Noticeboard

He died on Monday 24^th June 2024 after a long battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his family, including his newly arrived grandson, William Jonathan Easey.  He leaves a wife Sally who fought the battle at Jon’s side and is now exhausted and will need a rest. Jon endured a very tough couple of months but only really succumbed to the disease in the last few weeks- he fought to the last!

He was father to Benjamin (R03-12), Thomas (R03-16) and Harry (R04-18) as well as brother of Chris Easey (R80-88) and brother-in-law to Jane Easey (V87-89).

We will publish details of the funeral arrangements when known.

He died on Saturday 8^th June 2024 only 12 days after the death of his wife Peggy.

He died peacefully, at the age of 87, in Victoria, British Columbia 20 February 2024. He leaves behind his wife, Dianne Macfarlane; his sons, Tim and Paul; daughter-in-law, Margaret (Tim); grandson, Michael; and granddaughter, Rosa. He was tragically predeceased by his grandson, Thomas Webster, in April 2023.

Brian was born in Ipswich in 1944 and spent all his early years in Framlingham. He went to Brandeston Hall and then to Framlingham College where he developed his love of languages, particularly German. He took French and German at ‘A’ level although he would have liked to have taken a science subject as well, this was not available at the time. He obtained a degree in French and German at King’s College London and then studied for the Kew Diploma at Kew Gardens. After successfully completing the course, he joined the Gardens on a permanent basis as a taxonomic botanist working in the Herbarium. He met his wife to be Oona while living in Kew and they were married in November 1975.

His work at Kew involved many trips around the world. He worked in herbaria in Russia, Australia, New York, Cameroon and Brazil. His work also involved field trips to collect, identify and catalogue plant specimens. Initially his work took him to Malaysia and Africa. On one trip to Kenya the group accidentally strayed across the border into Uganda and were intercepted by troops from Idi Amin’s army. On another to Cameroon he was taken to a local restaurant by one of the local botanists. He did not know what he was eating but was, at the end of the meal, startled to hear his host declare that it was the best armadillo he had ever eaten. After Africa he then made several trips to South America, in particular Brazil, becoming fluent in Portuguese whilst there. Again, these trips were not without incident. One of his first trips was to Venezuela just after the Falkland’s War. Oona had arranged to fly to Caracas to have a holiday with him at the conclusion of the expedition. Oona had not heard from him for several months but that was no surprise considering the location of the trip and the lack of available communication systems at that time. She was, however, surprised to be met by staff from the British Embassy in Caracas who told her they had expected Brian to have already been back but communication was proving difficult. They admitted that they were concerned for his safety. A short while later a car arrived from the Embassy and she was told to pack up and go to the embassy. They had received word that Brian and others were presumed dead and they needed to break the news to her. As she was getting in the car an emaciated dishevelled man appeared from the street – Brian. It turned out that the expedition was a cover for nefarious activities by one of the organisers. He had appropriated the helicopter used to ferry the scientists into the jungle and had abandoned them on the top of a mountain without any food or many supplies. They had to eat monkey and anything that they could forage as they made their slow and perilous way down the mountain and back to civilisation.

In addition to his travels Brian was scientific coordinator on the development and building of a new wing for Kew’s herbarium. He was also involved in the writing of a number of scientific papers, his most significant work was probably much of the writing, editing and bringing to publication a book on the Flora of the Pico Das Almas, Brazil.

In addition to his work at Kew he loved to travel, including making frequent visits back to Suffolk, going to the theatre, sport – he was a hockey blue at King’s, and dining out, and being with family and friends.

For the last twelve years of his life he coped valiantly with Parkinson’s disease refusing to be defined by it, continuing to travel and enjoy a good social life.

Brian passed away 27^th November 2022.

His daughter Jayne sadly advises us that Clive passed away peacefully on 15^th January 2024 aged 85 years.  Clive was part of a long line of ‘Simpsons’ who have attended Framlingham college from 1865 onwards.  He followed his father Frank, and brother Guy to the college and always spoke very fondly of his time spent there.

Clive built a career as an Agricultural Engineer, initially with Eastern County Farmers in Ipswich, and latterly, for many years, with Carriers in Braintree.  He gained a considerable reputation in his field of designing and building grain driers and material elevators used in both agriculture and manufacturing.  He became an expert advisor to Essex University and assisted in setting up a degree course in Agricultural Engineering,  and went on to lecture there and at Writtle College.

Clive enjoyed a long and happy marriage to Judy.  He is survived by his children Jayne and Richard, and grandchildren Guy and Kate.

We have been advised by solicitors that he died in Zimbabwe on 27 October 2023.  He was buried at The Old Cemetery Ipswich on 4th December 2023. No other details know.