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Dr Kilcoyne lectured in the Chemistry department of the University of Sunderland for many years, teaching undergraduates and supervising PhDs. He went on to star in the science tv series, Brainiac, where he famously froze bananas in liquid nitrogen and used the banana as a hammer.

He toured schools all over the country promoting greater understanding of science, and was the first academic from the newer universities to lecture at the Royal Institution. He won Northern Educator of the Year from the Northern Echo and won a Sony Award for his radio series Kilcoyne’s Chemistry.

He was beloved by generations of Sunderland Chemistry students and loved every minute of his teaching work at Sunderland, where he received the Chancellor’s Award in 2006. He was a Fellow of the ÂÜÀòÉç and a passionate champion of education and teaching.

He leaves a widow, Brenda, daughters Beth and Emma, sons-in-law Colin and Brian and a grand-daughter, Sasha.