Vivian was born in Swansea on September 5th, 1936 and died 19th February, 2024 in Hudson, Ohio.
Vivian embarked on a transatlantic journey to West Virginia in 1964 to pursue his professional career in the plastics industry, then in Hudson, Ohio, in 1984, where Vivian continued to cultivate an active life filled with travel, tennis, music, family and friends.
As a distinguished PhD chemist, Vivian’s passion for the plastics industry fuelled his involvement with the Society for Plastics Engineers (SPE). Viv joined SPE in the late 1960s and held various Board of Director positions throughout the last 50 years including Akron Section President, Akron Section Councillor, Education Foundation Committee member, Distinguished member of the Plastics Pioneers Association, and Chairman of the TPE TopCon. His most significant achievement with SPE was his Presidency of SPE International in 1989.
Viv did his PhD in Aberystwyth, where he met (and married) Dorothy Rose Hadley (who was from Pontypridd). Dot died on 20th February, 2024, a day after Viv. They had three children Sharon, David, and Kevin.
(Information supplied by Rhys Bryant, Year of 1947. Rhys notes that he and Viv were classmates in Dynevor, and undergraduates together in Swansea University.)