David Brice (OB 1945-1948)

David was born on 12th July 1934, the first son of Dr. Edgar and Mrs. Amy Brice, housemaster and matron respectively of Otway House, Brentwood School, where his father was also Director of Music. David was educated first at Brentwood from 1945 to 1948 and later at Aldenham, a boarding school in Hertfordshire. There then followed National Service, where he valued the experience and the life skills he acquired. Next followed Durham University, where he enjoyed the social life and rowing possibly to the detriment of academic progress and achievement! He still managed to graduate with a degree in Classics followed by a Dip. Ed. The assumption was that he would follow his father into teaching. However David’s teaching career was short - teaching Latin Grammar to reluctant pupils in a cold, draughty classroom in Bishop Auckland was never his wish.

Since childhood, he had developed a fascination for railways and steam engines, so in 1958 he applied for and won a Traffic Apprenticeship with British Rail, which gave him extensive and wide training in such exotic locations as Southend Central Station and Temple Mills Marshalling Yard, Stratford. After his apprenticeship, he specialised in the Freight Division which involved travelling all over the country working on route planning, track layouts, line capacities and timetabling. Over his career he gained an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of railways in the British Isles.

Whilst all this had been going on, David married Christine Harrison, a string teacher at Brentwood School, and together they raised a family of four. Family life involved exploring the countryside and going on walking holidays in the British Isles and France.
On his father’s death, David took over the leadership of the family and was careful to maintain contact with the wider family.

David retired in 1993 but in no way was he ready to end his career in railways. So armed with his extensive knowledge and expertise, he turned himself into an international rail consultant and soon started winning contracts which took him abroad, particularly into Eastern Europe and Asia. Unfazed by working with different cultures, he relished the challenges on advising on such problems as different gauges, route planning, line capacities and even awkward politicians. Often his work colleagues became close friends and he was invited into their homes to meet families and share meals with them. On the negative side, on two occasions in Afghanistan he narrowly escaped being blown up, but this did not deter him from continuing his travels. A recent look at his curriculum vitae revealed that he has worked on contracts in 26 countries around the world since his retirement.

When he wasn’t working on contracts his life was still busy. He took his community responsibilities very seriously combining them with his love of music and singing - visiting and singing in hospitals, clearing snow for elderly neighbours and holding garden fetes to raise money for church repairs. After his father’s retirement from Brentwood Choral Society begun in 1941, David took over the chairmanship to ensure its continued survival and connections with Brentwood School. He also sang in the Westminster Glee Club, the London Transport Choir and Shenfield Church Choir. When I took over the conductorship of my choir in Durham and we started to perform in the cathedral, David could not resist the opportunity to come and sing under my baton which he he did until my retirement 10 years ago. He resurrected father’s set of handbells, purchased at a local auctioneer’s c.1935, and set up a group to play them locally.

This almost frenetic life continued well into his 80s and his energy levels seemed to know no bounds. However, in the last two years his sight began to fail, a bitter blow, followed by other major health issues which added to his gradual decline and he was unable to live at home. Last year all the family were able to celebrate his 90th birthday at which he gave what was to be his last speech. David was still with us to welcome in the new year and his peaceful passing three days later was in the company of all his family exactly as he wished.

Obituary written by David's brother, Richard Brice, OB 1951-1962.

David with his father, Dr. Edgar Brice, at the Golden Jubilee concert in the school Memorial Hall, 1991.

David, working in Afghanistan under armed guard protection c.2010.