ALAN GRAY                                                                                                       186 Dilston Rd. Elswick district 

                                                                                                                                                    b 23  JUL  1924

                                                                                                                                                    d 09 MAY 1999

Born in Westgate, the only son of HAROLD GRAY. Moved to Leeds with his family aged 11. Educated at Roundhay school and was a war-time graduate of Sheffield University where he gained a special honours degree in physics and radio physics at the age of only19.

He worked during WW II on the then secret radar in southern England, afterwards for many years with C A Parsons in Newcastle. (Sir Charles Parsons being the inventor of the steam turbine and built the first steam turbine powered ship SS Turbinia, now exhibited in the Science Museum Newcastle.) 

Alan spent his career with CA Parsons firstly building large power generators for the CEGB, then culminating in the building of the Tennessee Valley hydro-electric installations in America   Problem solving was always his speciality

With the advent of nuclear power, he became involved with turbo-generator instrumentation and control and initiated the first computer-controlled turbo-generator system.

In the latter years of his time with CA Parsons, Alan became Chief Engineer of the telescope subsidiary Grubb Parsons leading the design team that built the Anglo Australian telescope.

He believed that an alt-azimuth mount and control system of telescopes to be superior to that currently in vogue, but it was not accepted by the then establishment.

It was only in the final years of his career that he was able to design and build such a system for the 4 metre William Herschel telescope on La Palma that his view and his expertise triumphed. In particular it was also the first telescope to be operated remotely by computer. The control being from the Royal British Observatory at Herstmonceaux in Sussex. 

Alan served on the IEE for very many years, first with the North-East Centre Radio and Measurement Section. He was the first chairman of the Reading Area Electronics Section, Thames Valley Centre Treasurer, Reading Area Treasurer and Honorary Secretary, member of the Control Board, and member of the Institution’s Membership Committee.

He was a friend and mentor to many in the IEE including two Presidents.

He continued his support for others through the Institute of Electrical Engineers, a lifelong member, after becoming a Fellow in 1963.

Chief Engineer of the company building projects on the worldwide stage.

In 1948 Married Doreen BARBARA Coveney a schoolteacher from Leeds.          b Hither Green London 20 NOV 1924  

    1  ELIZABETH GRAY                               b  5 APR  1949

    2  STEPHEN PETER GRAY                      b 12 MAR 1951 

Alan lived at 18 Midhurst Rd, then 43 Woodside Darras Hall. 

After his retirement he and Barbara moved south to Wokingham, 50

Sewell Avenue to live near their son and daughter.

In May 1999 Alan suffered a minor stroke, then shortly after,

a series of more serious ones, and died 09 May 1999.