Peter Stuart Excell

Neil Jackson published a tribute .

Peter was my MSc and PhD supervisor at Bradford in the early 90's and hugely influential on my career path. Always supportive and always patient. The copy of the 'Ascent of Man' he gave me on leaving Bradford for my 1st Lecturing post remains a treasured possession. I am pleased to say I was able to re-iterate my heartfelt thanks to earlier this year.

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Michael Lebby published a tribute .

It's December, and I live in California and I have have just found out the news. I was a student of Peter's classes at Bradford University in the early 1980s. I kept in touch with Peter over the years, and interacted with Glyndwr University a few years ago. This is a photo of Peter with his love of the country-side and wheels to get to tough to reach places. Off-roading was definitely fun with Peter in the wild regions around Wrexham. I last communicated with Peter in July this year, so hearing this 4 months later is tough to stomach. He was truly a wonderful person to know, learn from, and debate with (both technically as well as the arts). Our visit to the British museum in 2013 was particularly exciting as we both discussed the impact of history to who we are: techies. Peter will be missed and I for one will miss him dearly. Michael

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Sayed Kazmi published a tribute .

I’ve had the privilege of knowing Peter quite a while, for some 18 years since I first started my doctorate at the University of Bradford, where he was my secondary supervisor.

I had nothing but great respect and admiration for him, he was an absolute legend.

As I recall back in 2002 I was facing a number of serious problems and I plucked up the courage to go speak to him one evening, as he was always working late in his office.
On this particular occasion it was on a multi-million-pound European research proposal with a deadline of 7pm, I must have turned up to his office at around 6pm and I could tell he was frantically trying to get this submitted.
But he sat me down listened to my problems, tried to reassure me and help me find a workable resolution, all this meant that he missed his deadline and once I realised this I tried to apologise.
He simply said you’re one of our students and you’re worth more than any research project, I’ll never forget these words and this act of kindness, but it was just who he was.

Another time he caught me trying to put a basin of water (that was supposed to collect rainwater coming through a leaking roof and prevent it falling on the carpeted corridor) over the door of an academic I didn’t like very much.
Caught red handed, I thought its curtains for this very junior researcher (and most likely expulsion at the very least) but not Peter, he said “you’ve placed it in the wrong spot, you need to shift it slightly to the left so more of the water falls out” I chuckled as I reset its position and both of us left sharpish, before a loud splash and some choice angry expletives were heard from further down the corridor.

He had a wicked sense of humour and an innate ability to connect with people as a really awesome personality.

His loss has been absolutely profound, there’ll never be anyone like him, not as intelligent, not as kind nor as trustworthy. Academia has lost its best researcher and I’ve lost a great friend and mentor, he meant a great deal to me and I’ll never forget the memories.

I write this, genuinely with a tear in my eye, sadly reminiscing.

It was an honour to know and work with you, you’ll be deeply missed Peter, may Allah (SWT) grant you an awesome home in heaven and grant your family much love, comfort and peace.

Sayed Kazmi (Ex mentee, colleague and friend).

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Maddy Prior published a tribute .

This is a lovely close up of the photo below...

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Maddy Prior published a tribute .

Considering his high academic achievement, he knew how to let his hair down and enjoy himself. He came to Stones Barn and was a delight, and joined a day of Village Carols in Cumbria. He had great skill with music and a strong affection for his roots in Wales. He will be so missed.

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Vic Grout published a tribute .

Peter was a gentleman and a true academic spirit of the 'old school', almost a lost breed. I owe him such a lot as a mentor but also knew him as a friend. He always gave of himself without personal thought and seemingly without limit or exhaustion. He was visionary in his research but down to earth in dealing with people. There are many at Glyndwr, across wider academia, and beyond, who would not be where they are today without Peter's influence on their lives. I'm certainly grateful for all he's done in mine. He will be missed hugely. My thoughts are with Dianne and his family.

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Dr. K. Kokula Krishna Hari published a tribute .

We had a chance of discussing with him at a conference in University of Greenwich 5 years ago. He was a so kind personality I have ever met. His interactions after that was also fantablous and would be a ever lasting memories.

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David Drake published a tribute .

Peter and I met at Reading University. He was in Science (of course) and I was in Humanities but we both lived in the same hall of residence - Wantage Hall.
Peter visited me in Paris during my year abroad there (1968-9). He was still at Reading when I returned as he was repeating his final year and I was back for my fourth (and final year). After Reading we stayed in touch and I made one trip to Bradford to stay at what I like to think of as Excell Towers. More recently Peter worked very hard to arrange a meeting at Wrexham Glyndwr University where I gave a talk about a book I'd written on Paris during the German Occupation. I stayed in his nearby home and he gave me an informative (of course) guided tour of Wrexham and the surrounding countryside.

We had hoped to meet up in London but he prioritised (quite rightly) spending time with Matthew of whom he was so proud but somehow a combination of Peter's reluctance to make arrangements and my frequent absences from London meant this didn't happen and then came his illness. When Peter told me about his cancer and said he was writing an autobiography, we had toyed with the idea of my coming to Bradford on a flying visit during which we could kick around some Reading memories. Sadly Covid 19 put paid to that idea

I have very fond memories of Peter. At Reading he and another pal Ian McDowell and I were to be seen whizzing about town in Ian's ancient Austin 7 with Peter often wearing a white pith helmet. (Don't ask). He had a fabulous sense of humour and this came in very useful when the three of us anonymously wrote and produced a satirical magazine (sort of inspired by Private Eye) called, I think, By the Cringe (Maybe it was Beyond The Cringe?). This caused quite a stir and we were quickly identified as the probable authors of this scurrilous rag.

Although, apart from my visit to Wrexham, we did not see much of one another in recent years, I always looked forward to receiving his Christmas newsletter and he was one of the few friends in the UK to whom I sent news of what I'd been up to over the previous 12 months rather than just a card.

I was always very impressed and slightly overawed by how much Peter managed to pack into his life and by his insatiable curiosity. He was the antithesis of what many people (wrongly) think of as "a typical scientist"; he was much more a Renaissance man. When he travelled abroad he was passionately interested in where he was going, the history and culture of the countries he visited and also the people, very much the people, he met. He was very committed to making connections between what he saw or learned and always aspired to help make the world a better place. He gave the impression - without in any way showing off - that he was appreciated in academic circles across the globe for his intellect and his knowledge but also for being the person he was. I sense he made many friends wherever he went and I'm not surprised. I have mentioned his humour but I also appreciated, and was the recipient of, his kindness and thoughtfulness. Even if we didn't meet up as often as we might have, I treasure the memories of my Wrexham visit when, from the word go, we got on so well together and it was difficult to believe that it had been such a long time since our previous encounter.

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Ash Fawcett published a tribute .

Peter and I grew up together at the beginning of the baby-boom period.

In 1956 his parents moved from Hampstead to East Barnet. On the first day he joined our school I was asked by the headmaster to introduce him to each class member; from that point we became friends.

Peter was an only child, and whilst he found this caused some difficulty in settling into new social groups, he made many friends among local children. He once raised the subject of being an only child by making an astute analytical observation that children with brothers and sisters often spent a large part of their time arguing with their siblings. He would often say that he and I were like brothers – but with the considerable upside of not being competitive with each other, and never having any jealousy between us.

When he was about 10, he had an operation just days before Christmas. He was confined to his bedroom over the celebrations and so asked his parents if I could stay for the holiday. In those few days we cemented our relationship as really close pals.

Peter admired his father’s talent for both making things and his keen interest in railways. His father also had an interest in evolving technology, and a willingness to support our inquisitiveness – helping us to discover the scientific and infrastructural developments happening at that time. When the M1 motorway was opened in November 1959, Peter and I were taken on a drive by his parents along the whole length, then from Watford, junction 5, as far as Crick, Junction 18, near Rugby. We all thrilled at the unrestricted speeds and ability to reach destinations in record time: it was a real revolution in travel. Peter’s father also arranged visits to railway exhibitions, especially where it demonstrated British Railways’ forward-thinking attitude in its early days.

Train-spotting was a key pastime for both of us, especially from a local ‘skeleton’ footbridge bridge (so called because of its spidery steel structure) that spanned the main East Coast line from Kings Cross to Edinburgh. At this time even the most advanced steam locomotives were giving way to diesel/electric trains. A spectacular new railway locomotive, which competed with the world record-holding LNER ‘Mallard’ engine for our attention when it emerged, at high speed, from a tunnel immediately south of the footbridge, was an American inspired prototype diesel engine called ‘Deltic’. This new technology had us sharing magazines with meticulous (and in those days, rare) colour-printed cut-away drawings that we studied together for hours to understand exactly how ‘diesel-electric’ traction worked, and why it was considered superior to steam.

It was this period of amazing technological innovation that made us both want to contribute to the dynamic changes in the world around us. For Peter, it was towards engineering and information technology, whilst my interests directed me towards architecture, but our joint fascination with transportation continued during our early to mid-teen years, and included weekends searching-out rare or experimental London buses and finding applications of new railway technology. These activities often involved buying ‘Rover’ discount tickets, which gave unlimited travel on London Transport buses, providing access for a day to freely explore over 3,000 square miles of the capital and its surrounding countryside.

Today it is hard to image parents allowing two 12–13-year-old boys to head off (with a packed lunch, of course) for a whole day exploring at will, without the benefit of mobile phones to map a course or, for said parents, to track our whereabouts. These excursions allowed us to locate interesting vehicles and recording our findings in small publications called: ‘Ian Allan Books’, with editions that listed every known or obscure railway engine, and London Transport bus. This activity built confidence and a love of travel. The only parental requirement was to be home in time for tea. I’m glad to say, we never got lost, and were never late for tea, especially if tea was at Peter’s grandparents’ home in Hampstead – sitting cross-legged on the floor, with buttered hot crumpets and monochromatic films of WW2 sea battles on television!

Although we went to separate senior schools, we remained in touch until the mid-1960s, but then gradually lost contact. However, in around 2010, I was part of a business transformation project that involved ‘Informatics’. It required research that lead me to a certain professor at Bradford University – and hence reconnection with Peter after a gap of some 45 years. My email enquiring if he was the same Peter Excell that I had known in Barnet during the 1950s and 60s, resulted in an instantaneous and emphatic ‘yes’, and a revelation that for some years he had been trying to track me down…

Since then we have been able to meet once more and, since early this year, through ‘social distance’ correspondence, spend time reminiscing and exploring our views on a number of topics, as diverse as automatic gearboxes and religion. Peter gave me an outline of his philosophy on this latter subject, and in return I set down my own thoughts. Needless to say, he responded to my paper with a most thoughtful, and challenging, critical assessment that reminded me of our many deep conversations as teenage friends. It also showed why so many people have fond memories of his professional role in life.

From an early age, Peter was clearly destined for the career he followed, and wisely honed his excellent skills at choosing who to trust, and who to relate to, which clearly paid dividends both in his life with Dianne and in forming the numerous friendships that these tributes so beautifully demonstrate.

We will all miss Peter so very much, and I am honoured to have known him, and to have been his friend…

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Graeme Park published a tribute .

Peter was very helpful when I joined Glyndwr University in 2008 and offered me great advice when I became a lecturer. Thank you Peter.

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Debbie Garside published a tribute .

Peter was a great character who wholeheartedly supported me during my time with Glyndwr and also stayed in touch after we both left... even taking the time to physically post a magazine to me last year with a news item he thought would be of interest... always going above and beyond with a great sense of humour... I remember him saying once regarding HPC in the early days "we have the solution we just dont know the problem". This was typical of his wry yet honest sense of humour. RiP Peter you will be missed... you touched the lives of so many people and our thoughts are with you and your loved ones x

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Ian Mcdowell published a tribute .

I attended Reading University at the same time as Pete and we were in the same Hall of Residence. As its grandiose name implies this was a place that cherished its history (some of it very picturesque) but, being young, we felt a need to prick some balloons. We collaborated on printing a somewhat scurrilous satirical magazine that created quite a stir on the premises. My fondest memory, however, was our tradition of attending jumble sales in Reading town on Saturday mornings. Three of us would scan the Friday evening paper to plot the optimal route between the sales. The aim was to attend as many as possible, arriving at each early on so as to grab the best stuff. We drove in my open 1931 Austin Seven car (it still enjoys excellent health) and I recall Pete wedged into the tiny rear seat wearing an outrageous fur coat that he had purchased, clinging on to a large, ornately-framed painting of some Scottish long-horn cattle looking bedraggled in the mist of a damp Scottish day. That painting hung on his wall for the rest of his time at Reading. Pete also came to stay with my parents and me in Devon. His goal was Industrial Archaeology (new to me). We explored extinct slate mines on the moors of Devon and Cornwall, tracing out extinct railway lines and where the beam engines that hoisted the miners up and down the pit would have stood. He was always informative and entertaining on those trips. And Reading clearly did something to stimulate this curiosity: all four of our group of close friends subsequently became academics in universities in various parts of the world.

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Dave Hobbs published a tribute .

It was a bit of a shock to hear the news of Peter's death. During my 8 years at Bradford I was always impressed by his dynamism and his ability to come up with novel ideas (particularly in research), present them clearly, and motivate students and staff alike. He also had a keen sense of humour that could help lighten long departmental meetings. I lost touch when he and I both left Bradford around the same time and went our separate ways; nevertheless, it's sad to think he's now moved on to his final destination. My condolences go to his family. - Dr Dave Hobbs, Senior Lecturer, Dept of EIMC, 2000-2008.

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Nathan Clow published a tribute .

Peter was my MEng supervisor and mentor for 4 years at Bradford University in the mid 90’s. He was an inspirational character in whom I could discuss both academic and personal concerns in confidence. His door was always open to me and he supported me in various ways, for which I am very grateful. He was an eminent academic who wanted the best for his students. But much more than this, he always had an encouraging word and was kind and generous. I have lovely memories of Peter’s sense of humour and his wonderful smile and laughter. It was lovely to catch up with him at an IET conference in 2018. I feel privileged to have been taught by him and to have know such a lovely God-sent soul in Peter. I am deeply sorry for the family’s loss and our thoughts and prayers continue to be with you.

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Mobayode O. Akinsolu published a tribute .

Two of the many men who have taken (and continue to take) a chance on me in spite of my vastly different background are in this photograph (date: Monday, 17th February, 2020).

My "hatted" self, Prof. Raed A. Abd-Alhameed (seated in-between two other gentlemen, Profs. Ardeshir Osanlou and Chan See - right column), and late Prof. Emeritus Peter Excell (seated next to me - left column).

Without going into too much details, I will always cherish these two academics (Prof. Raed and late Prof. Emeritus Peter) and several others for the substantial roles they have played in my academic pursuit and career.

Trust me, finding your feet in today's environment/society could be tough and nerve-racking. More particularly, if your interests/pursuits push you very far into territories where you can easily be relegated or looked down upon due to many prevalent factors.

I hope (by God's grace) you find a few good people (guardians, counsellors, mentors, et al) too, as you navigate your way through life's labyrinth, wherever you are and at whatever you do.

Late Prof. Emeritus Peter Stuart Excell was a very humble mentor and welcoming man. I strongly hope he is now in a better place.

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Julian Clarke published a tribute .

We were both undergraduates at Reading University fifty years ago. We were also in Western Nigeria after graduation on Ministry of Overseas Development studentships. I still have the photographs he took when we went to visit the Kainji dam and various other places. We rather lost touch but met up again a couple of years ago. I remember him as real original.

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Christian C C Cohen published a tribute .

When we last met Diane and Peter, my wife and I celebrated our wedding and I felt privileged to have such amazing guests and friends at our special event.

Some of my thoughts:

In the Milestones, there should also be his work at the University of Bradford - EIMC Department, where Peter showed much patience in Telecommunications and Networking in a BSc (Hons.) course.

Let me share a memory here:

In the latter-mentioned course Peter lectured the theory module, which was held at the top floor of the main building in the city campus, he tried his very best to keep us awake, since the lecture was scheduled on Thursday evenings.

On one of these evenings, the lecture did not go so well since student response was very low and hesitant. In thoughts and noting down the equations, Peter displayed for us, I just remember that I heard him ask: ‘Now, who can give me the answer to this very simple question?’ – I had no idea what the question was because I had been too busy writing and thinking about something else. – He asked again: ‘Well, anybody?’ – Again, there had not been a response in the room, filled with approximately 200 students. – Peter started to smile, and he asked rather silently: ‘Braindead?’ Suddenly, the hall was filled with laughter, and he went: ‘At least, you’re all alive and well! But, yeah, it is late in the evening and I am recording these lectures on my mobile USB pendant for your convenience.’ […]

My thoughts:

Peter’s unrivalled refreshing sense of humour, kindness and the way in which he remained in touch with the here and now – I dare say, until his last breath – was not only inspiring but also getting the best out of my as a student in that a strong trusting connection could form.

Thank you, for all the academic discussions, emails and the school visits. Thank you for the best of experiences and your enabling my academic life.

To the family Excell:

I am deeply sorry for your loss and, so God will, our paths shall cross again. One thing is certain: Peter’s memory and legacy will live on!

The image:

Peter presented me with a very unique gift, on the day of my wedding: The polo shirt of the EIMC Department, which only the professors and some of the lecturers had.

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Joe Lomako published a tribute .

Peter gave me first "real" job in the mid 90's as an RA at Bradford. This was the start of my career and I will be eternally to grateful to him for that. He fuelled my interest in Science History, particularly in Maxwell, Priestley and Tesla. He was always keen to help me, even encouraging me to kick off my PhD again after all these years. We sort of lost touch until early last year and I am so glad we met up again and shared some wonderful lunches with him and Dianne.

The phrase "the world is a less interesting place with him not in it" is absolutely, and I mean absolutely, true in this instance!

My thoughts are with Dianne, Matt and Charlotte at this sad time

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Ann And Rex published a tribute .

Southgate Opera were very fortunate to have Diane and Peter as committed members of the Front of House team for some years, indeed since Matt joined the company. As FOH co-ordinator I need bankers for every performance and Peter was certainly one of those. Matt's parents came to the last show and although he had had bad news about his health we had a brilliant chat-a memory I will hold for a long time.

Ann and I are sad to lose Peter-a true supporter. Love to Diane, Matt and the family.

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Roger Green published a tribute .

I was shocked and somewhat upset when I heard that Peter had died. We knew each other from way back, as I was a PhD student in the mid 70's at Bradford when Peter was an RA. We always got on very well, and, as we all progressed through our careers, and sometimes worked collaboratively, such as on the remote sensing of dust storms, for example! He was definitely an RF man, whereas I am into optical communications and imaging, hence our collaboration on satellite imaging work. In my experience over time, he was always very well regarded and not one of the people about whom one should worry when climbing up the academic system, as he was very honest and straight forward as an individual in his professional life. Very many former PhD and undergraduate students, and staff have benefitted from his approach to research and teaching, and for those qualities alone he will surely be positively remembered. He integrated well with colleagues at Bradford to my certain knowledge, and harmony was his definite thing. He will be sorely missed.

Roger Green, Emeritus Professor, University of Warwick.

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Susan Liggett published a tribute .

In one of his last emails to me in June Peter wrote ‘Sharing my knowledge is a primary reason to push on with living’ . Peter was a remarkable man who lived by this mantra. He had so much to give to so many. He was insightful and perceptive and it was an honor to work with him on the book technology and the arts that was published just over a month ago. His contributions were always really valuable and you could always rely on Peter to get the discussion going in research seminar. I would describe Peter as a Renaissance Man who was interested in the arts as much as the sciences. He engaged audiences and had genuine curiosity for the world. He was very supportive of me in my career, and he never missed graduation day or the art and design degree show.
Just after he retired and on one of his trips to Italy with Dianne Peter sent me a message about the Titian-esque paintings he had seen in a church in San Domingo de la Calzada. He attached a photograph of some chickens under the paintings, probably because he thought I would find it funny. He was right – it made me laugh and this is how I will remember Peter; with a smile and with warmth and gratitude.
My thoughts are with Dianne and the rest of Peter's family.
Susan Liggett, Associate Dean for Research, Faculty of Art Science and Technology, Wrexham Glyndwr University.

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Chamil Abeykoon published a tribute .

Peter was one of the passionate persons that I have ever met in Academia. When, I was at Glyndwr University, I met him a few times as the Dean and also several times in seminars and in short-talks across the corridors. He was always with a nice smile and was an inspirational person. I am sure; he will be very much missed many who have worked with him.

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Rae Earnshaw published a tribute .

Peter and I had a common interest in interdisciplinarity, that is, how science and engineering can contribute to the arts and humanities, and vice versa. And how such contributions can produce a result which is more than the sum of the parts. A risky venture to many who prefer to stay within their own “disciplinary silo”. But Peter was an entrepreneur and a visionary. He could see the future and was keen to prepare for it. Our latest book on technology and the arts (with Dr Susan Liggett and Prof Daniel Thalmann) brought together a number of national and international contributions in this area. He was also interested in the pragmatics and applicability of engineering – “making knowledge work”, as the Bradford motto has it. He was keen to mentor and support colleagues so that they were able to develop their potential and their skills. As others have said – he was completely selfless and tireless in this endeavour, and we are all grateful for his dedication. Whether in the University, on the railways in his beloved Wales, or at a Bettys lunch, he was always on top form and master of his subject. The photo shows Peter and Dianne at a lunch we arranged at Bettys café, near Harrogate in 2017, along with Jacqui and Bill Boffin, who was formerly Director of Innovation and Enterprise in the School of Informatics at the University of Bradford. A lunch is a good place to translate ideas into action. These memories continue with us, and we will always be grateful to Peter for his example and inspiration.
Rae Earnshaw, former Dean and Pro Vice-Chancellor, University of Bradford

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Mohan De Silva published a tribute .

A decent man and a gentleman.

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