Richard Harwood died peacefully on 10^th June 2019 at the age of 74 after a brave fight against acute myeloid leukaemia.


After a long career in accountancy, Richard and his wife Janet retired to Beaumaris in Anglesey in February 2018 where their Old Veseyan son Charles (1986-92) runs the Prince Llewelyn Bed and Breakfast establishment in Aberffraw with his partner Theresa.


Richard was born on 7^th September 1944 to Cherry and Gerald and lived in various houses in Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield whilst attending, as a boarder, Wycliffe College in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire. Richard played cricket as wicket keeper in one of the less prestigious school teams whilst also carrying out duties as pig foreman, on the school farm, and haircut monitor!


On leaving school at sixteen Richard began training as an accountant and qualified as a Chartered Accountant in the mid ‘60’s. Richard as member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants for over 50 years. When he contacted the Institute to cancel his membership having retired, he was informed that having been a member for 50 years he was entitled to Life Membership.


Richard and Janet married at All Saints Parish Church in Streetly on 8^th September 1967 and Charles was born in October 1973. The family moved to Dutton’s Lane, Canwell, in the summer of 1974 and then onto Bangley Lane in 1999.


Richard left Deloitte’s in 1981 to join up with another accountant called Jim Hart and form Hart Harwood. Hart Harwood became Harwoods, Chartered Accountants, which Richard and Janet ran until retirement in December 2017. Richard was President of the Birmingham and West Midlands Society of Chartered Accountants in 1991/92, chairman of the Professional Standards Board of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales and the genial compere, auctioneer and host of the annual Harwoods Charity Golf Day.


Beyond the accountancy world, Richard was variously Chairman of Canwell Show, deputy Chairman of Governors at Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School, treasurer of St Peter’s Church, Maney and the Canwell Church. He was to have been the next Mayor of Sutton Coldfield in the early 1970’s but the council was disbanded with the merger into Birmingham. Both Janet and Richard were briefly on the local RNLI fund raising committee in Anglesey.


Whilst still in Sutton, Richard enjoyed cricket umpiring and over the years stood for BVGS U14’s, U15’s, 1^st and 2^nd XI’s, in the Old Boys matches and Sutton Coldfield Cricket Club 2^nd XI on Sundays. Charles relates how his Dad often took him to Villa Park, to his first test match at Edgbaston and how they took 57 wickets together in the U14’s with Charles bowling and Richard umpiring! A standing joke was “howzat Dad? – That’s out son!”


Richard, albeit not an Old Veseyan, was a great friend of the Vesey Community often seen at Vesey concerts and the accountant to the Old Veseyan Association.


In a very personal eulogy, Charles thanked his father for doing a great job as a Dad.


Following a private cremation, a memorial service was held at St Mary’s & St Nicholas’ Church, Beaumaris, Anglesey on Wednesday 26^th June 2019 at 1.00 p.m.


The service was conducted by Rev. Richard Adams (OV 1959-67) who resides in Beaumaris.