Following his BSc in geology from Queen Mary University of London in 1961, Dick trained as a teacher in Swansea in 1962 and taught for two years at a secondary school. He then became a lecturer in palaeontology, stratigraphy, and sedimentology at Kingston College of Technology. During this tenure, Dick undertook a PhD project on Eocene sea turtles, which was awarded in 1970. Dick also designed curricula for BSc and MSc degrees, becoming a professor in 1988. He set up the Kingston alumni, which rapidly achieved a membership in excess of 1000. He retired from Kingston University as Emeritus Professor in 1993 and continued his work with KGS.
In 1986, Dick set up university research and consultancy group, Kingston Geological Services (KGS), with just two consultants. Due to Dick’s never-ending enthusiasm, innovation, and geological knowledge, KGS grew rapidly, undertaking geotechnical projects, field trips, field mapping, biostratigraphic wellsite, and numerous single and multi-well studies from clients worldwide. Whilst at KGS, alongside Professor Ian Jarvis, Dick undertook early chemostratigraphic studies in the North Sea.
Dick held several voluntary positions including the former Council for National Academic Awards, Earth Science Education group, and the councils of the Geological Society of London and the Geologists’ Association. He served on many subcommittees of international associations and the Royal Society. Dick was the President of the Geologists’ Association from 1998 to 2000 and organised nine conferences and symposia. In 2007, Dick organised the joint bicentennial dinner of the Geological Society and the Dining Club at the Connaught Rooms, London.
Dick authored or co-authored 26 books, including three Geological Society Special Publications. He produced over 150 consultant reports and presented several training courses for the Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain and other companies. He led many Geologists’ Association field trips, plus over 50 petroleum exploration company field trips in North Africa and Europe. Dick completed eight trans-Saharan expeditions, including one in 1988 accompanied by Sir David Attenborough and was shown finding giant dinosaurs in Niger in the BBC’s Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives. He was author or co-author of over 80 papers on a variety of geological topics including fossil sea turtles, the Trans-Saharan Seaway, Cenozoic carbonates of North Africa, chemostratigraphy, and history of geology. Dick was awarded the Geological Society’s Distinguished Service Award in 2013.
Motivator
Dick was a world class lecturer, his presentation skills were well appreciated by his students. Dick inspired many students to follow up their BSc degrees into graduate studies and develop their all-round geological skills to a higher level.
Dick leaves behind his wife of over 50 years, Zoe, daughter, Rebecca, son, James, and five grandchildren. Dick will be remembered with great affection by his former students and geological colleagues.
By Stuart Harker, Malcolm Brown, Rob Jones, and Ross Sandman
The full version of this obituary appears below - Editor.
Dick Moody (1939 – 2024)
Well-known expert in North African stratigraphy and keen field trip leader.
Richard Thomas Jones Moody, known as Dick, sadly passed away on 9 September 2024, just one month short of turning 85. Dick had a long career as a university professor and consultant geologist in the petroleum industry.
Education
Following his BSc in geology from Queen Mary University of London in 1961, Dick trained as a teacher in Swansea in 1962 and taught for two years at a secondary school. He then became a lecturer in palaeontology, stratigraphy, and sedimentology at then-university Kingston College of Technology. During this tenure, Dick undertook a PhD project on Eocene sea turtles, which was awarded in 1970. In addition to lecturing and PhD supervision duties, Dick designed curricula for BSc and MSc degrees, becoming a professor in 1988. Dick loved to stay in touch with his former students and set up the Kingston alumni, which rapidly achieved a membership in excess of 1000. There were many happy reunions organised by him at the university or nearby venues in Surrey. Dick retired from Kingston University as Emeritus Professor in 1993 and continued his work with KGS.
Kingston Geological Services
In 1986, Dick, ever the entrepreneur, set up a university research and consultancy group known as Kingston Geological Services (KGS), with just two consultants. However, due to his never-ending enthusiasm, innovation, and great geological knowledge the consultancy grew rapidly undertaking geotechnical projects, field trips, field mapping, biostratigraphic wellsite, and numerous single and multi-well studies from clients worldwide. Whilst at KGS, alongside Professor Ian Jarvis, Dick undertook early chemostratigraphic studies in the North Sea.
An example of one of Dick’s numerous field excursions for KGS involved bringing his own Landrover down from the UK packed to the gunnels, crossing the Mediterranean, travelling through Tunisia, and across the vast expanse of northern Libya to the Green Mountains of Cyrenaica. With his hand-held gamma, tape measure, hammer, field lens, notebook, and ever-present Indiana Jones hat, Dick would traverse gorges and hang off sub vertical cliff sections making the most accurate field logs and beautiful field sketches whilst collecting samples to be analysed back in the UK. He would have no problem working in 40-degree temperatures, sitting under a solitary tree for lunch whilst evaluating the data. He was a superb field geologist and had an eye both for the big picture and the smallest of details to interpret the geology.
Public Service
Dick held several voluntary positions including the former Council for National Academic Awards, Earth Science Education Group, the councils of the Geological Society of London and the Geologists’ Association. He also served on many subcommittees of international associations and the Royal Society. Dick was the President of the Geologists’ Association from 1998 to 2000 and organised two Earth Alert conferences in Brighton and Scarborough and seven technical symposia. In 2007, Dick was organiser for the joint bicentennial dinner of the Geological Society and the Dining Club at the Connaught Rooms, London, where there is a plaque commemorating the Society’s foundation.
Career Highlights
Dick was the author or co-author of 26 books, including three of the Geological Society’s Special Publications. He also produced over 150 petroleum exploration consultant reports. Dick’s expertise on North Africa led him to present several training courses for the Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain and petroleum exploration companies. He led many field trips for the Geologists’ Association, plus over 50 petroleum exploration company field trips in North Africa and Europe. Dick completed eight trans-Saharan expeditions, including one in 1988 accompanied by Sir David Attenborough and was shown finding giant dinosaurs in Niger in the BBC documentary Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives. He was author or co-author of over 80 papers on a variety of geological topics including fossil sea turtles, the Trans-Saharan Seaway, Cenozoic carbonates of North Africa, chemostratigraphy, and history of geology. Dick was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from the Geological Society in 2013.
Motivation
Dick was a world class lecturer. His presentation skills were always well appreciated by his students, with whom he had a palpable rapport. Dick inspired many students to follow up their BSc degrees into graduate studies and develop their all-round geological skills to a higher level. This motivational attribute endeared Dick to many of his students and friends at the Geologists’ Association.
Dick was equally passionate about rugby; a proud Welshman who, in 1954, moved from Neath to Wandsworth and played for his school and then, from 1961, Old Wandsworthians. He was a key committee member at the club, holding various positions and continued to be very involved as a Trustee of their charity after the club folded. Many people will miss Dick’s infectious enthusiasm for the game.
Dick leaves behind his wife of over 50 years, Zoe, daughter, Rebecca, son, James, and five grandchildren. Dick will be remembered with great affection by his former students and geological colleagues.
By Stuart Harker, Malcolm Brown, Rob Jones, and Ross Sandman