David J Lewis (81-85) died suddenly on 17th April 2026 from a massive heart attack while nearing the end of the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage walk in northern Spain. He was 59 and was accompanying his wife Catherine on one of her lifetime challenges.

Joining the College from Oswestry School in January 1981, David rose to become Guard Commander and a Cadet Captain in Macquarie Division. In 1984 he played rugby for the 1st XV winning his colours. He also represented the school at fencing, water polo and sculling, and was a member of numerous College societies including Drama and Wine. He left Pangbourne in the summer of 1985 with two ‘A’ levels and direct entry into the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) as an Observer.

Following Dartmouth, he earned his Wings in 1988 and was appointed to Gibraltar Flight serving in HMS Scylla and HMS Arrow. Later he served in the frigate HMS Campbeltown in the Falkland Islands in 1992 as Flight Observer responsible for navigation, operating sensor and communications systems and controlling weaponry. At the time he informed The Pangbournian magazine that in six years in the RN he had visited 35 countries and “had a marvellous life.”

After Campbeltown he joined 815 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) based at Portland as Maritime Counter Terrorism Officer. “His expertise and imaginative leadership in this role resulted in appointment to 848 NAS within the Commando Helicopter Force” according to a Royal Navy obituary. It continues: “Dave’s planning and direction was highlighted by the high seas Operation Darden from HMS York in 1997, when a Maltese-registered vessel MV Simon de Danser was boarded by the Special Boat Squadron from a Lynx and Sea King helicopter assault group 100 miles off the coast of Portugal. A large cargo of cannabis worth £14.5 million was interdicted.”

Shortly after David was sent to Brazil as part of an exchange with the Brazilian Navy which had recently purchased Super Lynx helicopters from the U.K. He was promoted to Lt. Commander in October 1998. On his return to the UK at the RNAS at Yeovilton, he focused on warfare training before moving to capability management. In 2008-09 he attended the Defence Academy, Shrivenham for a year.

Promoted to Commander, in late-2009 he deployed for six months to Pakistan as a Liaison Officer with ISAF (International Security Assistance Force, the NATO-led mission to the region) – a challenging and risky role which he spent mostly inside the Pakistani Badlands. A final tour at Shrivenham followed before he resigned his commission in October 2012 after almost 27 years in the FAA.

A man who never shied away from a deal and lived his entire life governed by the taking of sensible risk according to his FAA colleagues, Dave now moved into commercial aircraft sales and charter, eventually creating his own company based in Monaco. The business grew steadily and at the time of his death he was negotiating a deal for a $100 million aircraft and a high-end luxury powerboat sale.

Ardent Welshman, a fine game shot, an accomplished fisherman, swordsman and aspiring golfer, David, in the words of a friend, “lived with a gale-force enthusiasm that was impossible to ignore and a joy to be alongside. He always displayed an infectious charm and a likeable, quick-witted nature that drew people in. Often sailing close to the wind, beneath that daring edge lay an unshakeable confidence that carried him through both triumphs and setbacks. He leaves behind the memory of a life lived boldly and entirely on his own terms.”