TRIBUTES have been paid to a popular former Wrexham headteacher who has died at the age of 92.

David Arthur Smith of Rhos was well known as the head of Brymbo County Secondary School in the late 1960s.

He had also been a chapel deacon for many years.

Born and raised in Rhos, he qualified as a teacher at Bangor Normal College in the 1940s before going on to hold teaching posts at a number of schools in this region, including Rhiwlas, Pentrefoelas, Holt and Wrexham, as well as at Blackheath in Birmingham.

Although he taught a wide range of subjects during his long career, Mr Smith’s specialist areas were English and Welsh literature and theology.
He also had an interest in music and wrote two hymns. One, entitled Collen, was published.

Following his headship at Brymbo Secondary, he completed his career at Bromfield School in Wrexham.

Mr Smith – affectionately known as Arthur to his many friends – had been a deacon at Capel Mawr in Rhos for 46 years.

He was also for many years a member of Rhos Male Voice Choir and the Denbighshire Historical Society.

Mr Smith was a proficient Welsh translator, and wrote articles on a wide range of subjects, including Welsh nationalism and local history, for newspapers including the Wrexham Leader and the locally-based Welsh language newspaper, Nene.

He leaves a widow, Joan, to whom he had been married for 53 years; two sons, Owain and Gareth; three grandsons, Richard, Simon and Ifan; and great-grandchildren Angel and Callum.

Son Owain, a senior music teacher at Johnstown Junior School, said: “He was a very kind, gentle and caring person who always saw good in everybody. He was also a man of principle.”

Mr Smith’s funeral will be held at Capel Mawr, Rhos on Tuesday at 2pm.