DAVID HUGH OWEN DFM FCCA

1 October 1923  - 6 August 2006 

David was born in Cardiff and was one of three children of Richard Austin Owen who was Assistant Headmaster of Gladstone School, Cardiff.  His father died when he was eight years old and he and his brother, Bill, went to Josiah Mason’s School in Birmingham.          

After matriculation he worked in the offices of Listers Engineering, Birmingham.  On reaching age eighteen he volunteered for the RAF and trained as a navigator.  He flew 39 bombing missions over Germany, once returning with a hole through the wing of the plane from one of our jettisoned bombs.  He always said he was a lucky survivor, having seen many of his comrades killed.After demobilisation he joined the Ministry of Health, auditing hospitals across the country.In 1959 he was seconded to Nyasaland where he worked in the Finance Department and started studying for his accountancy exams. 

On returning to the UK he completed his studies and qualified as an accountant, transferring to the Board of Trade as an examiner in bankruptcy.David met Joyce in April 1965 and they were married in June of that year.Itchy feet moved him again and he applied for the post of Treasury Accountant to the Government of Bermuda.  He was duly appointed and for a spell served as Budget Officer and acting Accountant General before being appointed Auditor General. 

David and Joyce spent six years in Bermuda, returning to Wales in 1973 when he entered private practice as a partner.His travels weren’t yet finished and he obtained the post of Auditor General to the Kingdom of Tonga for a two year posting, sailing to Fiji on the old Oriana and then flying on to Tonga. He then returned to the UK and found employment with the Malaysian Rubber Research Association as their Accountant where he had many happy years in the beautiful surroundings of Brickendon Mansion.

For almost eighteen years David was Treasurer to the Parochial Church Council.  He was so pleased to make a contribution in return for being able to live in this friendly and beautiful village.David leaves his wife, Joyce, two stepsons and their children, who will sorely miss him, along with his many friends.

MJO