1930-2025
10th March 2026
Walter Vincent (Vin) Moore (Queens’ 1951, died 3 July 2025)
Walter Vincent Moore – or Vin as he was commonly known by university days – was born in Wilton near Salisbury a week before Christmas 1930. His father William Moore owned and ran a garage in Wilton, his mother Martha was the daughter of the local baker and he had two older sisters, Sylvia and Bridget.
Vin’s first school was a ‘dame’ school, a two-room thatched cottage, from which he passed his Scholars exam to enter Bishop Wordsworth’s grammar school. From there, he was proud to be offered a place at Queens’ College, Cambridge. But first came his National Service, where he opted to ‘do something useful’ as a radar mechanic, based in Manorbier in Pembrokeshire. He came up in 1951. Vin was an Exhibitioner and graduated in Chemistry in 1954.
His first job was at Cellon, an industrial paint and coatings manufacturer rooted in the aircraft industry, based in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey. At a Cellon Christmas party at the Surbiton Assembly rooms, he met his future wife Pauline Corcoran, a nurse at Kingston hospital. They were married in 1958 and had three children: Sue (who followed Vin to Cambridge, studying Natural Sciences at Girton), Paul and Simon.
In 1959, Vin took up a new position with Shell Chemical Research. He was first based at the Houndsditch in London, later moving to the Shell Research Centre in Egham, Surrey. He worked first in marketing and travelled extensively worldwide to promote Shell epoxy resin products. In the mid 1970s, he was relocated to Shell Research in Amsterdam, as Assistant Director of Chemical Research and moved with his family to live in Heemstede, Holland.
On retirement, Vin settled back in England with Pauline, living by the river in Walton on Thames for many years.
Memories fade. Vin always reflected fondly on his time at Cambridge; some thoughts may resonate to this day. In the winter, when the wind blew in over the fens, it was perishing cold. The walk from his room to take a bath was inordinately long. His degree was the cornerstone of his career but he also declared that studying pure Chemistry was ruddy hard work!
– Obituary by Sue, Paul, and Simon Moore, Vin’s children
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