Dr Winifred Wood 1921 - 2009
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
In Memory of Dr Winifred Wood who died on October 24th 2009 aged 88.
Winifred Wood came to Reading University to do a PhD with Professor John Hunt in the 1960s after leaving a career in school teaching, subsequently becoming Lecturer in the Department of Mathematics.
Together with Professor Bill Morton she set up the MSc in the Numerical Solution of Differential Equations in the early 70s, a course that still continues today. She was an exceptionally good teacher, popular and well liked by both students and staff, and continued to teach on the MSc well after retirement until she was in her 80s.
Her research was concerned with the numerical analysis of flow in rivers and aquifers, much of it in association with Sir William Halcrow & Partners. She also collaborated with Ann Calver on a number of research projects at the Institute of Hydrology. Winifred was a very practical researcher who published books and many helpful articles for research workers. Postgraduate students who benefitted from her supervision included Alan Craig, Paul Samuels, Andrej Trkov, Steven Woolnough, Jon Wilson and Ben Weston, many of whom have gone on to highly successful careers in Academia and Industry.
When she eventually gave up teaching on the MSc Course it was to take up a new interest away from mathematics into art and literature. She joined a women's group on the campus and spent some time researching the life of Anne Cresacre who was brought up by Sir Thomas More. Her interests were far reaching and she never lost her lively edge. She will be missed.