Dr John Patterson (1973)

Dr. John Philip Patterson

23.2.1954 - 19.3.2025

John was educated at Bury Grammar School, Lancashire, and having received his A level results, applied for, and was successful in obtaining a place At Queens’ College to read Natural Sciences. He then stayed in Cambridge where he obtained his PhD.

John joined BNFL (British Nuclear Fuels) in 1979, gaining experience and promotion through Operational Management for 10 years at Springfields, near Preston, then Business Development at Risley, near Warrington.

During his management positions in Research and Development, he travelled to both Japan and Russia several times. The latter included travelling Aeroflot to Siberia to visit a closed Russian city, and picnicking on the banks of the Nevsky river in St Petersburg at midnight with the Russian hosts.

From 1992 to 2007 when he retired, he had several senior posts with the company. He was Head of Research at Sellafield, Cumbria, followed by Head of Materials Technology, Head of Fuel Technology and then finally a member of the Executive of BNFL. In 1999 he was a member of a small senior project team negotiating the proposed partial privatisation of the company for the government.

He was made an Honorary Visiting Professor of the University of Manchester in 2004.

In 2007 he joined Alstom Power in Baden, Switzerland where he was the Director of Materials and Chemistry until 2010 after which he was the University Relations Manager, developing worldwide university collaboration agreements.

John joined M&I Materials, Manchester in 2012 as Technical Director for the company which manufactures transformer insulating fluid, silicon carbide resistors, tungsten heavy alloy components and vacuum oils and greases. John finally retired in September 2017.

John had volunteered for the National Trust at Dunham Massey near Altrincham for over 13 years. He would be found in the Elizabethan Mill on Sundays, explaining the history of the mill and operating the waterwheel and saw. Latterly, he had been driving the buggy, taking visitors from the car park to the Hall.

John leaves behind Janet, his wife of almost 45 years, son Simon, daughter Rachael, daughter-in-law Line, and grandchildren Alfie and Ida.