JJean Nunn-Price, a prominent co-operator who had served on the board of Midcounties Co-op and the Co-op Party NEC, among others, has died aged 82.
Born in Yealmpton near Plymouth, Devon, Jean spent most of her life living in Wantage, Oxfordshire. She graduated in maths at Reading University, and later completed a degree and post graduate diploma in law.
Through her post at Midcounties, she was involved in Co-op Energy, Co-op Holidays and its estate business, among others, and served on both Wantage and Grove town councils. She was involved in the early days of Go-Op rail.
Before her involvement with co-ops, Jean worked for ICI, Culham, the Atlas Centre, and the Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC, now EPSRC).
In 1974, she worked with Alan Kitching to produce a computer animation called Finite Elements, which was the award-winning Great Britain entry in the International Technical Films Competition held in Moscow in October 1976. Produced by the Division in collaboration with the Royal College of Art, Finite Elements introduces the theory behind this engineering computational technique, and presents a selection of real engineering problems which have been solved by the finite elements method.
Whilst retired from full-time work Jean had various other jobs including working for District Audit, National Trust, law firms as a paralegal, as well as her work on the local town and parish councils and with the Co-op. An active member of local wine societies and Wantage Town Twinning Committee.
Her niece, Debbie Williams, who sits on the Co-op Group’s National Members Council, said: “Jean was the absolute epitome of standing up and amplifying the voices of those around her, co-operation and lifelong learning. She was a wonderful and inspiring co-operator with such a brain – I remember being inspired by her from a young age, and she helped me believe girls can do anything they put their mind to.”
Jean died peacefully on 25 January, surrounded by her family, and will be greatly missed by her husband David, sons Alistair and James, and her wider family and friends.
