The College community is deeply saddened to announce the passing on Friday 14 March of our alumnus, friend and Benefactor Fellow, Dr Edward Powell.

Eddie, as he was almost universally known, matriculated at Churchill in 1967 to read Natural Sciences (chemistry).  He then did his PhD (inorganic chemistry), also at Churchill. He got involved in rowing early on and coxed for most of the time he was a student, including during his PhD years, coxing the May boat in 71 and 72.  He also trialed for the University boat and coached many generations of Churchill rowers, including those from the first intake of women in 1972.

After completing his PhD, Eddie trained in London with KPMG to be an accountant. In 1974, Canon Noel Duckworth married him and Ruth (whom he had met whilst studying – she was at Homerton) in the Chapel.

Moving out of the accountancy profession in 1978, he spent two years in Frankfurt, followed by eight years as finance director of a Marconi company subsidiary of Arnold Weinstock’s GEC, and then 10 years as group finance director of a light engineering group based in Havant. In 2000 he joined a small (6 people) start-up in Cambridge (Abcam), giving him and Ruth the opportunity to return to Cambridge. The two entrepreneurs who founded the company were brilliant and Abcam grew rapidly, such that Eddie had the intense experience of leading its floatation on the London AIM stock market.

Eddie retired in 2007 and continued to be involved in several start-up companies in Cambridge, as well as the Cambridge rowing community: upon returning to Cambridge he joined Rob Roy boat club, and he often coached the College boats. In 2012 he became Chief Financial Officer and Director of Cambridge Nutraceuticals Ltd. The company develops and markets supplements to prevent cardiovascular disease, and those promoting joint health. 

Eddie and his wife Ruth jointly contributed to the 50@50 campaign with his daughter Christine (who was also a student at Churchill, matriculating in 1998) and named a room on the ground floor of Cowan Court.

In 2011 he established the Palestinian Studentship at Churchill, as well as donating large sums to the College’s general endowment. He also regularly supported Churchill College Boat Club financially, as well as by giving up his time to coach. Eddie always enjoyed meeting the recipients of the Palestinian Studentship funding and members of the current Boat Club, often forming long-lasting friendships with them.

He also enjoyed speaking to students during the College’s annual telethon, and generously provided funds that matched other alumni donations. He was also incredibly generous with his time, serving on both the audit and the finance committees of the College for over a decade. He very much appreciated being back in Cambridge, as he was able to cycle everywhere, which he often did, and he kept up sculling until after the pandemic.  He was a regular at College events, including the Roskill lecture and Association events, and will be very much missed by all of us here who knew him.

He is survived by his widow Ruth, his two daughters Rachel and Christine, and his grandchildren.

He became a Benefactor fellow of the College in 2019.

In Gratitude: Remembering Dr. Edward Powell by We’am Hamdan (G22)

It is with a heavy heart and deep gratitude that I write these words in memory of Dr Edward Powell, Eddie, whose generosity and vision helped make my studies at Cambridge possible. Eddie passed away on 14 March 2025, and though I did not know him long, his impact on my life, and on so many others, is lasting.

Eddie established the Palestinian Studentship at Churchill College in 2011. I was one of its recipients. For me, this wasn’t just financial support, it was an invitation. It meant being seen, being trusted, being given the space to learn, think, and grow. Eddie understood that a scholarship could be political, not in a partisan sense, but in the most human one: a gesture of recognition, of dignity, of belief.

He once told me about his visit to Bethlehem University, and how moved he was to see so many Palestinian women, full of ambition and eagerness to learn. He spoke of it with such clarity, not as an outsider observing, but as someone deeply inspired. That moment, for me, explained so much about his generosity. It wasn’t abstract. It came from something real; a connection, a spark, a sense of shared possibility.

Eddie’s own life moved across fields and worlds. From chemistry to accountancy, corporate leadership to coaching college rowing, he never stopped learning, building, giving. He and his wife Ruth created a home in Cambridge that was full of connection —  to Churchill, to students, to new ventures, and to long-standing friendships. He gave his time just as freely as he gave financial support, serving on College committees, supporting the Boat Club, mentoring, attending events, listening.

He remembered people’s names. He showed up. He asked about your work, and meant it.

His legacy is not only financial or institutional. It is deeply human. It lives in the students he believed in, not out of charity, but out of solidarity. It lives in the generosity he modelled, the relationships he nurtured, and the kind of quiet leadership he embodied.

To his family — Ruth, Rachel, Christine, and all who loved him, I offer my deepest condolences. And to Eddie — thank you. For your trust, your kindness, and your presence. You will always be remembered.