In tribute to David Owen, Forum Member for the MSc in Social Work, who died on 21 February 2025, his colleagues Mark Williams, Jon Symonds, Aggie Bezzina, and Mim Cartwright offer a remembrance.
David’s involvement with the social work programme dates back to about 2007, when he joined as a member of The Forum; a group of people with lived experience of using social work services. During his time as a Forum Member, David interviewed countless applicants for the programme and taught hundreds of students about his own experiences of social work. David was the Co-Chair of the Forum between 2011-2015 and represented the voice of lived experience in annual programme reviews.
David was involved in the Forum for longer than many staff have been at the university and was much loved by all. It was always a pleasure to work on interview panels with him as we met applicants for the course. He was kind and generous, but always clear about the importance of social justice in the people who wanted to join the profession.
David was also a keen contributor to lectures and group work. Through the sharing of his life experiences, he strongly conveyed the message to students that social workers share a common humanity with the people they work with.
David Owen
He encouraged students to work at building honest and genuine relationships with people; respecting the personhood of every individual they work with, while also advocating for human rights.
While being serious about his role on the programme, he was also great fun. His fellow forum member, Mark Williams, writes:
“David was very quiet and a polite gentleman. David had a very quick sense of humour, I can’t remember the number of times we had been in meetings that were quite serious and David said something and everyone in the meeting would laugh. David will be very much missed by the forum. I want to thank David for his hard work and many laughs over the years.”
Everyone who worked with David will remember him as a true ‘gentle man’. He was kind and thoughtful, but also confident to speak his mind when he saw injustice. He was the sort of person who, when he spoke, you knew you needed to listen. All of us will miss him.
Alongside his work at the university, David actively contributed to his community through his voluntary work at Paul’s Place and as an active member of the Scouts. He is survived by his father, sister, and brother.
