Nigel Copps and I have worked together at DPS Software for over 20 years. He has been seated opposite me in the workflow development department throughout this time. Despite our long association, Nigel never spoke about his family.
However, I learned a small detail about his father because I studied in the former Soviet Union in the late 80s. Nigel's father visited the Soviet Union to sell products from his company as an engineer. Nigel never disclosed what they sold, leading me to speculate it might have been a guarded secret.
Nigel did share one intriguing anecdote about his father's visit—he remarked on the absence of drain plugs for bathtubs or sink stoppers in the Soviet Union. There was evidently a shortage of those items during that time.
Tragically, Mr. James Copps passed away a few weeks ago. Nigel graciously invited me to his funeral, which took place last week. Though I couldn't attend in person, I watched the ceremony online to honor the memory of James Copps.
James Copps led an illustrious life. He experienced the upheavals of the Second World War firsthand, with each school he attended being bombed by Nazis, necessitating homeschooling. Despite these challenges, he cherished fond memories of his childhood. An ardent reader, he began his professional journey at a young age and swiftly ascended to become a company director at just 22. he married his sweetheart Silvia soon after that.
As far as I can recall, the company was called Techtronix, or perhaps it was known as Scopex at that time.
Here's an intriguing detail: They manufactured one of the first liquid crystal display (LCD) oscilloscopes in 1982. The picture above depicts the Scopex Voyager liquid crystal display oscilloscope, serial no. 70011, made in 1982—one of thirteen pre-production instruments, complete with a battery charger. Currently, it is on display at the British Science Museum.
Scopex Voyager liquid crystal display oscilloscope
During my studies for an Electrical Engineering degree at the Moscow Power Engineering Institute, we extensively used various types of oscilloscopes in laboratories for study purposes. Most of these oscilloscopes were either Russian-made or bore Russian name tags. It's conceivable that among them were some UK-made oscilloscopes, which might explain James Copps' presence in the Soviet Union.
The funeral ceremony was a fitting tribute to Mr. James Copps.
May they find eternal peace.
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