Remembering David John Swift

David (an only child) was born in Huddersfield to Roland (a dental surgeon) and Dulcie on 25^th January 1938. He attended St David’s school in Marsh, Huddersfield followed by Woodhall Prep School near Wetherby, North Yorkshire where he was a boarder. After Woodhall, David completed his schooling at Malvern College, boarding in School House.

David’s working life was extremely varied. After qualifying as a chartered accountant in the 1960’s, he worked at Armitage & Norton in Huddersfield for a few years. Following this, he joined Granada TV where he worked on computer programming. A year or two later he went to work in Frankfurt, Germany and latterly worked in Saudi Arabia also on the computer programming side.

David’s passions were photography and ornithology; he was a keen member of the RSPB. Throughout his life, he also travelled extensively all over the world.

David never married, although he stayed in regular touch with his extended family and godchildren taking a huge interest in their families’ lives.

David latterly became very frail following a number of falls, yet he remained (stubbornly!) independent in his own home until he was taken into hospital last September. David died on 10th October 2025