Obituary – Fred Haynes Councillor SPS

Fred died very suddenly at the beginning of 2007 and was buried at the Sustainability Centre near East Meon on the 12th January. Fred was a very special man. He was our expert member on the SPS Council in all matters relating to the ecology of the Solent and was particularly well qualified for this work. He joined us on the Council in 1995 after a distinguished career as Head of Botany at Portsmouth University.

He directed post graduate research into aerial and aquatic pollution and organised an extensive study of the ecology of Langstone Harbour. He was chairman of the Langstone Harbour Board Advisory Committee for many years until his untimely death.

He was a Conservation Officer for the British Lichen Society and a member of the Conservation Committee of the Botanical Society of the British Isles.

He was one of the few members of Council, probably in the whole country, who actually read the papers that are produced by the EC and government on ecological matters and  was able to provide us with an informed  and readable assessment of their value – or lack of it.

Fred was also an accomplished musician, both as a conductor and instrumentalist, playing the clarinet, French horn and percussion. He was a practical man, willing to undertake many tasks long before we heard of DIY.

I always found Fred a very easy friend, always available with help and advice and undemanding in return. May we offer his wife Brenda and the family our sincere condolences; we have all lost a lovely man.