This morning, when checking my e-mails, I received a note from the OR Society letting members know that Ken Bowen had died - I can't speak for the rest of the Society, but for me the OR world is now diminished.
Ken was my external supervisor for my PhD at Hatfield Polytechnic between 1986 and 1989 and he was an inspiration for my working life. I am proud to have a copy of his PhD on my bookshelves and to have worked with him twice.
His knowledge was wide ranging and profound. Obviously he was an amazing mathematician, had experience of defence issues, teaching methods and all aspects of OR, but in addition he played cricket until quite recently, was a humanist, and took a lively interest in art and architecture.
He taught me to look for models and heuristic rules in the world around me and to keep thinking in all situations. One example was when he drove round the M25 from Guildford to Hatfield on one of his regular visits - it was a windy day, and once he arrived I took him to the Senior Common Room for coffee. There he described to me how he had developed a model for identifying when he was going to face the worst gusts of wind and to be prepared for them, based on topology and lorry numbers. It wasn't sophisticated, but the lesson was clear in terms of the way one should look at the world around.
Another instance was when I went round to see him at Royal Holloway and Bedford New College at Egham. We spent the morning discussing how my research was progressing and how I could best gather soft intelligence in a structured manner. Then at lunch time he took me to the mansion, so I could see the red brick version of Chambord, as he knew my love of France and Europe, and finally to see the hoard of fine art that the College had, including pictures by the "other James Holland". This was not my father but the Victorian landscape painter, as I had once told Ken that I had not seen any of this other Holland's work.
As a teacher and mentor, in my view he was second to none. I am sure that other former students and colleagues will feel that a wise and cheerful guide and support has been taken away, and that OR may not be quite as rich in the future as it has been in the past.
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