Dr Duncan Gardiner (Chemistry 1958, PhD 1961)

Provided by Mrs Jane Gardiner

Dr Duncan Gardiner 1936 - 2008

Duncan was born and brought up in Lincoln before and during the war. He won a state scholarship to Imperial College where he obtained his first degree in Chemistry, followed a few years later by his Doctorate from Birkbeck College where he was a Research Assistant. His working life was spent in research, firstly into man-made fibres at the Didsbury Institute in Manchester, then in paint research but the bulk of his working life was spent at the Building Research Establishment in Garston where he worked largely on the use of plastics in the building industry and associated British and International Standards.

Duncan had had Parkinson’s disease for the past 18 years, despite which he was able to continue working until about 10 years ago. Since then the main focus of his life has been in studying and writing poetry, particularly more exotic forms of structure and rhyme. He joined the local Ver Poets and attended several courses at Maddingly College, Cambridge. His increasing skill gave him a voice which the Parkinson’s disease steadily took away. Many of his poems have been published in journals and magazines and this June he was able to publish  a book of 110 poems which has given great pleasure to many people as well as raising money for Parkinson’s research.
In his younger days he was a keen hill and mountain walker. Duncan always had a great love of many sorts of music, classical, jazz, folk  He had an abiding interest in all aspects of the natural world, and had always been a keen photographer, recently using digital photography linked to computers. Lately he been involved with several groups of the local U3A associated with these interests.

Duncan was loved and admired by very many people, especially for his determination to live life to the full as far as his increasing disability allowed. His death was sudden and unexpected. He leaves his wife, Jane, three children and five grandchildren.