King's College London

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved colleague, Stephen Franey MBE, who was the Technical Staff Development Manager in the Centre for Research Staff Development.

Stephen joined King’s in May 1987, and made an extraordinary contribution as a teaching technician, mentor and advocate for the scientific and technical community, in the 39 years he worked for us.

He trained as a Biomedical Scientist and specialised in Histology, Microscopy, and Immunohistochemistry. He began his career in AstraZeneca and then moved to the NHS before joining King’s. At King’s he became Multi-Disciplinary Laboratory Manager, supporting thousands of students each year, and later Technical Staff Development Manager and Lead for the Technician Commitment.

Stephen was known for being the heart of the Technician community at King’s, bringing people together with ideas and energising those around him. He wanted teaching to work well for students and academics, and for this to be facilitated by excellent technical help. He was also a Fellow and Vice Chair of the Institute of Anatomical Sciences, Chartered Scientist and a Member of the Royal Society of Biology.

Throughout his career, Stephen was deeply committed to professional recognition for technical staff. He was among the first registered scientists at King’s through the Science Council. He then devoted himself to mentoring and facilitating professional registration workshops, helping colleagues gain confidence, recognition, and career development. This led to him serving as an Applicant Support Mentor at the Science Council, helping others from across the UK to become chartered and registered scientists and technicians.

Later, he helped establish the Technician Commitment with the UK Institute for Technical Skills & Strategy, an initiative committed to the visibility, recognition and development of technicians in higher education, and ensured that King’s became a signatory.

Stephen spearheaded a strategic approach at King’s to strengthen technical skills and career pathways that was cited as best practice by the UK Talent Commission. In 2023, Stephen’s contributions across King’s and the wider UK university network were recognised with an MBE, a fitting tribute to a career defined by service, leadership, and impact. “He was immensely proud and humbled to be recognised for his longstanding service to technical colleagues” (Kelly Vere, Institute for Technical Skills and Strategy)

Those who worked with Stephen remember him as bright, self-deprecating, and quietly tenacious - someone who combined immense expertise with warmth, kindness, and a gently mischievous sense of humour. His colleagues have shared words with us about Stephen being a “brilliant bloke”, who had an “extraordinary positive outlook”, and someone who was always there to help with a “big smile and a joke”. He had an ability to get on and work with everyone, from those in the early stages of their career and education to senior management – treating them with equal respect.

Professor Maddy Parsons, Dean of Research Excellence Frameworks, said of him “Stephen's championing of - and unwavering support for - technical staff ignited real positive change at King’s”

Robin McIver, Deputy Vice-President of Operations said “What immediately marked him out was his passion for King’s, and for the critical role that Technicians play in supporting research and education. Time hadn’t dulled his enthusiasm, he was spilling with ideas, insight and energy and it was clear that this was infectious – he was energising people around him, including me.”

Our sincere condolences are with Stephen’s family, his wife Karen and their son Ben, and those across King’s and more widely who worked closely with him.