College mourns Emeritus Fellow Dr Dominic Donnelly

We are sorry to learn of the death, on 18 April, of Emeritus Fellow Dominic Donnelly.

John Dominic Paul Donnelly (known as Dominic) came to Exeter in 1958, having already received a BSc from the University of Western Australia. Dominic obtained the highest mark in Mathematics when he sat his Finals, in 1962. He then left Oxford to work in industry, but soon came back, to the Computing Department, as Lecturer in Numerical Analysis. He returned to research and obtained his D.Phil. a few years later.

Dominic was elected to a Fellowship at Exeter in 1970 and served as Official Fellow and Lecturer in Applied Mathematics for 34 years. He lived in College rooms overlooking the Fellows’ Garden and at the time of his retirement, in 2004, was the College’s most longstanding resident. Dominic served Exeter in a variety of ways, beyond his primary responsibilities as a tutorial fellow, including as Sub-Rector 1973-7, and for many years as Senior Member of the Music Society and Treasurer of the Senior Common Room.

In retirement Dominic continued to visit the College occasionally, and to offer assistance where he could. He thereby continued his long-standing interest in the College, including its history and traditions.

Dominic died at his home in London, aged 84.

Photo by Lizzie Maughan