Glynn JONES Obituary

To me, Glynn was not only a teacher, but also like a father during my formative years in New Zealand, and later on a dear family friend.

What struck me most was his friendliness. As my PhD supervisor, he had no airs, treating me as an equal (well almost) - something that, as an ethnic Chinese, was initially quite a culture shock to me. We students looked forward to his frequent dropping into the lab to check on our progress and chat with us. Being well traveled and worldly-wise, Glynn had numerous interesting and amusing anecdotes and experiences to regale us. These include (apparently) trivia too - e.g. problems faced by lefties (Glynn was one) like smudging problems when writing, and when tearing a cheque from a chequebook. These are issues that I would otherwise not be aware of, but have gained a new perspective. And it turned out later that my son-in-law is a lefty too. These chats oftentimes lasted well into the evening - a perk of him being single.

Glynn had a superb memory. To explain a theory, he would write down rows upon rows of equations on a blackboard off the top of his head. He could even reel off the 16-digit numbers of his various credit cards - alas, I can´t recall why he would want to do that.

I am thankful for his reference letter - it must have been highly complimentary, as it landed me a lectureship at the Physics Department, National University of Singapore. He had presented seminars there. So too had my former UC lecturers Rod Syme (also co-supervisor), Jack Baggaley, John Campbell and John Ward.

Glynn knew my family well. It was during his visit to NZ that my dad first met him. My parents hosted him in their historical hometown of Malacca. On his many Singapore stopovers, Glynn would stay in my house - once with his fiancee Billa. Every year he would send us a calendar of picturesque NZ. We met Martin and his family in Perth, and Ewen in Paris.
My wife Leng, daughter Jade and I last saw him, and Ewen, during my 2013 class reunion in Christchurch.

Although single for most of his life, Glynn being amiable and caring, was never lonely as besides his family, friends, and former colleagues (like Rod Syme), many of his former graduate students were in frequent contact with him.

He will be dearly missed by all.

Pic 1: Glynn holding up the iconic Marina Bay Sands, on his last sojourn in Singapore (2013).
Pic 2: Brillouin Lab, Physics Dept, National University of Singapore (2006).
Pic 3: 1973 Physics Honours Class Reunion (2013).

What an Uncle! Glynn was a real "Live WIre" & we kids had a lot of fun with him - from driving fast in the V8 that he brought after working at UCLA in California (when America was Good & Honest) to him demonstrating "Speed Reading" to us as kids at Totaranui!
Last year we all took part, when he was awarded an "Enfield Award" at the awards ceremony for his services to Science, what a night!! I am so pleased that he was finally given an honour for the un-recognised scientist that he was - after all we all know that history does go back well before 1992..
Ancestor of Sydney Buckland Harris from Chepstow, Monmouthshire in England arrived 1874 in Little River from the Sailing Ship "Merope", establishing Timber Milling, a Company Store & Bakery with his wife Hannah (nee) Gale, their daughter Clarabelle Beatrice married Willy Waller at St Andrews Church Little River; Glynns father & mother were Joan & Malcolm Duncan Jones of Papanui.

Glynn was a real sport & he will be sadly missed. A real Card!!

My Uncle will be greatly missed by the family.

Very fond memories of Glynn visiting Australia over the years and me visiting Christchurch as a child.

Rip

Corey