David Pollard
Obituary
DAVID POLLARD 1938 –2025.
The longest serving member of The Rotary Club of Bradford, Rtn. David Pollard died just one day shy of his 87th birthday. He had been a member since 1964, joining when aged just 26 and given the composition of the Club in those days his arrival probably made a significant downward movement in the Club’s average age. He was proposed by his father Ernest who had been a member since a year before David was born. Ernest had a successful textile machinery business.
David’s early life was quite action-packed including service the RAF and a long period as a works Rally team member which saw him competing in the Monte Carlo Rally amongst many others. He was also into ocean sailing and as a result, later in life, he had his own yacht which he kept in the inner Hebrides and much more recently had involvement locally with sailing for the disabled. His engineering skills led to him setting up a motor dealership, Andrews, in Oak Lane and it was under the classification of ‘Garage and Service Station’ that he joined the Club.
Perhaps his most significant involvement through his Rotary service started when he was part of a Group Study Exchange (GSE) trip to Australia with fellow member Dick Hazlehurst. There they were introduced to the Life Education programme for children and to the Peace Studies programmes. Both Dick and he then went on to lead other GSE Teams to different countries through their District involvement in these programmes (sadly later discontinued). Also, with Dick he was involved in the founding of ‘Life Education Bradford’ which still operates, and David was much involved with the establishment of the Peace Studies Course at Bradford University where for many years he was a student host co-ordinator.
President 2002-2003, David had a number of formal Rotary awards; a double Paul Harris Awardee 1987 & 2018 and most recently a Sixty Year Membership Award in 2024. Despite declining health in recent years, he came to Club whenever he could and that was quite often. Given the Club is technically about to end, as it formally becomes a new entity when it joins with Bingley, his membership longevity record cannot be broken.
Quite a Rotarian, one might say.
Geoff Kenure 20.05.25
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