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During his stay in Dublin, Stan's primary research interests moved from the fungi to the actinomycetes (then known as ray fungi) when it became clear to him that there was little research activity in the UK focused on these organisms, despite their importance in agriculture, industry and medicine. On his return to the Hartley Botanical Laboratories in Liverpool, he became the fourth man in a highly active group of soil microbiologists led by the mycologist Professor Alan Burges, with Denis Parkinson (fungi) and Tim Gray (bacteria). Those of us who, like Stan, come from what were then considered to be humble backgrounds can still remember the fascination, fun and excitement of being introduced to the microbial world by Stan and his colleagues. As a bonus, Stan provided advice on the skills needed to cope with the ups and downs of life within and outwith the University of Liverpool. Like Tim and Denis, he was a good friend, marvellous teacher and patient counsellor.
Over the years, Stan's research interests were many and varied, as exemplified by his studies on heterothallism in fungi, bacteriophage ecology, the role of micro-organisms in the decomposition of organic matter and nutrient cycling in soil and on the production of tastes and odours in drinking water. He was also a pioneer in the development of techniques for scanning electron microscopy of microbes. However, Stan will be remembered most for his ‘life with the actinomycetes’. He made many contributions to actinomycete ecology and systematics with particular reference to acidophilic and neutrophilic streptomycetes. In his early days as a streptomycete systematist, he contributed to the International Streptomyces Project and soon went on to establish himself as the leader of an international centre of excellence in actinomycete biology attracting a succession of talented PhD students from home and abroad. Together with his young co-workers, he developed innovative methods for the isolation and identification of actinomycetes, studied growth and spore formation in streptomycetes and was actively involved in the search and discovery of useful metabolites together with a range of industrial partners. Stan adopted a pragmatic approach to all of his research activities and had a real knack of stripping complex issues down to their bare essentials.
Stan's many contributions to actinomycete biology were celebrated worldwide and brought him into contact with other leading figures in this specialized field, notably with Romano Locci in Italy, Helge Gyllenberg in Finland, Lev Kalakoutskii, Vladimir Kuznetsov and Tatiana Preobrazkenskaya in the Soviet Union, Wlodzimierz Kurylowicz and Marian Mordarski in Poland, Helmut Prauser in East Germany and Malin Ridell in Sweden, as well as with colleagues closer to home, such as Tom Cross, Dorothy Jones and Peter Sneath.
A much-deserved accolade came Stan's way when he was elected to join the Board of the Bergey's Manual Trust. He subsequently became Chairman of the Board and steered the Trust through turbulent times. Stan, together with Becky Sharpe and Jack Holt, was responsible for editing the current edition of Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology devoted to the actinomycetes. In more recent times, Stan's energies were devoted to running the Department of Genetics and Microbiology at Liverpool University, a cross he bore stoically! This activity culminated in the launch of the School of Biological Sciences in 1996, a successful academic construct which is a testimony to Stan's managerial prowess. This task completed, Stan promptly retired and returned to Birkenhead, his family, his books and his music.
Stan was respected for his contributions to the scientific community but was also much liked as a fair-minded free spirit. He advocated fairness in all areas of human activity and could be scathing about those who worked solely on behalf of themselves. He was always pleased to have the opportunity to advance his own views, but never allowed his beliefs to compromise the humanity of his opponents. Not surprisingly, he was the only acceptable member of the academic staff to preview and ‘edit’ the scurrilous Christmas magazine produced by the postgraduate students in the mid-sixties. He was much admired for his ability to bring lively arguments and discussions to a head with highly apposite one-liners. Many of the latter were original, but some were drawn from the likes of William Shakespeare and Bill Shankly; one of Stan's favourite quotes was ‘humility is young ambition's ladder’. Indeed, it was Stan's understanding of the human psyche together with his professional and family interests that were the basis of his being, an essence that was topped up by his love of music, especially Wagner, and animals, particularly cats. On one famous occasion, a family holiday was almost cancelled because Stan needed to keep an eye on a family of hedgehogs that had taken up residence in the garden.
It was Stan's good fortune that he enjoyed a simple lifestyle together with his wife Kath, who was a tower of strength and support behind the scene. Stan was happiest pottering around the house and attending to his beloved garden. He and Kath enjoyed many happy years together with their children Anne and David, but they were all dealt a cruel blow when David, as an energetic and engaging teenager, was struck down with a rare form of cancer that claimed his life several years later. Following his retirement, Stan's happiness was restored as he was able to spend many happy times with David's daughter, Becky, and more recently with Anne's son, Matthew.
It is most fitting that Stan's contributions to actinomycete biology have been recognized by Peter Kämpfer, who proposed a new genus of actinomycetes – the genus Williamsia – ‘named to honour a British microbiologist for his numerous contributions to the taxonomy and ecology of actinomycetes.’ It is particularly comforting at the present time that Stan will be remembered in this way by the microbiological community – though a fortunate few will remember him as a sensitive, caring and supportive friend. The world would be a much better place if it were populated by more people like Stan.
Stan married Kath Twentyman in 1962. Kath survives him, as does their daughter Anne.
I acknowledge the assistance of Romano Locci, Tim Gray and Alan McCarthy in writing this obituary. They all in their different ways knew Stan well and appreciated his many sterling qualities.
Mike Goodfellow, University of Newcastle
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