SCI remembers Kit Finch

Christopher Aspell (Kit) Finch — MA, DPhil (Oxon), CChem, FRSC — an active SCI Member, died on 20 April 2004. Kit was born in Manchester in 1928, and was educated at Manchester Grammar School from 1939–1947. He was awarded an Open Scholarship to study chemistry at Brasenose College, Oxford, and completed a doctorate in steroid chemistry after his MA. He studied under Sir Robert Robinson (Nobel Laureate).

Kit’s interests were much broader than chemistry, however. He loved music from a young age, and on his way home from Oxford via London in 1947 spent his hotel money on a ticket to see the Vienna State Opera during their London residency.

While at university, Kit was an enthusiastic member of both the Oxford University Drama Society and the Oxford Operatic Society. The friendships made here lasted a lifetime, and Kit was equally popular in his roles as lighting man and social convener. Music permeated his life, and later on in life Kit acted as a ‘theatre angel’, supporting various shows.

National Service was compulsory in 1954 and, after leaving Oxford, Kit reluctantly spent two years gracing the Royal Signals. Afterwards he joined the Fundamental Research Laboratory at Courtaulds in Maidenhead, UK.

From 1962 until 1980 he was with British Glues and Chemicals and then Croda International where he became Technical Director of Croda Colloids.

Kit became an independent consultant with Pentafin Associates in 1980. His wide experience of controlled release, microencapsulation processes, effluent treatment, gelatins and building products took him to Europe, Asia, America and to the Indian Sub-continent where he had particular interest.

During his long career he also wrote a number of books, including An approach to technical translation (Pergamon, 1965); Polyvinyl alcohol: properties and applications (John Wiley & Sons, 1973), and Matchmaking science (with S Ramachandran; Ellis Horwood, 1983).

Although not a man to join numerous clubs, Kit participated fully in those he did find engaging. He joined SCI in 1969, and was active from the start. He was Chairman of the Plastics and Polymer Group from 1972–1974, and from 1981 he represented SCI at the British Standards Institution. In 1979 he was appointed to the Editorial Board of Polymer International (then British Polymer Journal), on which he served for 25 years.

Perhaps most importantly for SCI, Kit was Chairman of the Publications Committee from 1989–1994. His insightful negotiations resulted in the successful partnership between SCI and John Wiley & Sons to produce SCI’s journals.

For his outstanding service to the Society (he also served on the Executive Committee and Council), Kit was awarded the Lampitt Medal in 1998. SCI’s Chief Executive said: ‘He will be remembered for his contributions to ensure that the SCI experience was based on civilised values and mutual respect. The human warmth, good humour, penetrating intellect and lightness of touch he brought to encounters under the SCI umbrella will not be forgotten.’

Kit was devoted to his family, and is survived by his wife Patsy, three daughters and five grandchildren. Applestraw Cottage, his thatched-roof Buckinghamshire home, was another of his many interests.