fuller.

 

Geof's interest in science education led him to become a chief examiner of the National A Level system (Chemistry), to act as Convener of the Teaching Group of the Society of General Microbiology, and also to be Publications Officer and a member of Council in that Society.

 

In 1982 Geof became acting Head of the Microbiology Department, and then Superintendent of Laboratories in Microbiology. He took complete responsibility for the finances of the Department; we never had any worries of being overspent despite ominous signs of the onset of hard times. Before merger he was Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Science.

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Geof was a keen crossword and puzzle compiler he always set questions for our Gregynog Top of the Form quizzes. In staff-student cricket matches he proved a solid batsman and reliable first slip.

 

We will all miss his good sense, cheery reliability and highly informed views on education, politics, cricket and the joys of raising a family. Eileen, Stephen and Elizabeth are in our thoughts.

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Geof's Postgraduates

Jean John         MSc      1960-67

David Lloyd      PhD      1961-64

Kinsey Dart      PhD      1963-66

Barry Young     PhD      1966-69

Robert Wills     PhD

Mike Amphlett  PhD      1965-68

David Stafford  PhD      1967-70

Jeremy Knapp   PhD      1971-74

Stuart Hogg      MSc     1974

Celal Gokal      PhD      1974-77

Gareth WilliamsPhD      1975-78

Moses Olukumi MSc      1977

Vassilie Barbas MSc       1981

Jeff Parr           PhD       1978-81

David Trotman  PhD      1982-86

Guy Rollinson   PhD      1982-85

Aijan Narbad   PhD      1982-85

Peter McClure   PhD      1982-85

Alun Thomas    PhD      1984-87

David LLOYD

Reprinted from Biotype (the Newsletter of the School of Pure & Applied Biology) 7 February 1991