It is with extreme sadness that we share the news of the passing of Honorary Professor Brian Cherry – a scholar and true gentleman. Brian was an ACA stalwart and institution (he joined as a Member in 1969), and was a teacher, friend and mentor to many. He was highly respected and regarded in all the circles he moved in.
Brian passed away peacefully on Friday 27 April after a long illness, with his wife Miriam and family around him. Nick Birbilus, (Professor and Head of Monash University’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering), who was one of Brian’s last PHD students, had the honour to work with him and knew him well wrote…
“He was a founding member of the ‘Department of Materials Engineering’ at Monash, was instrumental at Monash as a part of the faculty executive as the pivotal Associate Dean of Research in Engineering, and he was also instrumental in the modern postgraduate research degrees at Monash (as a whole) – a key legacy. Above all, he was a gentleman, an educator, and a mentor to generations. He richly deserved the title of Mr. Corrosion (actually, Professor Corrosion!!) in Australia and he will be greatly missed.
Brian was a regular in the department ever since retirement and diagnosis of illness approximately 20 years ago. His attitude towards significant illness, his resilience, open-ness to new treatments, his bravery, strength and spirit are an inspiration to everyone. Here is a photo of Brian sailing to one of the annual ACA conferences on his yacht (never one for a regular entrance) with his wife, Miriam.”
