David was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, on 24th March, 1952, the youngest of three children. His father was a professional soldier. When David was 3, Army life took the family out to Hong Kong for 2½ years, and from there to Chilwell Army Depot, near Nottingham, where they would live for the next 5 years. In 1963, David’s father retired from the Army and found employment as a civil servant in Chilwell Depot. The family moved into Chilwell village.
In 1970, aged 18, David went to Newcastle University to study for a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering, followed by a Masters in Water and Wastewater Treatment. David then joined the academic staff at Newcastle University, on a 3-year research contract. During this time, he met and married Doreen who worked as a Psychiatric Social Worker.
At the end of his research contract in 1978, David went to work for Southern Water in Sussex. Their children, Fiona and Adam, were both born there. After 5½ years in Sussex, and qualified as a Chartered Civil Engineer, David decided to move into Operational management. This, coincidentally, took him back to the North East, working for the Newcastle and Gateshead Water Company.
During David’s 10 years with Newcastle & Gateshead, he completed a part-time MBA (Master of Business Administration), experienced privatisation, French acquisition, and a merger, and was promoted onto the Company’s management team. He travelled regularly to France, and sometimes further, to participate in Group technical and research activities.
David enjoyed the international aspects of his job and, in 1994, joined North West Water International. Most of the next 3 years were spent overseas, in Argentina, Indonesia, The Philippines, and finally Chile, where he and Doreen lived for over a year. But although David enjoyed his job, it was not family friendly so, in 1997, they returned to the UK.
He joined Three Valleys Water in Hertfordshire for 2½ years before moving on to become Operations Director at South East Water, in Haywards Heath, Sussex, living in nearby Cuckfield. He was to remain in this role until his retirement 14 years later in 2013.
Growing up in Nottingham, David became a life-long fan of Nottingham Forest, and developed an enduring passion for angling, especially fly-fishing. A keen sportsman, he played rugby and cricket into his early 30s, moving on to golf and tennis. On retirement, he returned to playing bridge, progressing to helping teach beginners at Haywards Heath GC.
When Doreen retired in 2015, they bought a smaller house in Cuckfield, and a second home in Nottingham where their daughter Fiona and family had settled, splitting their time between the two homes. David became a regular visitor again to cricket at Trent Bridge, and football at the City Ground, and was able see more of his sister Kate and her husband at regular Mah Jongg evenings.
In March 2018, David was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. As a consequence of his illness, the townhouse in The Park and the house in Cuckfield had to be sold. They moved to a bungalow in Mapperley, much more suited to David’s needs, and conveniently close to Fiona and her children.