The Diocese of of Portsmouth has asked for prayers for Fr. David Whitehead who died last week in Marie Louise House, in Romsey where he has been living for the last few years. He was 96.

David Whitehead was born on 15th April 1927 in Bournemouth. He was educated at Peterhouse, Cambridge, worked as a solicitor’s clerk and served in the Royal Air Force. A former Anglican cleric, he was received into the full communion of the Catholic Church and undertook his seminary studies at the Beda College in Rome. He was ordained to the priesthood on 25th January 1967 in the Sistine Chapel, by Pope Saint Paul VI. He first served as an assistant priest between 1967 and 1971 at St Mary & St Peter, Jersey.

He then served as chaplain and choirmaster at St John’s College, Southsea and also took on the role of Director of Music at the Cathedral. This role expanded to Diocesan Director of Music. With an immense passion for liturgical music, Fr David was instrumental in establishing the Cathedral Boys’ Choir in 1979, which consisted of the Choir House of Our Lady & St John. This was initially located in Southsea but later relocated to Hayling Island. Throughout its years, it trained hundreds of choirboys. The Choir School closed in 1992.

Subsequently, Fr David served as parish priest of St John’s, Lee-on-the-Solent until his retirement in 2002. Initially, he lived in retirement in Chandler’s Ford, before moving to Marie Louise House in Romsey. It was there he passed away, last Friday, 23rd February 2024.