David Keith-Welsh (58-62) died unexpectedly in his sleep aged 81 at a care home in Somerset on 30th March 2026 having been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2023. He leaves a beloved wife Sherry, a son Tom, a daughter Antonia and two grandchildren to whom he was devoted.

At the Nautical College David was a member of The Guard, a Cadet Captain in Macquarie Division, a determined 2nd row forward in the formidable 1961 rugby 1st XV, and the “strong as an ox” bow oarsman in the engine room of the powerful 1962 1st VIII which reached the final of Princess Elizabeth Cup at Henley Regatta that year. 

From Pangbourne he joined the Royal Marines in 1963 and served in Aden, Singapore, Hong Kong and Brunei before retiring in 1971 and embarking on a career in business. Joining a shipping company, it sent him to Hong Kong – the start of a 25-year spell in the Far East. Representing Ben Line Shipping and Ben Line Agencies, at one time or another David was based in Japan, Singapore and Malaysia as well Hong Kong. In 1997 he resigned from the company and returned to the U.K. where he became self-employed, mainly working with logistics companies.

In retirement, David and Sherry moved to Sunny Farm, a beautiful home in the countryside near Taunton in Somerset. An ebullient character and ever-generous host, David organised an annual summer barbeque lunch for his OP friends and contemporaries. In 2010 he was one of the small team of OPs who spent four months driving 16,000 miles from the College parade ground to Cape Agulhas in South Africa in two Land Cruisers to raise funds for charity. In 2014 he memorably celebrated his 70th birthday with a group of friends in Dubrovnik. Always an enthusiastic walker, he trekked as far afield as Nepal, walked the South West coastal path in stages, and in 2019 completed the 120-mile Santiago de Compostela walk along northern Spain.

Geoff Popple (1958-1962) writes: “I first met David as a 13-year-old at the NCP. But our friendship endured far beyond school. We both worked in the shipping industry, David in the Far East and me in southern Africa, and this resulted in us knowing common friends across two continents. We also shared some unforgettable adventures together including the 2010 Pangbourne Africa overland expedition, and trips all over southern Africa. Our early years at the College were filled with laughter, mischief and a shared appetite for adventure – qualities that remained with David throughout his life. He was always great fun to be with – a master at playful banter and a good joke teller who made people laugh.”

Antony Sainthill (57-62) adds: “David and I were very good chums at Pangbourne and remained so for years after. He was always the life and soul of parties, and it is tragic that he died of such a horrid, protracted illness, borne bravely and nurtured by Sherry to the end. He will be sorely missed by his many friends.”