Obituary: Trevor Gwynne Morgan

Trevor Gwynne Morgan, optometrist and former practice owner, has died at the age of 86.

Morgan’s son, optometrist and AOP member Paul Morgan, paid tribute to his late father:

“My father, Trevor Gwynne Morgan, qualified as an ophthalmic optician around 1961, having attended Northampton College of Advanced Technology, now City, University of London,” Morgan told OT.

He continued: “His father, Norman Elvet Davies Morgan, had qualified as a pharmacist in 1927 and later trained as a dispensing and ophthalmic optician.

“My father was born in Barnet. My grandfather was from Clydach in south Wales, but moved to London once qualified and had a chemist shop in Kentish Town. He met my grandmother, who was from Southend-on-Sea, and my father was born in June 1937. He was an only child.

“During the war the family home was bombed. They moved from London to be nearer to my grandfather’s childhood home, and settled in Ammanford when my father was four years old. It was there that my grandfather opened his chemist shop, and later my father opened his own independent optical practice.

“My father met my mother, Brenda, on a train from London to Wales in the late 1950s and they married on 8 September 1962, and settled in Killay, Swansea. My mother has a degree in maths and physics, worked at British Insulated Callender's Cables, and also had a teaching post in the 1960s, prior to starting a family.

“In addition to his practice in Ammanford, my father provided services from two ‘satellite’ locations, within the premises of Thorne’s Chemist in Killay and James’ Chemist in Llandovery, in the 1960s and 1970s. He also attended South Wales Local Optical Committee meetings.

“My father was well respected in the community. His mother, my grandmother, also worked on reception at the practice, with other staff, until the early 1970s.

“I am an only child and qualified as an optometrist in 1990, having also graduated from City, University of London. I initially worked part time with my father, alongside some locum work. I then opened my own practice at Neyland, near where I lived in Pembrokeshire in September 1990.

“My father and I were amongst the first optometrists in Wales to offer fundus photography, having each purchased a Canon CR-45NM (35mm) in 1992. Around 1997, my father relocated his practice to the house where he grew up, and which was formerly his parents’ home. My parents then moved to Pembrokeshire in 2000.

“He retired and sold his practice in 2005, but assisted me with dispensing duties in my own practice, at Neyland in Pembrokeshire, until I closed it in November 2011.

“My father was primary carer for my mother from 2018, when she developed mild cognitive issues, but had himself been in good health all his life until onset of symptoms early in 2022. He was diagnosed with advanced bladder and bowel cancer just after his 85^th birthday, in June 2022, and given up to six months life expectancy in September 2022.

“My father passed away peacefully at home on 7^th September, the day before my parents’ 61^st wedding anniversary.”

Trevor Gwynne Morgan’s funeral will take place at Narberth Crematorium on Monday 2^nd October at 3.15pm, with a wake at Caffi Beca, Efailwen, afterwards.

The family requests donations to the Paul Sartori Foundation, Haverfordwest, in lieu of flowers.

Lead image: Trevor and Brenda Morgan on their wedding anniversary in 2018