Brian Anthony Nevett, aged 84, passed away peacefully on the 10th of May, 2019. He is loved and will be missed by his wife Carol, his daughters Claire (Ian), Stephanie (Mark) and Sara, by his grandchildren Rosalind, Ellie, Nathan, Amelia, Ella and Thomas, and by his sister Patricia (Tom). Brian was born on the 12th of August, 1934 to James and Eileen (De Freyne) Nevett in Wandsworth, Surrey. He spent his school days at Wimbledon College, and later studied at the Battersea College of Technology, now the University of Surrey, earning a Bachelor of Science degree, followed by a Ph.D. in Inorganic Chemistry. During his postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Minnesota, he met and fell in love with Carol, whom he married in December, 1961. Of their relationship, people said that she would liven him up, and he would calm her down, and this remained true for the rest of their marriage. They moved to the UK in 1967, first to Hull and then, because of his career, to Brighton and the University of Brighton. Here he carried out research and taught for over thirty years, until his retirement. His research produced publications and patents, and through his teaching he touched the lives of countless students. Later, as Head of Chemistry he helped to guide his department through a period of considerable change, ensuring its continued survival and success. As he settled into his life in Brighton, he and Carol started a family, having daughters Claire, Stephanie and Sara, to whom he was a loving and devoted dad. To them he was at various times: taxi driver, homework tutor, dispenser of sage advice, victim of their pranks, and the parent who could invariably be persuaded to say ‘yes’. He had many interests: he had a life-long love of steam trains; in his younger years he enjoyed sailing; he was fond of cycling and riding motorbikes; he relished being outdoors, whether walking in the countryside or in the mountains, and took pleasure in the plants and wildlife he saw there; he was a devoted supporter of Brighton and Hove Albion, through good times and bad; he had a great curiosity for technology and gadgets, having an uncanny ability to fix anything that was broken; and he took great pride in his garden. After he retired, he had time to enjoy travel, and he and Carol had many adventures, exploring France and the the western United States by motorhome, and climbing mountains in the Lake District, Ireland and the Spanish Islands.

To summarize a life is difficult, but Brian cared for those he loved with devotion, offered words of wisdom and advice when helpful, and was described by people who met him as a gentleman. In fact, he was truly a gentle man.