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Malcolm Quigley was born in 1937 in Liverpool, England. He attended
Liverpool University and graduated with a degree in chemistry in 1958,
following which he studied at the University of Toronto, gaining his M.S.
degree in organic chemistry a year later. In 1960 he started a teaching
career as a teacher and concurrently began developing a family
horticultural business. A commercial glasshouse nursery specializing in
tomato and other salad crops was purchased in 1967. Typically, with land
used year after year for growing tomatoes, the soil-parasitic nematode Globodera
rostochiensis is an ever-present pest requiring annual soil
sterilization to control its numbers. By collaborating with the Ministry
of Agriculture, Malcolm investigated the benefits of a new chemical soil
sterilizer under standard commercial conditions at the nursery and through
the University of Wales, resulting in the award of a M.S. degree in crop
protection in 1971. In
1975 Malcolm obtained a teaching post, relieving the problem of falling
income as cheaper imports of salad crops arrived from southern Europe. At
the same time, an opportunity arose to embark on a part-time postdoctoral
study with the Polytechnic of Central London on the influence of climate
and weather on the life cycle of endoparasitic nematodes. Mathematical
models and computer simulations were compared with field observations and
results of laboratory investigations. Malcolm was awarded a Ph.D. degree
in 1980, followed by a Scientific Investigations Grant by the Royal
Society to test the models with field observations of both endoparasitic
and ectoparasitic nematodes. Following employment as a
horticultural training officer, Malcolm and his wife retired from
full-time employment in 1992. He then extended his research efforts to
explore computer-based methods for early detection of foliar fungal
diseases of ornamental plants. The principal subject of study was the
incidence of powdery mildew on annual Verbena, a problem for
growers of this species. The aim of this project has been to provide
guidelines for minimizing the risk of infection. Several technical
articles have been published, and the investigations are continuing. Catherine
Quigley was born Catherine Henderson in 1936, also in Liverpool. She
attended the Glasgow and West of Scotland College of Domestic Science and
F.L. Calder College of Domestic Science in Liverpool, gaining a
Certificate of Education and Certificate of the Institute. In 1960, she
qualified as a teacher and started her professional career. In
the same year, she and Malcolm were married in their hometown. Catherine
became a devoted mother of two girls and one boy. She was a successful and
well-respected schoolteacher and a valued partner in the family business.
She was a patient and skilled professional grower, with a penchant for
working the long hours necessary for success. At the same time, she
supported her husband’s activities and the needs of a growing family. Following
the sale of the business in 1975, she returned to full-time teaching and
became head of home economics in 1985. Following retirement from teaching
in 1992, Catherine worked part-time at a neighboring glasshouse nursery
and was a regular volunteer worker for a charity helping local elderly
people. In addition, she acted in loco parentis for a young Polish student who came to England
(1992–1996) for education and training at a nearby agricultural college.
With Malcolm, she also helped with the financial means to transform the
traditional Polish family holding into a viable commercial dairy farm. Unfortunately
Catherine was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997. Despite an operation
and radiotherapy, disease symptoms returned three years later and, in
spite of a course of chemotherapy, spread to other parts of her body. She
died in 2001 but is forever remembered for her loving, unselfish, and
hard-working life. |
