Feb 18

out the Swansea Authority response to a new
education movement of that time called
Environmental Studies – science, geography
and History combined.
In 1981 David was appointed Deputy Head
at Dunvant School and he became Acting
Head when the Headteacher was seconded
to look at some new initiatives in education.
By 1988 it was fairly clear the Head would
not return so David spent the last 5 years of
his career as Head Teacher of the school with
which he had been associated for 35 years.
In the 1980s Dunvant Community Council
was formed. David stood for election and
was appointed a councillor. In the third year
David became Chairman of the Council and
felt very honoured in carrying out the duties
of that office. However, not happy with the
way that the political party machines
seemed to control the thinking of most
members, as an independent thinker, after
six years of being a member, he decided he
was but a weak voice of concern so did not
seek further election.
In 1995 David was elected a Fellow of the
Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts.
After David retired he started to assemble all
documentation on the Dunvant and Killay
areas and began to put them in historical
order from which came The Story of Dunvant
– 2007; now on Wikipedia and the History of
Killay published in 2006.
David also started the annual ecumenical
quiz which has become a bit of a highlight in
the Dunvant area each pre-Lenten time. This
seems to have done more for the friendship
and acceptance across the denominations
than any United Service, possibly because
everyone was on an equal footing and not
having to accept a different mode of
worship, whichever way it was handled.
While Canon Hywel Hughes was the Vicar of
St Hilary's there was a move to encourage
lay people to assist in Church services and
David was one of three men who offered
themselves for training and until recently
David has played a full part.
One of my favourite verses from Scripture is
from Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament and
states:- 'You shall be missed because your
seat is empty'. I don't think that there is
anything more rewarding you can say to
anyone other than 'you have been missed'.
The desk at which David sat in the chancel
next to the choir stalls has been empty for
some time and David has been missed very
much!
David had a brain tumour which eventually
affected his whole body, but I believe he
actually wore it out with everything he had
undertaken!
GOD BLESS YOU DAVID!
AMEN.
Parish of Killay !22
2018