My wife, Gill Clisham, who has died aged 59 of heart failure, was the secretary of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) from 2001 to 2014. Though not an economist, she worked tirelessly throughout her career to ensure a wider understanding of the discipline and was instrumental in the inception and development of many successful initiatives, most notably the Westminster Economics Forum, a series of conferences she developed in partnership with the ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council).
Gill was born in Wigan, the daughter of Marjorie (nee Barton), a health visitor, and Arthur McCaffery, a post office engineer. She arrived in the world following her mother’s previous eight miscarriages, and was valued by her parents as an only child. This prompted Gill to embrace life to the full.
Gill studied government at the University of Essex, where she and I met as students. We married in 1983 and in 1987 settled in London, where she started working for NIESR. She then spent the next 27 years as a vital part of the NIESR team, first as PA to the economist Brian Henry, then very soon joining the publications team before becoming external relations manager. It was in this role that she started winning praise from all quarters for her warm personality and positive attitude, as well as her skilful organisation and calm approachability.
Gill’s commitment to the world of socio-economic research was demonstrated when she became the secretary of ARCISS (the Association of Research Centres in the Social Sciences), with her work being further recognised when she was invited to become a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
Coming from Wigan, Gill was an avid supporter of Wigan rugby league, a passion she acquired from her father. As well as attending numerous Challenge Cup finals, she could often be found on ice-covered terraces on either side of the Pennines attempting to extricate fizzy pop from a frozen can while warming the other hand on a rapidly cooling pie. She also loved music, and though her tastes were eclectic, Gill had what some might call an unhealthy obsession with Sting; attending numerous concerts both with him as a solo artist and as “the bass player” (as Stuart Copeland called him) with the Police.
But more than the other passions, Gill’s biggest passion was for travel; she thought that life was for living and experiencing. She visited Brazil, South Africa and Malaysia, and had numerous trips to the Caribbean and the US, with one of her favourite places being Las Vegas. This was not necessarily for the gambling, which she did enjoy, but for the mixing pot it was for diverse experiences. This was most noticeable in her visits to a range of Michelin-starred restaurants, as well as experiencing more prosaic establishments.
In 2014 Gill and I decided to dedicate our time to making the most of life and we retired to Greece. Having visited around 20 of its islands and many places on the mainland, we had bought a converted olive press on the island of Corfu a few years earlier. We both decided we could not wait any longer to make our frequent visits permanent. Gill was a true Grecophile, and many said, when we moved there, that she had achieved her dream.
Gill is survived by me.
