Tribute to Eric Raymond (Lou) Vance (15th November, 1942–7th March, 2019)

Abstract

1 School of Physics and Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia 2 Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Kirrawee DC, NSW, Australia 3 School of Materials Science and Engineering, UNSW, Sydney, NSW, Australia 1 “Dr Eric ‘Lou’ Vance Memorial Award”. (Any reader who would like to donate to the fund, which has been established to maintain this award into the future, is welcome to make a contribution either by sending a cheque to: The Principal, Stawell Secondary College. P.O. Box 202, Stawell, Victoria. 3380; or by making a direct deposit to: Dr Eric “Lou” Vance Memorial Award, BSB: 063528 A/C No.: 10009073). Eric Raymond Vance, known as Lou to almost all of his friends and colleagues, was born in Ararat but during his childhood the family moved to Stawell where his father, Albert Louis Vance, established a pharmacy business. From his commencement at Stawell High School, (now known as Stawell Secondary College), it was very soon apparent that Lou was a person of exceptional abilities. He had a remarkable capacity for scholastic achievement, exhibiting from the early years sharp insight, industry and unusual inventiveness. He scored outstanding results at all levels through these years, culminating in First-Class Honours in all subjects and four General Exhibitions in his Matriculation in 1959. To this day, the college authorities consider Eric Raymond Vance to have been one of their most talented students and a special award now given annually to the brightest science student, is named in his honour1. Lou was also a most competitive sportsman, excelling in football, cricket, tennis and golf in his youth but settling for the last two in his later years. His golfing friends from his young days remember him being equally skilled on a golf course, either right-handed or left-handed, depending on the availability of either his sister’s clubs (right-handed) or his father’s clubs (left-handed) but he remained left-handed for his personal clubs. Lou was also a very keen bridge player and he and his wife, Jan, spent a lot of time playing bridge during the winters while they were living in Canada. Following a B.Sc. from The University of Melbourne, Lou graduated with a Ph.D. in Physics from Monash University in 1968, with a thesis entitled “A Study of Gamma Manganese and Some of its Alloys” for which he researched the antiferromagnetism in manganese alloys, under the supervision of the late Associate Professor Jack Smith. He then held research positions around the world, summarised as follows: