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\title{Cathy Booth Memorial}
\author{}
\begin{Article}
  At the 1992 AGM it was agreed that the \ukt\ would establish the
  Cathy Booth Memorial Fund, to be used ``to support education and
  research in electronic publishing in general and in the use and
  development of \TeX\ and its relatives in particular, and for other
  charitable purposes connected with education''.

  The committee intended to set up a charitable trust to administer
  the fund, and then to collect money for it (cheques cannot be
  written to a trust which does not yet exist). However, both trusts
  and charities are covered by various laws, and the legal hurdles
  proved too much for the committee. Accordingly, at its meeting in
  February 1995, the committee decided to adopt a simpler way of
  honouring Cathy Booth's memory, but with the same aim.
  Specifically, it was decided to do something in Cathy Booth's name,
  at least once in each calendar year, supported by money if
  appropriate, for the purpose ``of furthering research and education
  in relation to electronic publishing in general and the use and
  development of the public domain typesetting program \TeX\ and
  related programs in particular''. (This wording is taken from the
  draft trust document.)

  As it's first act in Cathy Booth's memory, the committee gave
  support, in two ways, to the April 1995 GUTenberg meeting on the
  $\Omega$~project. It donated \pounds 200 to the meeting. It also
  sent Robin Fairbairns to the meeting as its delegate. A report of
  that meeting appears elsewhere in this issue.

\begin{flushright}
R. A. Bailey\\
Honorary Secretary 1991--1995
\end{flushright}
\end{Article}
\author{Chris Rowley and Malcolm Clark} 
\title{Cathy Booth 1952--1991}
\begin{Article}
Cathy Booth\footnote{This article is based on one that appeared in
  \TeX line in 1991}
died on June 27th, 1991. She had known that she had cancer
of the kidneys for just about a year. She had undergone a major
operation the previous summer, but sadly the extensive surgery
performed at that time was too late to control the cancer.  During
that last year she fought the disease consistently, cheerfully and
resolutely; she was determined that she should not be treated any
differently, despite the gradual decline in mobility and energy which
ensued.  Ultimately she was confined to a wheel chair and she moved
into a hospice at Tiverton, near her Exeter home, in the hope that her
house would be modified to allow her to return to it and continue her
life as normal. However, this was not to be: she died, peacefully
and gracefully, at the hospice with most of her close family at her
side.

Cathy was born on June 19th, 1952. She attended Exeter University,
where she completed a BSc in Geography. She fell in love with Exeter
and spent the rest of her life that area. She spent some time after
University working on Exmoor, and later had her own business as a
furniture restorer. But in 1984, after a period in hospital where she
began to do some computing, she took a post as Computing Development
Officer back at Exeter University. One of her first responsibilities
was support of \TeX. As a result, she attended the IUSC conference on
Typography and Design Methods for Computer Typesetting held at Oxford
University at Easter 1985.  Following that meeting, she attended a
\TeX\ course held at Imperial College. Her involvement and concern
with \TeX, and more generally with Electronic Publishing, grew
consistently from that time.

She attended many of the \TeX\ conferences in Europe (Strasbourg
1986, Karlsruhe 1989 and Cork 1990), as well as TUG meetings in
North America (Montreal 1988 and Stanford 1989), and some of the
GUTenberg meetings in Paris.  But it will be the \TeX88 conference
held at Exeter University for which she will be best remembered by
many in the \TeX\ world. Cathy was the local organiser for this
meeting and its huge success was due in no small way to, on the one
hand, her vivacity and personal magnetism and, equally important, a
lot of detailed planning and hard work that she undertook during the
run up to the conference. She thus ensured the smooth running of the
conference and various associated events: in particular, the memorable
excursion to Totnes which included travel by both steam train and
river cruiser.

Cathy was an excellent teacher of \TeX. She taught a number of TUG
courses on Beginning and Intermediate \TeX, and other \TeX\ courses at
Exeter University and she was very energetic in organising other TUG
courses in Europe.  At the University she also developed courses which
united her skill with \TeX\ and her design abilities. This facility
with design was just one side of more general artistic skills; these
later led to her completion of an Art History course. The course
results were published only a few days before she died and,
characteristically, hers were excellent.

She was a founding member of the UK \TeX\ Users Group and of its
committee; she was also a member of the committee of the BCS
Electronic Publishing Specialist Group. Those of us lucky enough to be
on either of those committees at that time will recall her very real
contribution to the work of these groups: her range of innovative
ideas, coupled with her down to earth attention to detail, resulted in
significant improvements to the activities of both these
organisations.
\end{Article}

\endinput