1936-2023

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David passed away peacefully on 31 July 2023, having lived with cancer for two years. He was born on 27 July 1936, the youngest of four children.

He trained at Birmingham Dental School. He did National Service in the Royal Army Dental Corps; in the same month that he completed this, he married Mary. They celebrated their Diamond Wedding Anniversary in 2021.

Roles in Oldbury, Smethwick and Warley were followed by becoming Principal School Dental Officer for Leicestershire. Here, he worked with the University of Birmingham carrying out pioneering epidemiological studies of the dental health of Leicestershire children.

In 1971, David moved to Radnorshire soon becoming Area Dental Officer for Powys and at retirement was Director of Dental Public Health for Dyfed Powys. He Chaired the Powys AIDS Co-ordinating Team and the Officer Working Group of the Powys Joint Consultative Committee. For a period, David was a member of the Heath Advisory Committee for Wales and an Honorary Clinical Teacher at the Dental School of the University of Wales.

He served on BDA committees as a member, secretary and chair, culminating in being President of the Community Dental Services Group. His presidential meeting was notable for an informal dinner with superb roast leg of lamb in a hay-box.

David's interests varied; family and friendship were important. He enjoyed rugby, serving as a committee member at Builth Wells RFC, cycling, gardening, aviculture, opera, ballet, theatre and travelling. His travels included the Gambia, where he and Mary participated in the development of a school for a rural community.

After retiring, he was secretary of a Parochial Church Council, Director of Cymryd Rhan, a voluntary organisation, a National Trust Gardener and a member of Llandrindod Probus and Horticulture Clubs.

Fifty years ago, David, with Midlands colleagues, became part of the ‘Midlands Mafia'. We, the Mafia, challenged establishment CDS figures perceived to be biased towards London and the South, then found that many of us became establishment figures ourselves, subject to similar rebellions. Since 1993, the remnants of the Mafia have gathered together annually, for a few days of nostalgia, good food and wine. David managed to attend our latest gathering in April.

Both David, and his beloved Mary, will be remembered with love and great respect. He is survived by his four sons: Michael, Edward, Robert and Philip.

Roger Bettles, John Charlton and Roger Heesterman, and the spouses who sought to bring moderation to the Midlands Mafia