ANTHONY JAMES HARWOOD

13th February 1935 - 19th August 2022

Much loved by his wife, Barbara and sons, Michael and Nicholas Harwood.  We continue in our love.

A Tribute to My Father, Anthony James Harwood.


' To act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God '

These words, I believe, sum up the way in which my father aimed to live his life, in which I think he was largely successful.  
He was above all a kind and generous man, well known for his intelligence and his sense of humour.

My father was born, the third of seven children, in Portsmouth in 1935, not long before the start of the Second world war.
He grew up as a boy in Exmouth, Devon which he loved.
His intelligence enabled him to shine at Exmouth Grammar School, where he was highly regarded. At school he loved physics, and he developed a keen interest, indeed a passion, for radio, or wireless as it was then called. He was making and repairing his own radios as a young teenager.

He entered the BBC, first as a technician, after National service in the RAF and then became a broadcasting engineer, working for both the BBC and later the IBA, at Crawley Court near Winchester, where he was, I understand, well regarded.

Only a few weeks ago, a school friend of mine reminded me of how, as a teenager in the 1970s, he had in his bedroom a broken R1155 Lancaster radio,  used by the RAF in the second world war.  
My father, on hearing this, promptly asked my friend to bring the radio to his garage and hey presto! about two hours later, the radio was in full working order.  A small act of kindness.

Small acts of kindness to all, both friends and complete strangers, were characteristic of my father.
In his early retirement he helped in Winchester Prison, teaching basic maths to prisoners, many of whom had received a rough start in life. He especially loved to help those who were disadvantaged in any way.

Most of all he had the time for others.



My father also had a keen sense of fairness. That is to say, of what is the right way and of what is wrong way to proceed in life.  
As a stroppy teenager and indeed later on in life, if I had acted inconsiderately or wronged another person and my father got to hear of it, he would quietly talk with me and ask that I put matters right.

My father especially loved and enjoyed classical music, particularly chamber music including woodwind, which gave him great pleasure.
His knowledge of this was great and he taught himself both the bassoon and the clarinet.

He was interested in most things and read constantly. His house is full of books. He constructed beautifully detailed model sailing boats from scratch which still amaze us all !

Without him to excite my interest in so many subjects I would not today know as much as I do. For that especially, I thank him. I owe to him so much that I am lost for the words to describe how much.

Later on in his life, he bravely fought his condition of Parkinsons disease. We were all very sad when he reached the stage where he could no longer be looked after at his home in Chandlers Ford and had to move into his Winchester nursing home.
He never really complained, although the physical separation from his wife and sons was hard for us all. I complained! He just fought the condition with good humour. His younger sister, my aunt, Kate wrote to me from Canada saying, ‘he always was a fighter.’   That was his character.

A loving husband and father. A strong, kind, just and intelligent man who will be missed by us all.

‘Act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with your God.’


Michael Harwood.