DoC's First Senior Tutor Sady Passes Away

We are sorry to report the death of Professor Stephen Goldsack, who passed away peacefully at his home on 28th July 2011, aged 84 years.

Stephen was appointed to a new CDC funded chair in the then Department of Computing and Control in February 1972, having formerly been a Reader in the Physics Department and leader of a group providing computer-based analysis of high energy particle tracks. Stephen was the first person to hold the position of Senior Tutor in the department. Indeed his appointment seems to have been suggested by then Rector of Imperial College, Lord William Penney in order to strengthen the academic leadership in Computing in time for the first undergraduate course.

Besides bringing recent experience of College procedures and undergraduate teaching to support the late Professor Manny Lehman, then the newly appointed Head of the Computing Section, Stephen also played a major role in supporting those in the Section who were trying to develop more effective methods for software development. In the 1980s he also developed a group focusing on Ada based software for industrial application, one of the areas which would help strengthen the the Department's good relationship with the Computer industry.

Stephen's real passion however seems to have been with teaching and scholarship. Although the Bachelor degree course he helped foster had its roots in the pre-existing software-oriented MSc and the earlier Postgraduate Diploma, the success of this first undergraduate course, with many more students, a well founded laboratory, and a fine record in both teaching and student care helped in ensure that the Department of Computing emerged as a leading UK department in the field by the mid 1980s, with a new four-year undergraduate Master's programme as well as strength in research.

Professor Goldsack retired in 1991, although he remained active and was a Senior Research Investigator in the Department until September 1999. He was well thought of by his colleagues because he was also a kind man with family interests in music. Besides raising their own three children, Stephen and his wife Ginette (a professional musician) adopted one injured Vietnamese war child, and supported another. He is missed by all those who knew him and our sincere condolences go out to his family and friends.

Written by: rsi