Samuel (Sam) Noble MSc, BSc, CEng (died 27 November 2020, aged 92)
Obituary provided by Sam’s daughter, Julie.
Born in Belfast on 10 March 1928, Sam first attended Strandtown Primary School and then from 1938 - 1946 was a pupil at RBAI playing rugby for both school and CI. Between 1946 and 1953 he was a student at QUB, completing BSc in both mechanical and electrical engineering before gaining a Masters in Applied Science, and also qualifying as a Chartered Engineer. In 1948 he joined the University Air Squadron, piloting a range of aircraft including his favourite, the Tiger Moth.
He was employed at Shorts Brothers, Belfast, (1953 – 1968) as Research and Design Engineer. His remit included patents for High Vac Evaporated Metal Film Infinite Resolution Potentiometers (used in gyroscopic guidance systems) and he worked on the first vertical take-off aircraft and early solar power generators.
From 1968 to 1993 Sam worked as Research Engineer in the Pure and Applied Physics Department at QUB. He worked first with Professor Gilbody on high energy beam devices and analysers and later with Professor Brian Bates on deep space infra-red and visible radiation using large telescopes in Egypt, South Africa, Israel, Hawaii and England. During that time, he designed and organised the construction of spectrographs and instrumentation. He subsequently served as Liaison Officer for QUBIS until his retirement.
His wife, Valerie Woods, pre-deceased him in 2008 but he is survived by his four children, eight grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
Renowned for his Heath Robinson style on-site novel engineering solutions, and his numerous glorious brushes with death in a variety of accidents throughout his life, he will be fondly remembered by his students, colleagues, friends and family.
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!"
Hunter S. Thompson
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