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IN

MEMORIAM

CONTINUED

Eddie McKeating, Scottish rugby internationalist John Oliver Bishop, OBE, FRSE We regret to announce
1 September 1936 - 2 May 2021, aged 84 Written by Professor Richard Lathe, a molecular biologist who has held the deaths of the
professorships at the University of Strasbourg, the University of Edinburgh, following members of
This edited obituary from The Scotsman was written by Jack Davidson, and the State University of Pushchino. Richard was a good friend of John.
friend of George Heriot’s School. the Heriot’s community:
Armistead, Martin (1980), April 2021
Eddie McKeating was a six times capped As a 15 year old, an injury sustained when “devastating Scottish defence” and in John Bishop (1953) was a pioneer of molecular cell biology whose career bridged a
Armstrong, Andrew (1947), March 2021
Scottish rugby internationalist who won his caps selected for the school 1st XV as an Scotland’s try by Arthur Smith in a creditable remarkable era in life sciences – from genes to genetic engineering.
playing for Heriot’s FPs, making his debut “emergency” scrum half required an operation 12-5 loss to the unbeaten tourists. He also Ballingall, Ewan (1990), August 2021
Born in Edinburgh, to Mary (née Oliver) and Robert Bishop, John was raised in the nearby
against France in 1957 alongside fellow for removal of his spleen, something which played in the remaining internationals that Binnie, Christopher D (1963), March 2021
town of Bo’ness, where his father was a shopkeeper. He won a scholarship to attend
Herioter and lifelong friend Ken Scotland. would contribute to health issues in later life. season, wins against Wales and Ireland and in a Campbell, Neil (1954), May 2021
George Heriot’s school in Edinburgh, and then studied genetics at Edinburgh University
Despite that setback he resumed playing and narrow defeat to England at Twickenham in a
As a schoolboy he was a prodigiously talented (BSc with first-class honours, 1957), and took a PhD in the same department. In 1959 he Clutterbuck, William (former staff), March 2021
was selected for Scottish Schoolboys against Triple Crown “decider”, which signalled the end
young sportsman, excelling not only at rugby married Jill Spowart, a fellow student. Dakers, William M (1954), June 2021
their English counterparts on New Year’s Day of his international career.
but also athletics and cricket and achieving the Donaldson, Robert (1944), Jan 2021
1955, a resounding victory for the Scots with The couple moved to the US where John worked in the laboratory of Richard Schweet (at
singular honour of captaining Heriot’s school When work required a move to Glasgow in 1963
Eddie excelling by scoring three tries. On the the Medical Research Institute in Duarte, California, and then at the University of Dorfman, Bertrand S (1945), Sep 2020
teams in all three sports. A pacy centre he played for West of Scotland for a few seasons,
track that year he set a record of 10.0s, winning Kentucky) from whom he learned biochemistry. He was introduced to modern cell biology Dougherty, Stephen P (1979), February 2021
threequarter with good hands, an eye for a and was in their team that shared the unofficial
the 100 yards at the Scottish Schools during a summer at MIT, before returning to Edinburgh. Fordyce, James (1947), March 2021
break, and a highly effective tackler, he championship title in 1964/65. Later he turned
Championships, and claimed the British Junior
undoubtedly would have won more caps but for out occasionally for Heriot’s in “Old Crocks” He was recruited in 1962 as a lecturer in the Edinburgh University genetics department, then Gardner, James F (1947), February 2021
title at Reading in the same time, against the
the notorious selectorial inconsistency of the games before finally hanging up his boots. under the leadership of the visionary geneticist Conrad Waddington, to introduce molecular Geddes, Ian W (1973), Feb 2018
wind and the first time he had used starting
era. In athletics he won Scottish Schoolboy titles biology, which John did in spades. In the 1960s he had five first-name papers in the journal (informed May 2021)
blocks. Placing his performances in perspective, He was invited to play for Barbarians on their
at 100 yards, long jump and in the relay while Nature. He discovered that the building blocks (amino acids) that make up proteins are joined Gould, Morton (1945), July 2021
the Scottish and British senior sprint titles that Easter tour in 1961 but, having committed
his most notable achievement on the track was one by one in the growing chain in the same direction as the gene – from the beginning to Gow, Peter (1976), May 2021
year were won in 10.3s. and 10.0s. respectively. himself to be an usher at Ken Scotland’s
winning the A.A.A.’s (British) Junior title at 100 the end; and, unexpectedly, that there was only a single haemoglobin gene in chick red blood
wedding, turned down the invitation, which in Greenshields, Robert Victor (1947),
yards, relegating future senior British athletics After school he made his debut for the F P’s in cells. He also showed that each cell contains 10,000-15,000 genes. January 2021
those days was never extended a second time.
and England rugby internationalist John Young September 1955 and was selected for national
He attracted and trained many young scientists, who were enormously influenced by his Leys, Calum (1983), May 2021
to second place. On the cricket square he was a trials later that year. By then he was doing In 1962 Eddie married Catherine Boyce at
analytical skills, logical thought and creativity. He often startled speakers at scientific Lyall, James B (1954), February 2021
gifted all-rounder who played six years in the National Service in the RAF, initially in England Colinton Mains Church, Edinburgh, having
meetings by offering a closely reasoned but entirely different interpretation of their results Mackay, John Gordon (1960), May 2021
school XI, making his debut aged only 13. where he played for not only them and known each other since schooldays. The couple
– and he was almost always right. He acquired for this reason a daunting reputation, also
Combined Services, but also London Scottish went on to enjoy over 50 years of happy Mackenzie, Thomas S (1960), June 2020
Edward McKeating was born in Edinburgh to because he did not suffer fools gladly, and was on occasion abrasive. To those who worked
and Kent in the English Counties’ championship. marriage and had two children, Grant and McGregor, Ian A (1941), July 2021
Walter and Matilda, the middle child of three. with him, however, he was a lion: intelligent, fearless and inspiring.
Gayle. He worked initially for William Thyne and
His father was a director of the footwear After a winning debut against France in McKeating, Edward (1954), May 2021
Co in the packaging business and then moved He was elected to the European Molecular Biology Organization in 1978 and made a fellow
manufacturers David Keir and Sons Ltd. Scotland’s first win in Paris since 1949 and Mill, John Stuart (former RE Teacher, 1980s),
to the Glasgow area, where the family lived for of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1980. In the 1980s he was at the forefront of the
Together with older brother Walter and sister contributing to another win against Wales, March 2021
almost 20 years. In the early 1980s, after Edinburgh project that generated the first transgenic sheep – laying the foundations for the
Cynthia, he was brought up in the Warriston Eddie – for no apparent reason – was not Munro, Derick A (1954), March 2021
Eddie’s appointment as Sales Director for Fields
area, near Heriot’s sports ground at Goldenacre, selected again till 1961. Meantime, he resumed emergence of the Dolly the Sheep initiative under Ian Wilmut. Sinclair, George (1945), died August 2021
Packaging, the family moved to Newcastle,
which in retrospect may have seemed as a mainstay of the Heriot’s team, with whom He also coordinated the bid that resulted in the establishment in 1989 of the AFRC centre Thornton, James Brian (1952), August 2020
where they remained.
preordained, given its role in his sporting career. he also excelled at 7-a sides, winning twice at for genome research at the university, which later evolved into the Scottish Centre for
Melrose in 1957 and 1958, as well as playing in In retirement he enjoyed golf at Regenerative Medicine. Having progressed through senior lecturer and reader, he was
A near neighbour was Ken Scotland, with whom
another two finals, and was regularly selected Northumberland Golf Club and bowls at
he went through school, playing in the same appointed to a personal chair in molecular cell biology at the university in 1989, and the
for Edinburgh District, helping them win the Gosforth Bowling Club, where he was a popular
teams. The sports-mad youngsters used to climb following year took a sabbatical as distinguished professor at the University of Maryland,
inter district championship in 1960/61. member. A sociable individual with a good
over the wall out of hours into Goldenacre to act Baltimore. He retired from Edinburgh University in 2000.
sense of humour and a loyal friend, family was
out their sporting dreams, sometimes abruptly He also played for a combined Outside the laboratory, he was an avid player of squash and basketball, and also had a
the central pillar in his life. Eddie is survived by
halted by a groundsman protective of his Edinburgh/Glasgow team against Paris in the deep interest in politics and history. John’s 80th birthday was celebrated in Edinburgh by
his sister, children and grandchildren Euan,
facilities. At school, games master Donald Hastie French capital and the touring South Africans, scientists from the US and Russia.
Bethan, Kirsty, Lara and Darcy.
nurtured Eddie’s ability at rugby and athletics before being recalled a couple of months later
John was deeply affected by the death of his son Robbie in 1991, and that of Jill in 2003.
while cricket pro Arthur Creber and teacher L L to the Scotland team to play the Springboks at
He is survived by their son, Jonathan, daughter, Lisa, and three grandchildren, Phoebe,
Mitchell did likewise with bat and ball. Murrayfield. There he played his part in a
Sandy, and Aiden.