John KelseyHOWELLDr John Kelsey Howell
1930 - 2024
John Howell was born in Lydney, Gloucestershire, on the 12th of September 1930. He attended Lydney Grammar School, before going to the University of Bristol in 1949 to study Medicine. He graduated in 1954 and was a House Officer at Frenchay Hospital, before joining the Royal Air Force in 1956. During his time in Bristol, he played both football and rugby for Gloucestershire. A keen hockey player, he played for both Gloucestershire and the University of Bristol (captaining the university team).
After initial officer training in the RAF, his first posting was to RAF Waterbeach where he was a Medical Officer on a busy fighter station. He was then based at RAF Kinloss, before being posted to RAF Changi (in Singapore) as Station Medical Officer. During this period, he was frequently on operational deployment, supporting British forces operating in Borneo. On his return to the United Kingdom, he was posted to RAF Bassingbourn (then the home of the Canberra Operational Conversion Unit), passing his MRCGP examinations in 1965, before undertaking further training in Paediatrics and Obstetrics (in London and Cambridge) and obtaining the DCH and D(Obst)RCOG in 1966. He then moved to Holland as Senior Medical Officer, Headquarters Allied Forces Central Europe, before returning to the United Kingdom in 1970 to take up the post of Station Medical Officer at RAF Chivenor. During his time in the Royal Air Force John became an accomplished pilot and continued to fly from Eaglescott Airfield as often as he could until the age of 92!
Unwilling to move out of clinical medicine, he left the RAF in 1973 (with the rank of Wing Commander) and entered civilian General Practice at Caen Medical Centre, in Braunton. He became senior partner in the practice, whilst also working as a Clinical Assistant in Paediatrics at North Devon District Hospital. He was an accredited Trainer in General Practice and was the University of Bristol Postgraduate Tutor in General Practice for North Devon for many years. During his time at Caen Medical Centre, he took a sabbatical to work in rural General Practice in New Zealand. He loved New Zealand, making many lifetime friends, and would return over the years to holiday there. He finally retired from General Practice in 1997, but then went off to work as a ship's doctor (on the Cardiff-Ascension Island-Tristan da Cunha-Cape Town route) taking his wife Pat with him!
He had three children (Amanda, Jonathan and Angus) from his first marriage to Ruth, but the marriage ended in divorce. He subsequently married Pat, who had two daughters, Chris and Jo from her first marriage They lived happily in Heanton Punchardon until Pat's death of pancreatic cancer in 2010. Her death was an enormous loss, but he continued to live vibrantly and independently until the final few months of his life. His elder son, Jonathan, died of lung cancer in 2021 and he never recovered fully from that loss. In November 2023, he moved to Northumberland to live with his daughter, Amanda, and her husband. He was then able to spend more time with his five great-grandchildren, but his health gradually failed and he died peacefully on the 25th of March 2024 with Amanda and Angus by his side.
John was a multi-talented, caring doctor who loved his sports. He was a wonderful host, raconteur, artist and pianist. A true gentleman in every way. He was much loved by both family & friends and will be greatly missed.
Funeral service to be held at St. Augustine's Church, Heanton Punchardon, at 11:30am on Friday 3rd May. Followed by a family committal at North Devon Crematorium. Any enquiries please contact Barnstaple Funeralcare on 01271 314918
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