1 9 6 9 . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁married ▁to ▁Joan , ▁with ▁whom ▁he ▁had ▁five ▁children . ▁He ▁enjoyed ▁a ▁wide ▁range ▁of ▁musical ▁and ▁art istic ▁activities , ▁was ▁a ▁keen ▁Scottish ▁country ▁dan cer , ▁took ▁part ▁in ▁amateur ▁dram at ics , ▁and ▁enjoyed ▁cy cling ▁and ▁hill - walk ing . ▁He ▁was ▁known ▁to ▁colle agues ▁for ▁his ▁colour ful ▁dress ▁sense ▁and ▁for ▁his ▁l ively ▁inqu iring ▁mind , ▁extending ▁well ▁beyond ▁narrow ▁professional ▁interests . ▁ ▁Atlas ▁Computer ▁Labor atory ▁▁ ▁He ▁was ▁appointed ▁Director ▁of ▁the ▁Atlas ▁Computer ▁Labor atory ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 1 , ▁where ▁he ▁stayed ▁until ▁ret irement ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 5 . ▁The ▁Labor atory ▁was ▁created ▁to ▁provide ▁a ▁service ▁to ▁research ers ▁across ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁with ▁a ▁need ▁for ▁large - scale ▁computing ▁power . ▁ ▁Peter ▁Hall , ▁a ▁Director ▁of ▁Ferr anti ▁and ▁later ▁I CL , ▁described ▁how ▁How lett ▁did ▁business : ▁" I ▁explained ▁to ▁Jack ▁that ▁to ▁order ▁an ▁Atlas ▁we ▁needed ▁a ▁contract ▁that ▁committed ▁them ▁to ▁over ▁£ 3 m ▁for ▁a ▁machine ▁which ▁we ▁could ▁not ▁specify ▁in ▁performance , ▁reli ability , ▁or ▁delivery ▁date . ▁Jack ▁did ▁his ▁best ▁to ▁get ▁a ▁commit ment ▁from ▁us , ▁but ▁all ▁we ▁could ▁offer ▁was ▁' best ▁endeav ours '. ▁So ▁Jack ▁worked ▁on ▁the ▁contract s ▁people ▁and ▁we ▁got ▁a ▁contract ▁... ▁which ▁dep ended ▁totally ▁on ▁trust ▁between ▁Jack