FORMER chief executive and town clerk of Bournemouth council John Bowen has died aged 103.

He played a key role in the delivery of the A338 Spur Read and development of the BIC.

At the time of his death John was the oldest Rotarian in the country.

John was born in Cardiff in 1915, where his father worked in the tin plate industry.

He attended Penarth Grammar School but his studies were cut short following the death of his father. At the age of 15 he left school to join the treasurer's department of Glamorgan County Council, combining his work with studying to become a chartered accountant while supporting his mother and sister.

John rose through the ranks of the department during the 1930’s until he was called up in 1940 to join the Royal Signals in the Second World War. He was posted to a Guards Brigade headquarters, then stationed in London to defend the capital in the event of invasion.

Here it was discovered that not only was he one of only a handful in the HQ who could drive, but he was also the only one who could accurately read a map, a skill much sought after in wartime when all the signposts had been removed.

In July 1944, now equipped with tanks, the brigade was sent to Normandy and fought on through the liberation of France and Holland, from where John returned to the UK after catching typhoid fever.

After demobilisation, John returned to local government, first in Glamorgan, then becoming deputy city treasurer in his city of birth, Cardiff, before moving to Bournemouth in 1960.

He was part of a team who helped to transform Bournemouth over the next decade and a half, being involved in many projects including the building of the A338 Spur Road from Ringwood and later, as chief executive, in the planning and development of the BIC.

Following his early retirement with the reorganisation of local government in 1975, John worked for a while in London and became increasingly involved with St Peters Church for whom he served not only as churchwarden for many years but also as treasurer, and also as a member of the Winchester diocesan finance committee.

He was also treasurer of the elderly nurses home in Bournemouth for a while, in addition to working with a number of other local organisations.

John remained an active member of the Bournemouth Rotary Club of which he was a past president, and was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship together with the Five Avenues of Service Award - two of Rotary’s highest awards - for outstanding service both to the Club and to Rotary in general.

At 103 years of age, John was the club and the country’s oldest Rotarian.

John married Olwen in 1956 and they were an inseparable couple for more than 50 years until her death in 2009. Their daughter Lizzie, passed away earlier this year.

The couple shared a love of art, travel and music and were keen supporters of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra for many years, and as a season ticket holder, John continued going to concerts every Wednesday in Poole.

He was a friend of the Chichester Festival Theatre too, going to shows there throughout the summer, driving himself until shortly before his 102nd birthday.

John died peacefully on September 30 at Burwood Nursing Home in Broadstone.

He is survived by his daughter-in-law Beverly and grandchildren Caitlin, 21, and Dewi, 17.

John Bowen’s funeral will be held at Harbour View crematorium and burial ground at 2pm on October 20.