DR DAVID CRAWFORD
Dear Colleagues & Friends,
It is with great sadness that we pass on the news that a
long-time colleague and friend, Dr David Crawford, passed away in late
December. This notice will go to all in the School of Physics although many of
David’s peers and friends are now long retired. Please pass this notice to any
who may not receive this email directly.
David began his career at Sydney University in 1960 as a
member of the Falkiner Nuclear Department, working on cosmic ray showers. He
submitted his PhD thesis in 1965, titled “The electron structure of extensive
air showers”. He then spent three years as a post-doctoral researcher at
Cornell University, USA, working on the structure function and distribution of
electron-proton cascades. David and his wife June had moved to Cornell
University, along with several of his University colleagues, under the Cornell-Sydney
University Astronomy Centre agreement brokered by Professors Harry Messel and
Tom Gold.
On his return to Sydney in 1969, David joined the Astrophysics Department under Professor Bernard Mills and he continued there until his retirement in 2003. While in this group, he worked extensively in the field of cosmology, including on radio source counts, and developed many sophisticated software and analysis packages to process observations from the Molonglo Telescope. He was also a valued member of the School’s teaching staff. David will be long remembered as a talented and innovative scientist and computer expert. He continued publishing papers after retirement and retained strong connections with colleagues from his time working on cosmic rays.
There will be a memorial service held in the Magnolia Chapel
at the Macquarie Park Crematorium on Friday 10th January at 12pm. We believe
that friends and colleagues would be welcome to attend. If you would like
further information, please contact David’s son James Crawford whose mobile
number is +61 414 254 675
With warm wishes and condolences,
Emeritus Professor Anne Green On behalf of Professor Tara
Murphy
(Head of School of Physics)
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