Bangor Cathedral was the venue today for the funeral service for Dafydd Owen and it was with regret that I was unable to attend to give thanks for the life of a remarkable man.
We first met as the youngest of a group of national group of youth officers which was drawn together under the auspices of the British Council of Churches during Michael Doe's time as Youth Secretary and developed a creative bond almost immediately.
We were both opinionated beyond our years, and shared in running several of the large national youth events of that era. I remember one particularly dramatic fall-out over the running order for the main Saturday evening concert - Dafydd pressing the claims of some obscure Welsh band from Barmouth over against a band of my choice. He of course redeemed himself musically some years later by "discovering Aled Jones".
I guess there were aspects of our respective backgrounds which challenged the other. With hindsight having been bought up in Shropshire I guess I tended to look down on the Welsh, and Dafydd for his part had a bit of chip about public school boys - but as we got to know each other the stereotypes were challenged.
We shared a common commitment to youth work, but also had an abiding side interest - his in broadcasting, mine in music. In the early nineties he approached me about doing a programme about Dance Music culture, but despite my best efforts he never really understood it enough to produce an effective programme and I don't remember his efforts being broadcast.
His beloved North Wales and the Lleyn peninsula in a particular was home ground for him, and the place where I spent many family holidays in my youth and first began to appreciate what Celtic meant through the lives of the Saints of that area. While at one stage I was quite knowledgeable on the subject my appalling Welsh pronunciation used to annoy him and amuse him by turn.
After some years of token contact we met up again during his time as Warden of The Mac (the Iona Community's Residential Centre) on Iona (a role to which he bought his own peculiar mix of creative insight and frustration with any sort of structure or pattern), and I greatly enjoyed leading residentials for young people, and retreats/training sessions for youth workers during his time in charge.
Dafydd and I shared a common delight of talking into the small hours - he suggested that it was the Welsh influence on my Salopian upbringing. It was during one visit to The Mac that my vocation to the priesthood began to emerge - and Dafyyd was a somewhat sceptical though important ear in the early stage of that process.
When I heard of his diagnosis with prostrate cancer I wrote to him, and the sole content of his reply was a complaint that I had (once again) spelt his Christian name wrong throughout the letter.
While no doubt there will have been many tributes today to his great contribution to the lives of countless young people as a youth worker - I just wanted to add my appreciation as a contemporary and youth worker colleague.
My thoughts and prayers are with his family and close friends. May Dafydd rest in peace.
Tom
Thank you for the post- what a sad loss to us all - with happy memories of Iona weeks - and especially of star gazing on the North beach - never did understand how the pair of you managed to get so drunk and then appear so confidently at breakfast - is the "onion allergy" still working as a kitchen/wash-up skive? Love the blog - you appear to be getting wiser with years (not meant to be patronising)
Mel G
Posted by: Mel | 08 February 2006 at 00:43
Thank you for sharing your words and thoughts about such a fine and remarkable man. For us that that could not attend the funeral service, it is good to take part through words like these in this blog.
I had the privilege of getting to know Dafydd for the first time 18 years ago. We met as tourists in a historic ancient rural place in Turkey. Despite different age, background, nationalities (I'm Norwegian), and religious believes, we immediately enjoyed each others companionship. We had laughter, but more important good and long discussions on small and big thoughts, which lasted for some days, while choosing to be on travel together for some days. In addition to have his good sense of humour I will remember him for his way of listening and being patient about thoughts he himself not necessarly could identify with. Through this early friendship, I believe that the words spent on expressing inner feelings and believes was the most valuable for me. Over some year thereafter, we were lucky to meet again, then again more sporadic per telephones, mails and letters.
Whether in Wales, Norway, Turkey or Greece, we had good time together. Dafydd always was, and will be, in my heart. May Dafydd rest in peace.
Helge
Tehran, 22 february 2006
Posted by: Helge | 23 February 2006 at 14:06
I met Dafydd in 1974 when I became engaged to my husband Richard.They were good friends.
We spent some special time with him Christmas 2004 and tried to keep in touch over the months that were left to him.
My husband met him and his sister last summer and had a lovely walk along the coast.
He was a wonderful warm person and I always envied him his world travel !He coped with his illness with the same acceptance that he met new friends.
His house was a welcoming oasis where I cooked some meals for us all much to his delight as it meant he got a rest.
Very sadly missed ,a fine man.
With love to you Dafydd.........
from Ann
Posted by: Ann Roe | 22 March 2006 at 19:14
Chrismast time 1997 I spent with very wonterfull people on iona community. Amont them had ben Dafydd Owen. Very inteligent, smart, ful of human warm and good looking. We took a lot of about his project in Middle Europe before communism collapsed and my in Scotland. Our previous Prime Minister Mr Tadeusz Mazowiecki sned him a letter and a few books. After my scottish rpoject I wrote plenty articles, and books. One of heros dad been Dafydd just. Rest in peace/ Spoczywaj w pokoju/. I will miss you forever
with love, Anna
Posted by: Anna Lojewska | 27 June 2006 at 11:27
Chrismast time 1997 I spent with very wonterfull people on iona community. Amont them had ben Dafydd Owen. Very inteligent, smart, ful of human warm and good looking. We took a lot of about his project in Middle Europe before communism collapsed and my in Scotland. Our previous Prime Minister Mr Tadeusz Mazowiecki sned him a letter and a few books. After my scottish rpoject I wrote plenty articles, and books. One of heros dad been Dafydd just. Rest in peace/ Spoczywaj w pokoju/. I will miss you forever
with love, Anna
Posted by: Anna Lojewska | 27 June 2006 at 11:29
Dafydd Owen was one of the best examples of how a man should be, and he is my hero. It was with great sadness that I read the news of his death tonight, and it made me even sadder to think that I would never be able to tell Dafydd how much I respected him.
Dafydd was a kind sensitive man who helped me through one of the toughest times of my youth and guided me a lot through letters and so on after I left the Community. I have since moved to Wales and was looking him up today to see if I could meet up with him.
I'm very saddened by his passing, but he is not forgotten. Dafydd, thank you and God bless... You were a hero and you set me straight.
Raise your glasses
Roscoe Vacant
Posted by: Roscoe Vacant | 26 July 2006 at 23:09
I just happened to google 'Dafydd Owen' tonight, even though I knew sadly of his passing. I remember Dafydd as a youth worker when I was a teenager and knew of the impact that he had on many of my generation. It was delight that I read tonight on your blog and its responses the way Dafydd was viewed by people beyond our Welsh communities.
Dafydd really was an internationalist, and even in this big impersonal world, some people manage to leave a deep mark on other people's minds and hearts. Dafydd was one of those, and he was one of us - whatever 'us' might mean.
Diolch i ti Dafydd. Boed i ni ddod o hyd i bobl ifanc yng Nghymru i ddilyn yn ol dy draed.
Thank you Dafydd. Let us in Wales find a new generation of young people who will walk in your footsteps.
Geraint
Posted by: Geraint Rees | 28 January 2009 at 23:00
Yes, today is thired Daffyd's Uniwersary of Dead. So regrete, so pity. Rest in peace. With love from Anna &Poland
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