Remembering Cyril ‘Donald’ Bradshaw OBE

After leaving Malvern, Donald went to Cirencester Agricultural College and in 1954 took up farming in Preston on Stour near Stratford-upon-Avon. In 1960 Donald was to change career, joining Calmic, a pharmaceuticals company in Crewe. When Calmic was taken over by the Wellcome Foundation Donald was posted to Osaka in Japan to head up the company’s fledgling business there. Following a brief spell back in England in 1970, Donald remained in Japan for the next 20 years. He grew the Wellcome and Calmic businesses from two to over 300 people during his time as President of Nippon Wellcome. He had a distinguished business career, ably assisted by his Japanese wife Isoyo, who helped hone Donald’s Japanese language skills and understanding of Japanese culture.

Donald contributed much to the local community including being Chairman of the Board of Governors for the Canadian Academy in Kobe, his daughter’s school, and was a founder member of the Century Club, an international business and social club based in Osaka. His work was recognised by the British Embassy and the UK Board of Trade, culminating in being awarded an OBE for services to Anglo-Japanese business interests in 1989.

Donald retired to the New Forest in 1991 where he started another phase of his life indulging in his three passions – travel, photography and his family – whilst continuing to work as a consultant to Nippon Wellcome and Calmic for several more years. His photographic interest was influenced by his travels in Japan, with expeditions to the frozen lakes of Hokkaido to photograph the cranes, the snow monkeys immersed in the hot springs of northern Honshu, as well as hundreds of ancient temples, shrines and cherry blossom festivals all over the country.

He built up a great library of bird, animal and travel books, as well as numerous volumes of handwritten and typed journals of his travels, and a vast archive of photographs. Trips included the Amazon rainforest, Papua New Guinea, the Galapagos Islands, Madagascar, Alaska, India and several trips to Africa.

Donald became a popular and accomplished performer on the lecture circuit of Hampshire’s photographic and other civic societies, as well as chairing the local Probus Society.

He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Isoyo, his sons by his first marriage, Mark (SH.70-75), Charles (6.73-78), his daughter Fiona, and his eight grandchildren, including Edward (SH.14-19). Three generations of proud Old Malvernians.

Donald died on 6th September 2023, aged 90.