Donald Simpson 1926- 2023
Posted on 14th February 2023 at 14:10
We are sorry to report a founder member of the Suffolk Craft Society has died.
He had lived in Suffolk since 1961.
Donald Simpson was born in 1926 and trained at Colchester School of Art. As an artist-craftsman he worked mostly on commissions on church and special furniture. His work included letter cutting, gilding, heraldry and sculpture in wood, slate and fibreglass.
He exhibited widely including the Royal Academy and the Design Centre, London.
He was a founder member of the SCS and made the walnut case to contain the engraved and jewel-studded bowl presented to the late Queen for her Silver Jubilee in 1977.
His work covered the entire range of wooden furniture. In later years he concentrated on working in stone and slate. In 1993 he designed and made a complete set of furniture in engraved green slate for the chancel of Sudbury’s Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady and St John the Evangelist, including the altar, ambo, font and chair. In the same year he also designed and made a four poster bed for the novelist P D James, with carved angels on the posts.
He designed the original logo of the Society and helped design and set up our early shows.
He died on 15 January 2023 aged 96years. The Society sends its sincere condolences to his family Marie, Anna and Peter.
Patrick Jacob kindly represented the Society at Donald’s memorial service in Polstead.
Images taken from early Suffolk Craft Society catalogues
Tagged as: Donald Simpson
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