William Murray LAW

1930 - 2020

LAW William Murray Passed away peacefully, at Saint Andrews House Care Home, in the early hours of Saturday, 8th February, 2020, aged 89. He was born in Glasgow, in 1930 and moved to his parents home town St Andrews in 1944, where his father was manager of the British Linen Bank on Market Street. From being Dux in maths and science at his school, Madras College, he went on to take an honours maths degree at St Andrews University. After graduating at the age of 19 he and a French friend cycled over the Alps (in his kilt). Their adventures included passing through an armed police roadblock in Nice after the Begum Ali Khan's jewels had been stolen on their way to Monte Carlo and Italy. On completion of his national service as a flying officer in the RAF he took up a position in ICI 's automatic control laboratory at The Frythe in Welwyn. Then moving to the north east, he and his team programmed the world's first computer to control a hazardous chemical plant, the Olefine catcracker at ICI Wilton. Following the installation of further successful computer control systems to optimise production of ICI Terylene plants in Belfast and Rotterdam. He gave a series of lectures in Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, Barcelona, Milan and Helsinki, the last at the third IFAC/IFIP Conference on digital computer applications to process control before an audience of 300 fellow scientists. In 1981 he took early retirement from ICI and went on a six week tour of the US Canada and Mexico with his two daughters including the Chicago Henrotin Hospital, where their mother Jean Slater had been supervisor of theatre nurses before their marriage in 1957. Mr Law then taught for a few years at Chester Catholic High School before returning to his first interest computing and joining the Cheshire County Council's initiative to provide computers to all the county's schools. He retired again to follow his varied hobbies, including the study of astronomy and cosmology and genealogy. One year after the death of his first wife he returned to his beloved St Andrews and traced his family tree back to 1638. He was very proud of his links to the town, eg his great-grandfather, Judge Greig, was responsible for putting gas street lights into the town and the step rock pool. He had fond memories of accompanying his great-grandfather as the plots were auctioned for the llamas fair. His aunt Nelly who was amongst the first women to graduate from St Andrews University. He met and fell in love with Ann Buckingham on holiday in Egypt and married her in February 2001. They travelled extensively, covering every continent. He chose to move to St Andrews Care Home for the last two years of his life where he greatly appreciated the staff and the food, especially Sundays. His last act was to donate his body to St Andrews University. He was clever, kind and generous and will be greatly missed by his children Stuart, Moira and Elizabeth and his sister Morag.