Professor Haroon Noon joined us on the Vicky Noon Educational Foundation more than 20 years ago, and over the years a deep friendship blossomed. He was always a lively and active member of our board, keeping us to task on what was legally possible and what not, and helping guide us out of hole as the original legal statutes had definitely been mis-drafted. 

 

He was also a real support to me as Chair in guiding me with wise counsel, drawn not least from his time as Master of Corpus Christi College - the first Asian to hold such an office - and over managing our sizeable endowment. We had to navigate economic shocks from the 2008-9 global crisis, to Brexit and Covid, and then the fuel crisis, as we fought to  keep our funding on track. 

It was a joy to see the huge pleasure he took in this work - which also helped connect us all back to Pakistan, and of course particularly in our support of brilliant Pakistani science students, given a life-changing opportunity of studying with the great tutors and with marvellous facilities at his own university and at Oxford. He would watch proudly as they blossomed.

I will always remember Haroon as a lively raconteur, who never forgot the traumas of Partition or his roots. I always enjoyed (and shared in) his ironic pride and amusement in recalling the often-under-stated ways that those of us of colour had to navigate our way through the corridors of the British establishment, usually quietly and humbly. But from time to time, of course, he would need to - and did -  speak out bluntly against some egregious slight or discrimination.

I was fortunate to spend a lovely afternoon hour and half with Haroon and Anne, his wife, at their lovely home in Newnham shortly our summer annual trustees meeting and reception. It gave us a chance to reminisce about the old days, to talk about his beloved cricket (of course), and about other recent exploits, baking of his delicious cakes even, and  recent Noon trust news ! I was fortunate to benefit from his wonderful framing skills, which he learnt in retirement, and the images are all around me as keen reminders.

 

Haroon retired, formally from the board's passing. We have missing him on our Noon trust anyway, and now we will miss him from all our gatherings and as a friend with wise advise and committed support.  We had of course invited Haroon and Anne, his wife, to our Noon foundation drinks in Clare College in the summer, though in the end they were unable to join us.  

We send our deepest condolences and sympathies to all family and friends. 

 

Dr Paul Flather
Chair, VNEF

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