“ Where to start....
Fran started before I did (Jan 2007), so he was well settled in when I joined Vicon in Oct 2008. He already had a great reputation for being "Mr Fix It!" He came from a background working with radio for the police in Southern Africa. He also enjoyed TV repair – the old valve type. I can remember the area he occupied in the Botley office – almost every tool, component or fastener accessible within the swing of his chair. I always admired how Fran was confident in both the electronic and mechanical fields. There was little that he could not make or fix. He could create complex jigs or test boards or prototypes, just from people’s descriptions or “fag packet” drawings. Plus, on top of all this, he was the “go to” person for spectacle repair, door mechanisms, car electrics troubleshooting…. the list goes on. Fran seemed to relish the challenge. He was always pleased when someone provided a new problem for him to overcome. I’m sure Fran found the regular camera build a drudge after pulling so many rabbits out of hats, but he was always willing to do whatever was needed.
I miss him, his kindness and the calm reassurance of having him around. Much love to Jay, Yvonne and family. ”