It was with great sadness I heard the news that our friend, John, had passed away in the night. Shock at first followed by a feeling that our community would never be quite the same again.

John was always to be seen smiling, joking and laughing but when he had his head down and was thinking we all knew something good would come of it. We are fortunate that not only do we have our fond memories of him but also the legacy of his work, alive today in our code.

When anyone mentions John to me I always think about those brilliantly funny conference talks he used to give. “A Plea for Simplicity” is one of my favourites and on checking I was amazed to notice it was published over 10 years ago. Seems like only yesterday.

Thank you John, carry on “Noodling”.

Paul Grosvenor, Chairman BAA