Remembering Peter Holmes

We are sad to report the death of Peter Holmes.

Peter was born in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, but completed his schooling at Fakenham Grammar School in Norfolk. He studied at Manchester University, graduating with a BSc in Mathematics in 1958 and a PGCE in 1959. During his time in Manchester, he met his future wife, Phyl, a medical student. They married in 1965. After university, Peter taught at a grammar school in Cheadle for eight years. He then moved to Doncaster College of Education where he stayed until 1975. During this period he studied part time for an MSc in Statistics at Sheffield University, graduating in 1974. Subsequently, Peter held a number of important posts in school-level statistical education. For the next ten years he was based at Sheffield University, leading a number of externally funded projects, and for the following twelve he was Director of the newly established Centre for Statistical Education, a joint venture between the University and Sheffield City Polytechnic. He retired in 1995, but when the Centre was relaunched under the auspices of the Royal Statistical Society and hosted in Nottingham, he returned part time to a number of senior roles.

As well as his work with the Centre, Peter was involved with broader aspects of the RSS and was awarded its Chambers Medal for his outstanding service in 2008. He was a major figure in the Sheffield statistical community for many years and was
an important bridge between the city’s two universities. Peter was a world-leading authority in Statistical Education. His work was instrumental in introducing statistics into the school curriculum, developing teacher training courses and teaching
materials, pioneering practical statistics and use of computers at school level and in setting assessment methods and standards. The work was not just UK-based and he was a consultant to several governments on the development of statistics within their own education systems. Amongst his many achievements were establishing the major international conference series ICOTS and the key journal Teaching Statistics and serving as Chair of Examiners for Statistics ‘A’ level at the Joint
Matriculation Board.

Outside his work in education, Peter was a Lay Preacher and active member of his local church, he ran an AIDS charity with his wife and he enjoyed travel and walking with family and friends.

He is survived by his wife, son, daughter and two grandchildren and remembered by his former colleagues as a kind, generous and inspirational man.