Patrick David (Dai) Davies: – [Heath 1947–1953]
Dai Davies died of cancer on at Overgate Hospice at the age of 63. His parents were John Harding and Enid Morelle, both repertory actors appearing at the Grand Theatre, Halifax. With both parents being in the theatre, it was to be expected that on leaving Heath he would go onto the stage, a career he indeed followed, interrupted by national service in the RAF, until 1958 when, as a result of a desire to eat regularly, be joined Crossley Carpets of Halifax, becoming Sales Manager in 1969 and Marketing Director of Carpets International (Northern) Ltd, covering Crossley and Kosset in Brighouse, in 1977, a position he held until 1983. When the firm moved to Kidderminster, he resigned, preferring to stay in the Halifax area.
His career continued in sales and marketing with various companies throughout the North of England and, despite his illness, he was still on the payroll of HM Shopfitters of Leeds, selling until the day he died.
He never married but had long-standing links with the Stollery family of which Derek and his sons, Pete, Dave, Rob and Phil, were all Heath Old Boys. He was known not only to those old boys of his era but also as a Governor of the school for some years and by those who had heard him speak at the annual dinner.
To more recent old boys he was an avid supporter of the Heath School First XV of 83/84 which he always outspokenly claimed were, in his words, the best XV to turn out for Heath in recent years except for that lot led by Horrocks-Taylor.
Any suggestions to contradict his view should be addressed to the HOBA Newsletter;1 Dai would enjoy the debate. He was a character who will be missed by his friends and family and a role model for those of us who really want to live before we die!
First appeared in the Newsletter dated .
1 This challenge was taken up five and eight years later by Rob Stollery and Jonny Potter respectively.