David Kiggell, Bursar of Pangbourne College 1990-1997, died suddenly but peacefully in Oxford on 4th January 2026. Aged 88, he left a wife Anne (an ordained priest in the Church of England), two sons Ben and Tom, and six grandchildren.

The son and grandson of career Army officers, five-year-old David was evacuated on the last military transport ship out of Singapore in 1942 and did not see his father again for five years. Educated at Charterhouse School, he followed his father into the Army and entered RMA Sandhurst in 1955 where he won the Sovereign’s medal for best cadet on the academic side and was commissioned into the Royal Engineers. He then went up to King's College, Cambridge where he obtained a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Returning to the Army,

he subsequently saw service in Hong Kong, Malaya and Yemen before deciding in 1967 aged 30 to leave the military for a more settled life.

Over the next two decades David lived in southwest London, held a number of engineering-related management jobs, earned qualifications in accountancy and management, achieved Chartered Engineer status and became an active golf-playing member of the Roehampton Club.

In 1990 he changed course and was appointed Bursar at Pangbourne. Moving to Ashampstead village near the College, he became a pillar of the local community, serving as treasurer of the Ashampstead Parochial Church Council and helping to obtain the license that allowed the opening of the ‘Ashampstead Arms’ in the village hall so turning it into a community hub.

At Pangbourne, writes Gerry Pike, Second Master 1994-2014, “from the outset David found himself in a difficult position, caught between an anxious Board and a slightly maverick Headmaster at a time when the school's finances were precarious and the very survival of the College was at stake. Curbing costs and keeping the ship afloat were the urgent priorities, and the Board’s attempts to micromanage matters further complicated the Bursar's role. David quickly understood that he had to support the Head day-to-day while trying to control costs. Recovery proved to be slow, and financial nettles were not really grasped. That said, by 1997 when he retired aged 60, pupil numbers had improved and general indicators were more positive.

“On a personal level David was a thoroughly likeable, kind and mild-mannered man.

He was also unfailingly considerate and courteous to others – rare in hard-pressed bursars.

A gregarious person, he was a generous host who always made himself available to staff of all hues when it would have been much easier to stay remote. He was also resilient and slow to take offence. After he left the College, I saw him and Anne a few times usually when visiting notable gardens since they were both keen gardeners. David supported Anne hugely when she undertook the Ministry; they made an interesting, well-intentioned Christian couple.”

All his life David was a keen golfer and latterly became a popular member of Huntercombe Golf Club near Henley, proudly scoring his age (88) in mid-2025. In the words of Marcus Lovelock, the General Manager: “David was a fine member and a lovely man. He had a wonderfully smooth tempo on the golf swing.”

In retirement, David and Anne moved to Headington in Oxford. According to his son Ben, here “he grew vegetables in profusion, was a volunteer at several charities and community organisations, taught chess to disadvantaged primary school children, relished spending time with his grandchildren, played bridge regularly and kept learning about the world by working his way through the biography section of Oxford Library. After his death the family received many kind letters in which he was described, time and again, as a true gentleman. He was a fine example for us all to follow.”