Dr. John Wynford Bevan, PhD.
April 16, 1946 – April 23, 2016
Dr. Bevan, 70, of College Station, passed away on Saturday, April 23, 2016 at the Hospice Brazos Valley Inpatient Facility in Bryan. His memorial service will be at 2:30p.m. Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at First Baptist Church in Bryan where he was a long time member. A private interment will be held at the College Station Memorial Cemetery Aggie Field Of Honor. Services are in the care of Callaway-Jones Funeral Home and Crematory.
John Bevan was born in the United Kingdom on April 16, 1946 to Thomas Benjamin and Gwenyth Bevan. From the time he was very young his parents impressed on him the importance of education and his love of learning followed him throughout his life. After earning a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wales, he graduated from the University of Surrey with a Masters degree and then obtained his PhD at University College London in 1975. While there he won the Ramsay medal which has been awarded annually since 1923 to the top postgraduate student studying in their final year in the UCL Department of Chemistry. He continued his postgraduate work at Rice University and then joined the Chemistry Department at Texas A&M in 1978. He received awards for both teaching and research and was named to the Davidson Chair in the College of Science in 2005. Although he was an accomplished scientist, one of his favorite bible verses was Jeremiah 9:24 “but let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight.”
Surviving him are his wife of 25 years Jennifer P. Bevan; his children Gareth and wife Heba Bevan of London, England, Carol Bevan of Houston, Stacey Bevan of Boston, MA, Kirsten Bevan and Ryan Bevan of College Station; and his granddaughter Anwen Bevan of London, England.
In lieu of flowers his family asked that your memorial donations be given to Texas A&M University Chemistry Road Show Endowment, the JW Kornegay Scholarship Fund at First Baptist Church Bryan or a charity of your choice.
Express condolence at callawayjones.com
My deepest sympathy to the Bevan family. I was a postdoctoral fellow of his in 2006-2010. Sometimes you meet people that changes you and Dr. Bevan changed my view on science. I spent four amazing years in Texas thanks to him and my son is from Bryan and will always remind me of these good days. I am now a physics Teacher in France and I know that I am a better person for having known him. May God bless and keep you in peace as you mourn your loss. Dr. Bevan will always hold a special place in my heart.
Your sorrow is felt in my heart!
My the peace that surpasses all understanding be with you now in your time of need!
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39
We are so sad to hear of John’s passing. Lifting you up in prayer during this difficult time. Sending you our love and deepest sympathy.
We are sorry to hear of John’s passing. John was a passionate teacher and scientist. To generations he was an inspiration. Prayers to the extended Bevan family. God bless you as you deal with your loss.
Tony Montalbano ,retired from Chemistry Machine Shop,Responsible for hiring me ,made RESIRCH parts for his lab ,Liked Dr .Bevan verry much will miss him.
It was very good to know John, to work together.
John will always remain in my memory, good teacher, outstanding scientist and friendly colleague. Sincere condolences to his family.
We are sorry that we won’t see again Dr. Bevan in the Chemistry Department. We are Dr. Laane’s postdocs who used to have the pleasure to either meet him in the hallways, answer his phone calls or see him meet Dr. Laane in his office.
My thoughts are prayer are with the family. I knew Dr. Bevan as a patron of the Texas A&M Rec Center. He always stopped by the desk to say hello.
My sincere condolences to Jennifer and the family on John’s passing. I knew John for almost 40 years, and he was one of my favorite colleagues in the Department of Chemistry. We had many discussions, often very lively ones, about departmental and University “politics.” I could always count on him to provide thoughtful and insightful opinions. I shall miss him a lot.
Dear Mrs. Bevan, Carol, Gareth, Heba, Anwen. I am so sorry for your personal loss , and sorry for all the friend and colleagues that John leaves behind on this earth. He had a great mind, was humble, and kind, and a great example of humanity. I know he will be missed and his leaving this world will cause you great heartache. But it is his time. I pray for you all. Philip Keenan.
As Professor Bevan was a member of my thesis committee and a long term collaborator of my advisor, he was an integral part of my education and my professional development throughout my years in graduate school. There is much I can say in memory of him both as a professor and as a person (especially his sense of humor, which I admit took some years to get used to…), but what I most vividly remember was the care, sensitivity, and level of depth he displayed in explaining difficult topics in science to his students. I can only offer my deepest condolences to Professor Bevan’s family, and to his current and former group members and colleagues.
May 3, 2016 I just learned a few minutes ago that John had died. I did not know that he was ill. He never mentioned it. He called me on March 25 filled with excitement about the results in his most recent manuscript and sent me a copy. I wish that I had found time to read his paper and respond to it. Sometimes you think when you have no time now that you will have time tomorrow or the next day. This is a lesson is that sometimes that deferred task is more urgent than you realize.
John was a postdoctoral with me, and we have kept up over the years. I grieve that I will never see him again.
To his family, I am very sorry for the enormous loss that they are experiencing.
I’ve only just found out that John passed away in 2016. I knew John when we were young as we were on the same Chemistry degree course at Swansea University. I got to know him even better when we both did the same Spectroscopy MSc course at Surrey University and I used to occasionally give him a lift back to Wales. This was over 50 years ago now and I lost touch with John but have often thought of him. I remember him as a friend, a kind and gentle man who laughed a lot. I am very sad to hear of his passing.