Obituary by Paul's Wife

We are sad to share the news that Dr Paul Pal, former deputy Director of the Computer Centre, Royal Holloway, died in December 2023.

Many of Paul’s friends, colleagues and ex-students will fondly remember him for his kindness and warm personality. Paul was Director of the Bedford College Computer Unit from 1972 until 1985. Then in 1985, when Bedford College merged with Royal Holloway, Paul, together with a number of members of his staff, transferred to the Egham campus, where he took up the position of deputy-Director of the Computer Centre, RHBNC.  Paul took early retirement in 1999 but remained part-time as statistical consultant until 2009, during which period he taught statistics and the use of statistical methods and packages to postgraduate students in several College departments, as well as giving individual statistical advice to many Ph.D. and MSc. students.

Paul gained his BSc. and MSc. from the University of London, having arrived from India in 1962. In 1972, under the supervision of Dr Michael R. Hoare, he gained his Ph.D. from Bedford College in the field of Nucleation and Condensed Matter Physics. He was active in the international academic community for more than 35 years. In collaboration with Dr Michael Hoare and Yale Professor Peter Wegener, he published in several venues in the fields of Condensed Matter Physics and Nucleation, and was invited to speak at international conferences in Europe and the USA. Latterly, his research interests and publications spread into applying his statistical insights to Epidemiology and Parasitology in collaboration with the late Professor John Lewis. After 2009 Paul continued to take an active interest in research and maintained contact with the College and Professor Lewis on an honorary basis until his health started to deteriorate in 2016.

Paul had a strong interest in, and wide knowledge of, music (especially Beethoven), literature and philosophy. He valued his Indian heritage, having studied literature at “Tagore’s Universtity” —Visva-Bharati  in West Bengal — prior to coming to England.

Paul was diagnosed with vascular dementia a few years ago, but maintained his happiness at home. He passed away on 17th December 2023 following complications after a minor stroke a few days earlier.

Details provided by Paul’s wife.