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“If
there is another world, he lives in bliss…
If there is none, he made the best of
this”.
Robert Burns
James (Jim)
Mullin, born in Maybole on 4th
November 1939, passed away peacefully on
April 6th 2013, surrounded by his
family, in Kanata, Ontario, Canada.
He was the
elder son of the late James Mullin and Mrs.
Isabella Mullin of Maybole, who for many
years ran a bakery business next to the Town
Hall. He won the Ramsay Medal, and was
school dux at Carrick Academy before going
to Glasgow University where he graduated BSc
(Hons) in Mathematics and Natural
Philosophy.
He
emigrated to Canada shortly after
graduating. He worked initially as a
physicist for
Atomic Energy Canada Limited (AECL). After
only five years, he was appointed Secretary
and later Deputy Executive Director of the
Science Council of Canada. This was a start
to a long and distinguished career in
science policy work, for the last 40 years
primarily working internationally. |
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He met Nelson Mandela when
he was called to the new South Africa to help them
create a new science policy. He advised in places as
diverse as Australia, China, Palestine, South Africa,
Venezuela, and many other parts of the world. For a
time he chaired the OECD’s Science and Technology
Committee, and held many other international advisory
posts. In recognition of his life’s work, in 1998 he was
elected a Fellow of the World Academy of Art and
Science.
Friends and family in
Scotland however, will most remember him from his days
as a boy in Maybole. He was a patrol leader in the 10th
Ayrshire scouts, and indeed there are photographs on the
Maybole website of the
1954 visit
to Germany with the scouts. He loved to walk with
friends up Mochrum, and at times would even walk to
Turnberry in search of golf balls. He played Rugby at
school and continued this after emigrating, playing club
Rugby in Canada. As someone commented, they had never
seen a scrum half run so fast, so near to the ground!
Above all, family and
friends will remember Jim’s warmth and compassion,
humour and wit and his devotion to family. He loved
sport, music, read widely, and never lost his love of
Scotland.
He is survived by his loving wife Rita,
his son Paul, daughter-in-law Colleen, his grandson
Seamus, his sister Margaret Thomas, younger brother
Roger, 8 nieces and nephews and 8 great-nieces and
nephews.
Jim’s grandson Seamus is
compiling a memory box of his grandpa. If any readers
have any photos or memories of Jim to share, please send
them to Roger Mullin, 35 Braehead House, Victoria Road,
Kirkcaldy, KY1 2SD.
Submitted by Roger Mullin |