It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our colleague Professor Emeritus Anthony Poë. Tony will be remembered as a teacher, scientist, colleague, mentor and friend. He worked at the forefront of knowledge on transition metal chemical kinetics starting with the area’s inception in the middle of the last century until the end of his life; his passion for this area was at the core of his being. Having graduated from Oxford University with a Bachelor of Arts in 1950, he completed another year at Oxford to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree. He then worked for four years as a Scientific Officer at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell UK. Tony used to recount the story of using a Geiger counter to monitor chemical reactions while at Harwell.
Tony was appointed as an Assistant Lecturer in Chemistry at Imperial College, London in 1955 and moved through the ranks becoming a Senior Lecturer in 1966. While still teaching at Imperial, Tony completed a Ph.D. in 1961 in the area of the kinetics of metal compounds at the University of London, studying with Geoffrey Wilkinson. He left Imperial in 1970, moving to the new-formed Erindale College at the University of Toronto as a Professor and the discipline representative for Chemistry. Throughout his career, Tony was active in research around the world and he was a visiting professor at several universities. He received a Sc.D. from the University of Cambridge in 1990. Tony retired from the University of Toronto in 1994 but continued to work and publish in his area for the rest of his life.