It is with deepest sadness that we have to report the death of Miss Anne Chapman FIMF. She had been an active member of the IMF for almost 50 years and was the recipient of the IMF's highest accolade, the Gold Medal, in 2017, the Eddie Marlow Medal in 2010 for outstanding contributions to the education and training of people in the surface engineering sector, as well as the Samuel Field Medal in 2009 for her extraordinary voluntary services to the IMF.
Anne died in January 2023 and such was her nature that she requested there should not be any funeral or memorial for her. She was born in 1931 in Brentford, West London, where she spent most of her life. After leaving school she joined the International Tin Research Institute (ITRI), where she spent her whole professional career; ITRI subsequently became the International Tin Association. She was recruited to ITRI by Dr Joseph Cuthbertson, who was later President of the IMF between 1953 and 1955; she worked with him on the electrodeposition of tin alloys and their analyses. Among other things, Anne also worked on the development of lead free solders, the use of butyl tin and the detection of lead in tin coatings in the food industry; these interests and her skills as an analytical chemist, resulted in numerous publications and citations. Through her activities at ITRI, she developed a lasting interest in tin plating and was a major source of information about this and alloy plating technologies.
Anne first became involved in the IMF in 1975 and she quickly took on an increasingly active role in its operations and management. Anne was always very contemplative and quiet, yet very articulate. When she spoke, everyone paid attention to her comments and no-one could or would disagree with her. Her skills were used to their maximum when she became the Institute's Honorary Secretary General between 1997 and 2000. This was a particularly troubled time for the Institute and resulted in Anne also taking on the role of office manager because the incumbent office manager left suddenly and finding a replacement proved difficult. Anne would come into the office virtually every week for a couple of days and took control of the day-to-day running of it; not something she expected to do when she agreed to be Hon Sec. Gen.! Later, Anne became a very active member of the Institute's Examinations and Qualifications Board, where her moderating influence was always much appreciated. Again, she was very contemplative and thoughtful, while also being considerate and forward thinking. She was also very demanding in the correct use of English! In addition, she served for a number of years on the IMF Publications Committee, playing a full part in generating material for Transactions.
In 1999 Anne was invited by the Master of London's Worshipful Company of Tinplate Workers alias Wire Workers, Beresford Barry, to become a Liveryman. She quickly became a very active member of the Livery company as well as serving on its Education, Enterprise and Charities Committee, which awards prizes and grants to both worthwhile students and charities.
Towards the end of her life, Anne became increasingly aware of her failing health, so she was keen to relinquish all her responsibilities, as she felt she could no longer fulfil her obligations. However, it was such that her contributions were so highly valued that she was coerced into remaining active for an extra year.
Anne liked to relax away from West London and she would escape to Kings Lynn, Norfolk and later to Poole, Dorset, but she always retained living in her beloved Brentford/ Ealing area.