Obituary: Emeritus Professor Ken Simkiss

We are sorry to announce the death of Emeritus Professor Kenneth Simkiss. Ken died peacefully on 17 August after a long battle with Alzheimer’s dementia.

Ken joined the University in 1955 as a PhD student and after completing his thesis moved to the Department of Zoology at Queen Mary College, London University.

He returned to the University of Reading as a Reader in the Department of Physiology and Biochemistry between 1965-68.

After four years back at Queen Mary College as Professor and Head of the Department of Zoology and Comparative Physiology, Ken took up the position of Professor of Pure and Applied Zoology at the University of Reading in 1972 until he retired in 1999.

In addition, Ken served as Head of Research for the School of Animal and Microbial Sciences from 1994-97 and was also a member of the University Senate.

Ken’s research interests focused on bone and biomineralization in animal systems. For his PhD this was egg shells, later in his career this included snails, fish, crabs and oysters.

He was at heart a researcher and held 28 research grants from 1962 to 2000. He wrote 178 peer-reviewed papers and four books; Bird Flight (1964), Calcium in Reproductive Systems (1967), Bone and Biomineralization (1975) and Biomineralization (1989 with his long term collaborator Karl Wilbur).

After retirement, Ken enjoyed gardening, writing fiction and painting. After the death of his wife Nancy in 2018, Ken moved to Barnt Green, Worcestershire, to be nearer family. He is survived by his daughter, two son’s and eight grandchildren.

Ken’s funeral will be held on Monday 14 September at 15:30 at Waseley Hills Crematorium, New Inns Lane, Rubery, Birmingham B45 9TS.

Refreshments will follow at Barnt Green Sailing Club, Cofton Church Lane, Cofton Hackett, Birmingham B45 8BH. Colleagues are welcome.

Written by Ken’s son, Dr Doug Simkiss, University of Warwick, D.E.Simkiss@warwick.ac.uk