David James Yarwood 92 was a collegiate man who enjoyed the company of colleagues and friends. He had a wide circle of both and a wonderful happy marriage. He died on the 29th of June 2022 aged 92 at home in Ascot surrounded by his family.
David Yarwood was born on the 3rd September 1929 to Isabel (nee) Dewar, (a name David was to use in later life) and Joseph Yarwood, a schoolmaster.
In 1934 David’s father was appointed Deputy Head and Senior Mathematics Master at Wembley County School in Middlesex and David attended the Byron Court Junior School from 1934 to 1939.
The second world war broke out in September 1939 and David, together with his mother and Brother Richard moved to the Isle of Man while Joseph remained in Wembley as Deputy Chief Air Raid Warden.
The family returned to Wembley in 1942 and David attended Wembley County School for the next two years.
In 1944 Joseph Yarwood was appointed Headmaster of the Stockport School and the family moved back North. David attended the prestigious Manchester Grammar School from 1944 to 1948 where he specialised in Mathematics and played soccer for the school in the 1947/1948 season. David’s father died aged 54 in 1946.
In his last year at MGS David won a scholarship in mathematics and physics at Cambridge University to study engineering at St John’s College.
As was normal at the time David did his National Service from 1948 to 1950 in the Royal Engineers including a six months’ stint in Hong Kong where he was involved in constructing Jeep Tracks along the frontier hills using explosives!
David gained extensive knowledge of river intakes, control structures and all aspects of water infrastructure. One outstanding project was the test facility at RAE Farnborough for a programme on the Concorde supersonic airliner from 1970 to 1972.
Other important professional events included membership of the Service Reservoirs Panel and as Construction Engineer for several reservoirs in the London area.
David retired from Binnie & Partners in 1994 but worked for the next five years as an Independent Consultant Engineer.
From 1950 to 1953 David attended St John’s College and achieved a BA Hons in Mechanical Sciences in 1953 followed by a MA in 1957.
He played soccer for the College from 1951 to 1953.
In 1953 on coming down from Cambridge, David joined an international consulting engineering firm ultimately called Binnie & Partners. He stayed with this company throughout his working life until he retired in 1994.
He attended Manchester Grammar School and St John’s College, Cambridge. His professional career as a senior consulting civil engineer was with Binnie & Partners where he specialised in urban and rural water supplies in the UK and abroad, including 4 years in Malaysia with his family (1963-67).
An advocate and campaigner for equal rights and justice, co-founding Campaign for Equal State Pension Ages in 1986, later known as Parity, serving as Secretary and Trustee for over 30 years and with the setup of Dewar Research in 1995, David set up Dewar Research (a name derived from his mother’s maiden name) a private initiative to collect and publish impartial information on a range of family and gender conflict issues.
He was always interested in gender issues and in 1986 co-founded with David Lindsey the Campaign for Equal State Pension Ages (later renamed Parity) and was the Honorary Secretary. Between 1995 and 2001 Parity achieved four successful legal challenges in the European Courts on Statutory Discrimination against men. These included prescription charges, winter fuel payments, bus passes and widowers’ benefits. Prior to these successful actions women obtained benefits at the age 60 and men at 65.
David met his future wife Anne Davies in 1955 and they married two years later on the 30th of March 1957. Their first child Sally was born on 20th April 1958 followed by Richard on the 26th of March 1960 and a second daughter Claire was born on the 29th of March 1962.
He had a wide range of interests outside of work including his charitable activities. He was interested in creation, landscaping astronomy, philosophy, history, archaeology, music and justice. He also retained an interest in soccer and cricket which he developed at school and university.
He will be remembered for his advocate work thorough Parity and Dewar Research (1986 & 1995) and loving by his wife Anne of 65 years, his children, Sally, Richard and Claire and grandchildren: Rachael (1992) Joseph (1993) Becki (1995) William (1997) and Emma (1997),
Funeral will take place on the 20th of July 2022, Constables, Windsor Road, Ascot, SL5 7LF.
Please Contact For Funeral Details: Lines Bannister, Ascot. Tel: 01344 620266.
Quote Ref No: 609650.
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