Death of Dr. Bill Jordan

Dr Bill Jordan, who was in his late 40s, passed away last month in London where he worked as a senior research fellow with the Institute of Zoology, Regent’s Park.

Having grown up in Ballykeel I, Bill attended Ballykeel Primary School and then Cambridge House Grammar School prior to university.

In 1990, he became Research Fellow at the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology and Department of Zoology in the University of Aberdeen and one year later returned to Northern Ireland as Research Fellow in the Division of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biology and Biochemistry, at Queen’s University, Belfast.

From 1992-94, he was Research Fellow at the Department of Biology, University of Louisiana, Lafayette, and this was followed by the post of Research Fellow, Insect Molecular Genetics Group, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Heraklion, Crete, from 1994-95.

And, in 1995, he became Research Fellow, at the Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, a position which he held until 2001 when he was appointed to his latest post of Senior Research Fellow and Head of Research on the theme ‘Genetic variation, fitness and adaptability’ at the Institute of Zoology.

His principal research interest was in the genetics of adaptation.

Bill died suddenly in London on May 26. His funeral was held at Roselawn Crematorium last Thursday, June 9.

He is survived by his parents, Bill and Joan, sisters Linzi and Joanne, nephews and nieces, and wider family circle.