A former University of East Anglia (UEA) professor known for his meticulous blackboard handwriting has died aged 87.

Professor Peter Chadwick, who developed an international reputation for his work on thermoelasticity and the theory of elastic wave propagation died on August 12.

Prof Chadwick was professor of mathematics at the University of East Anglia (UEA) for more than 25 years from 1965 to 1991 and was made an emeritus professor on his retirement from the university.

He was dean of the school of mathematics and physics from 1979 to 1982 and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1977.

As a lecturer he was well known for his immaculate writing on the blackboard and for the clarity of his lecture notes.

He produced the book Continuum Mechanics: Concise theory and problems based on his teaching at UEA.

Prof Chadwick was an executive editor of the Journal of Mechanics and Applied Mathematics, an associate editor of the Proceedings and Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society and on the editorial boards of the Journal of Elasticity and the International Journal of Mechanical Sciences.

He was also a member of the Mathematics Committee of the Science Research Council and the UK panel for the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics.

Born in Huddersfield on 23 March 1931, Prof Chadwick studied at Manchester University before completing a PhD at Cambridge University on the thermal state of the Earth.

He was awarded the Doctor of Science (ScD) by the University of Cambridge for his published research there.

Following his retirement, Prof Chadwick pursued his interests in music, dancing, walking, cricket and historic buildings and was secretary of his local historical society in Cringleford, Norwich.

He also served on the committee of the UEA retirement association, planning and leading many walks both locally and around England.

He is survived by his daughters Janice and Susan, five grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.