LYONS, Bernard John

LYONS Bernard John passed away peacefully at Kaiser Hospital, Roseville, at 6.50pm on June 28, 2014. John, as he preferred to be called, was preceded in death by his wife Marri, his son Francis and his daughter Deirdre. John was born on October 31, 1929, in Norbury, London, England, to James Joseph and Mary Lyons, natives of Cork, Ireland. He survived the London Blitz and World War II physically unscathed, but with a wealth of stories to tell. He attended Battersea Polytechnic at London College, graduating with a BS in Chemistry in 1949, and then with a PhD in organic chemistry in 1952. After a brief stint in the working world, he joined the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers of the British Army in 1953, before mustering out as a lieutenant in 1955. In 1958, he married Kathleen Marie Corish of Dublin, Ireland, and began four years of wedded, childless bliss. In 1962 he accepted an offer to teach at the University of Chicago, and packed up and moved across to America. Soon after landing on American soil, his first son was born. Rather than moving on to Australia as he had originally planned, he took a position with Raychem of Menlo Park, California, where he worked for over 20 years. In his time there, his research led to the development of numerous patents and technical breakthroughs. After retirement, he worked for the UN International Atomic Energy Agency, travelling to countries across the world to teach and inspect in developing nations. He is survived by his sister, Eileen Byrne, sons Kieran and Dermot, and many wonderful grandchildren. A viewing starting at 5pm to 8pm and Rosary Service at 6.30pm, will be held tomorrow (Thursday), July 3, at Chapel of the Valley, 97 Vernon Street, in Roseville, California. Funeral Service will be on Saturday, July 5, 10am, at Saints Peter and Paul Church, 4450 Granite Drive, in Rocklin, California. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Saint Vincent de Paul Society.