Tribute has been paid to UK-based battery industry veteran Mike Weighall, who has died.
Weighall (pictured), who died on 7 March, spent most of his working career associated with the battery industry. He was technical manager for Cookson Entek / Entek International until 1998.
Technical editor of Batteries & Energy Storage Technology (BEST) magazine, Dr Mike McDonagh, said he would remember Weighall as “a decent human being and an exemplary technician”.
“After spending the early part of his career in the battery industry, Mike brought his battery expertise to Cookson Group and in particular Cookson Entek / Entek International— before he set out as an independent battery consultant,” McDonagh said. “He also acted as chairman of the European Technical Committee of the Advanced Lead Acid Battery Consortium.”
McDonagh said: “I worked with Mike in the 70’s at Crompton Batteries where he was drafted in from Lucas as laboratory manager. He brought a methodical thoroughness to the company and I was amazed at how he automated the electrical testing section using only a Texas programmable calculator.”
“Mike left Crompton Batteries and moved on to other jobs, but we still kept in touch and met regularly, mostly for business and mostly over dinner with wine in the evenings,” McDonagh said. “It was at one such meeting (Romans restaurant in Caerleon) that the separator company Entek was born and it was Mike who made it happen.”
McDonagh added: “I will always remember Mike as an honest, trustworthy individual who knew his stuff and made a lasting contribution to this industry, both as an excellent technician and a trustworthy man. I will miss him a lot and I am sure that those who knew him in the industry will feel the same.”
A full obituary will be published in the Spring issue of BESTmag. If you would like to contribute your memories of Mike, click here to e-mail the editor.
