David Vaughan 16 August 1926 to 28 October 2015
David Vaughan born 16 August 1926, died on 28 October 2015, having been ill for the last few months; it was peaceful, he was not in pain and he just slipped away at home. Many of his friends managed to visit him over the recent months and he remained cheerful to the end. Jane has been, and remains, wonderful and is now busy arranging the Thanksgiving Service.
David went to Cranleigh School and then, after a spell in the RAF just after the end of the war, went to Trinity College, Oxford where he was a squash blue and also played hockey and lawn tennis with distinction. He went on to become one of the leading Squash and Lawn Tennis players at Hurlingham for many years and served on the Committee there with distinction. He also played his Squash at the RAC and was one of the best amateur players of his generation, culminating in him becoming the British Over 45 champion in the early 1970s.
Thereafter he took up Real Tennis (only wishing he had played earlier) and was a stalwart member of RTC from then on; his zenith was to win the World Over 60s championships (he confided that this was achieved by being slightly less injured than any of the other contestants). He was also an active member of Queen's, the Hurlingham Pigeons, Petworth, Radley and the Hyde.
One of his favourite clubs was the Jesters, of which he was a member for 66 years, having served on its committee and having been its Chairman and thereafter its President up to this year. He was the archetypal Jester; always cheerful, interested in others and particularly the young, a wonderful host and always charming and good fun both on and off the court.
He will be much missed!
