Howard Mounsey 1931 - 2017


Andrew Mounsey writes: It is with great sadness that I have to report the death of my father, Howard Mounsey, from cancer at the age of 86.


were excessive. Peacock was noted for its sporting excellence and welcomed its youngest recruit enthusiastically. After National Service, Howard became the first in his family


to go to University and was one of the very earliest students at the recently established University College of North Staffordshire, Keele University. After graduating, his first job was with Kemps, a publisher of business directories. Howard’s career was largely in trade associations, lobbying


government departments and trade unions in the interests of sectors as diverse as stationery, laundries and women’s fashion before finally representing the animal feed industry. At the DCT, the Drapers’ Chamber of Trade, he locked horns with


Howard Mounsey in October 2017


Howard was the founder and first editor of Feed Compounder magazine. His involvement with the agricultural supply industry began in 1972 when he joined CAFMNA (the Compound Animal Feed Manufacturers National Association). He went on to become the Deputy Director General of the association, and held that position in 1977 when it merged with BASAM (the British Association of Seed and Agricultural Merchants) to form UKASTA (the United Kingdom Agricultural Supply Trade Association), a forerunner of AIC, the Agricultural Industries Confederation. In 1980 Howard left his position as Feed Executive Director at


UKASTA, converted the back of the garage into a home office and launched HGM Publications. The first issue of Feed Compounder was published in January 1981. Howard Grahame Mounsey was born in Sheffield on 12th March


1931, and until early in World War 2, lived in the next but one street from Bramall Lane, the home ground of Sheffield United FC, a team he supported throughout his life. His father took him to his first match there, aged three, and appropriately his last match was with his son, Simon, just four weeks before he died. The family moved to the North Derbyshire village of Grindleford


during the War to escape the dangers of German bombing raids (and a good thing too, as the house in which they had been living would later be completely destroyed by a direct hit). Howard was an enthusiastic sportsman, playing rugby for his school


and football and cricket for local village teams. At University he played football and afterwards took up tennis and became a regular golfer. He also cycled a lot in his younger days. When Howard left school he opted to do his 18-month National


Service before going on to University. To his delight he was assigned to the Royal Navy and, after initial training, had the good fortune to be sent as Education Officer to a frigate (HMS Peacock) in the Mediterranean fleet (the sister ship to HMS Magpie, commanded by Prince Philip). To a boy who had never been abroad, it was a dream posting and,


in his own words, “the making of me”. Aged 19 and the only National Serviceman aboard, it was a tough task getting seasoned veterans through exams they had failed many times before, in order to advance their rank but, when successful, the celebrations, usually involving rum,


PAGE 30 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 FEED COMPOUNDER


TUC President, Vic Feather, and the iconic designer, Mary Quant – an unlikely combination if ever there was one! His responsibilities at each association usually included involvement


in producing their trade magazine. It was a combination of this background in magazine production and his appointment to CAFMNA which put him in a position to recognise the gap in the market for a dedicated feed trade journal, and to equip him with the skills necessary to fill it. Shortly after the Feed Compounder was launched and despite


having all the pressure to produce a monthly magazine, Howard was determined to start work on a succession of other feed titles, including the Digest of Feed Facts & Figures, The Handbook of Medicinal Feed Additives, Feed Facts Quarterly, Feed Industry Review, Home-Mixer, Feeds & Feeding and several others. His wife Jane was a partner in the business and became well-known


as a writer of company profiles following visits to feed compounders and feed industry suppliers, initially in the UK and later in Europe and the United States. They were joined in the business by sons Simon in 1986 and Andrew in 1987, which allowed them to reduce their involvement over time before finally retiring in 1996.


Howard and Jane at The Royal Show in 1981, shortly after Feed Compounder was launched


Howard is survived by Jane, their three children Simon, Andrew and Helen, as well as seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. The family are deeply grateful for the many kind words which have been written about Howard by so many people in the industry.


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