It is with deep sadness that the staff of Technews Publishing heard of the death of our dear friend and much esteemed colleague, Andrew Ashton.
Jon (Andrew) Charles Ashton passed away on Thursday, 18 June 2015 following a five week fight with cancer.
Professional
Andrew’s integrity illuminated everything he did. He never accepted second-best from himself, on both personal and professional levels. His honesty shone through in his journalism and as an editor.
Personable
More than one colleague described Andrew as being 'a true gentleman'. But that wasn’t the only gentleness that we experienced. His genuine concern over the wellbeing of his colleagues and friends was a hallmark of our interaction with him. His smile was infectious and his humour was never at the expense of someone else.
Perspicacious
Andrew was one of the smartest people with whom we have had the privilege to work. He was highly intellectual with a remarkable understanding of extremely complex technical problems across a broad range of subjects.
His multiple technical and commercial qualifications combined with a drive to reach perfection in everything he did, made him an unparalleled technical writer that the industry will sorely miss.
Andrew, we will miss you for not only for what you did, but for who you were.
Andrew’s long association with Technews dates back to his student days when one of his lecturers was Ray Beaumont, the founder of Technews.
In 1990 he became a client of Technews whilst he was MD of Prolocon.
In 2004 he joined Technews full-time as the editor of two of Technews’ publications, SA Instrumentation & Control and Motion Control in Southern Africa.
In 2009 he left full-time employment with Technews but remained as consulting and contributing editor until his death.
Read more...From the editor's desk: A good servant and a bad master Technews Publishing
News & events
In our new AI-generated world it was inevitable that the Nobel Committee would have noticed. Now two pioneers of artificial intelligence, John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton, have won the Nobel Prize ...
Read more...Celebrating 65 years: rebuilding and redefining its legacy Axiom Hydraulics
Editor's Choice News & events
Founded in 1959 by Neill Simpson, Axiom Hydraulics has grown into one of South Africa’s elite hydraulic companies. Over the past six and a half decades they’ve weathered many challenges, but none as devastating as the fire of 2023.
Read more...Eskom Expo International Science Fair honours top young scientists
News & events
Excitement filled the air as the 44th Eskom Expo International Science Fair (ISF) opened its doors, welcoming young scientists with an electrifying line-up of activities, including robotics and coding workshops, and riveting science shows.
Read more...Young robotics team takes world title igus
News & events
In an inspiring demonstration of innovation and teamwork, Texpand, a young South African robotics team, recently made history by winning the 2024 FIRST Tech Challenge World Championships.
Read more...Bosch Rexroth Africa announces retirement of COO, Mike Harrison Bosch Rexroth Africa
News & events
Bosch Rexroth Africa would like to announce the retirement of one of its stalwarts. Group chief operating officer, Mike Harrison will retire at the end of the year. His retirement marks the end of a remarkable career spanning 34 years.
Read more...Selection of two-port valves: an open and shut case SMC Corporation South Africa
News & events
Little consideration is generally given to 2-port valves because they are often perceived as simple devices that only open and close to control downstream fluid supply. Although this is mechanically true, choosing the optimal 2-port valve for your application can make a big difference, saving space, weight and energy consumption.
Read more...MeerKAT radio telescope array
Editor's Choice News & events
Leading consulting engineering and infrastructure advisory practice, Zutari is continuing its involvement with the world-leading MeerKAT radio telescope array, where it has played a leading role since the project first broke ground.
Read more...From the editor's desk: The weakest link Technews Publishing
News & events
Lately I’ve been getting an ever-increasing number of articles on cybersecurity in my inbox. It’s easy to put it on the backburner, but there is no doubt that this is a very serious problem that’s not ...
printer friendly version