Message I returned to St John's to give a short talk a decade after graduating, and was astonished to find myself billeted in the Masters Lodge. Chris was clearly very busy, having just received a prestigious award for his research and it was also his birthday! He and Mary gave no sign of this, welcoming us warmly and the next day sat with us at breakfast and asking us about what we were up to. From speaking to others this was clearly no one-off, and when I met him again there was again that warmth and kindness and sense of fun that is so rare to encounter in those with jobs of great responsibility and careers of such pre-eminence. I am so sad to hear of his passing, I was really looking forward to seeing him again.

Message I'm supposed to be articulate, but I have insufficient words for this.

When I last bumped into him this summer, he was still upbeat, and grateful that he had already surpassed the time prophesied by his prognosis.
I felt that was typical of him, finding the positive and the thankfulness, and genuinely being interested in others despite being in the midst of his own battle.

Others have described his brilliance, humility, and kindness, so much more eloquently than I, so I shan't try to replicate it.

But there is a void now where he was, touching even those of us who were so peripheral to College life.
How much more must he be missed by those closer to him.

My heart and thoughts are with Mary and his sons and closer friends.

Message I was extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Sir Christopher Dobson. As a Master, he was incredibly warm and welcoming, truly investing his time in all of the students. From hosting the freshers at the Masters Lodge as a means of welcoming them in to the college, to the genuine interest he showed in the lives of each and every student, he truly went above and beyond. I was always touched by the way he would always stop and chat, even if just to ask how my studies were going. Despite all of his incredible contributions scientifically, and his thoroughly well-deserved knighthood, he remained incredibly humble, always looking instead to raise up the achievements of members of the college. With his speeches, he inspired many, and I am sure these words will continue to push Johnians to achieve ever greater things. My thoughts and prayers are with Mary and the rest of the family during this time.

Message Mary, Richard, William and the close St John's community, my deepest condolences for this tragic loss. You will all, of course, know what an exceptional person Chris was. Kind, thoughtful, inclusive, fun, smart, strategic, incredibly wise and knowledgeable and able to communicate with people from all backgrounds and experiences, making everyone feel comfortable and 'at home'. He was a fantastic supporter of young people, a great advocate for women, for minorities and it was refreshing, for someone of his stature and intellect, to place such an emphasis on developing the holistic scholar: encouraging and supporting college sport and high performance university sport, as well as other co-curricular activities. Chris was a great friend and mentor and I would have found my time as Chair of CUWBC much harder without his support and guidance. The LMBC has rarely been in such rude health as it has been during his time, given all the challenges and demands on students' lives these days. His presence, empathy and leadership will be sorely missed.

Message My condolences to Chris's family. It's a big loss for everyone.

Message You were a beacon to us all

Message You were a beacon to us all

Message Dear Mary, Richard, and William,
I was deeply saddened to hear of Chris's recent and sudden passing. Chris has been a truly wonderful Master of St. Johns College. I was so pleased that he made me an honorary fellow there a few years ago. This gave the chance for Jennie and me, while I was in Oxford, to travel over for grand feasts a couple of times. It was always such a distinct pleasure to be once more in Chris and Mary's company. But of course, I will always remember him as a remarkable chemist, whose work has continued to make an impact on my career and, indeed, the entire field. Please know that the Dobson family is in my thoughts during this sad time.

Yours in sympathy,
Andrew Hamilton

Message Chris was a magnificent model of leadership, outreach and genuine interest in others whose achievements, humility and style are unlikely to be seen again.

Froom the £75 million raised during his Mastership to underpin excellence in the future, to his being a regular customer for dinner suits in the Charity shops of Magdalane Street - he was a wonderful person to have known and enriched countless lives, way beyond the academic and Johnian spheres of endeavour.

Message I just heard the terrible news. Chris was a great scientist who really made a difference to our understanding of the processes of Life. I have followed his research for over 45 years with pleasure and admiration. This is a great loss for everyone.