David J. C. Austin, the chairman of David Austin Roses, has died aged 67 after being diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. He died at his home in Shropshire, surrounded by his family.
He had led the business for more than 30 years after joining it in Albrighton, Shropshire, in 1990. The company grew under his leadership from a specialist family business into one of the world’s best-known rose brands, built on the English Roses first established by David C. H. Austin.
Richard, James and Olivia Austin
Richard Austin, James Austin and Olivia Austin paid tribute to their father in a statement. Richard Austin said: “First and foremost, Dad was a gardener. That was at the heart of who he was. He carried our grandfather’s vision with humility and an unwavering sense of responsibility, always putting the roses, the family business and its people before himself. He was kind and modest, with a playful spirit, a sense of adventure and a real enjoyment of life. He faced his illness with the same courage and dignity that he brought to life. Above all, he was our Dad, and words cannot express how much we will miss him. We couldn’t be more proud of him.”
David Austin Roses in Shropshire
The company said it will continue under its experienced leadership team and work closely with the next generation of the Austin family while remaining committed to serving partners and customers around the world. It is also reintroducing a very limited number of classic, previously discontinued rose varieties, a sign that the business is trying to keep its product line active even as it absorbs the loss of a second-generation leader.
David J C Austin legacy
The unanswered timeline point is when he was diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, but the leadership line is already clear: the business is moving on with continuity, not a vacuum. For customers and partners, that means the brand stays in place while the family seat changes hands again, and that is the real story here.
