Tributes paid to Professor Graham Suggett OBE - a much-loved member of the Warwick community

Tribute to Professor R.H. Graham Suggett OBE, by his son Arne Suggett

Graham was born in 1936 in North Yorkshire.

He was educated at Darlington Grammar School and the universities of Nottingham, Newcastle, Hull and Warwick.

He married Inger in 1959 and they had three sons; David, Arne and Iain.

Being a child during the Second World War, he was aware in early life of the importance of domestic food production, a necessity of wartime England, and this together with his interest in outdoor adventure and self sufficiency, further developed by his father’s posting abroad for the duration of the war and his early days in that Scout movement, led him to a full working life in agricultural and countryside education.

He taught many others during his time and also researched development methods to improve agriculture and training.

Graham travelled to Norway as a young man to learn their farming methods, where he met and married Inger, his lifelong partner and best friend.

After working in Huddersfield, Northumberland and East Riding of Yorkshire, the family moved to Warwickshire in 1974, where Graham had been appointed to the post of principal of the Warwickshire College of Agriculture at Moreton Morrell. He retired from the college in 1996.

He was awarded a Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship in 1971 that saw him travel to USA and Canada to research farming methods, resulting in many new friendships and collaborations.

Observing the intensive monocultural farming methods made him reflect on the way in which agriculture may develop in the UK.

He was not prepared to allow the continuing loss of natural habitat and developed ways to both improve farming methods and support ecosystems.

He and others proved the benefit and necessity of biodiversity, years before its current popularity.

He presented lectures on this topic to many institutes including The Royal Society by invitation to Prince Phillip.

Graham had been a member of the Warwick Rotary Club for 47 years and exemplified the Rotary motto of “Service above Self”.

Even during his visits to Warwick Hospital for treatment he was finding ways in which the club could help – this included buying sensory equipment for the children staying on the MacGregor ward and a new printer for the Aylesford ward.

Within the Rotary Club, Graham was well-known and respected, serving as the club president in the 1981 to 1982 period; as secretary from 2014 to 2019 and finally as executive secretary.

In 1986 he led a group exchange to India, where he made lifelong friends, he also obtained five global grants to help those overseas in India, Thailand and Sierra Leone.

Graham was made a Paul Harris Fellow in 1995, in recognition of his commitment to the Rotary Club, and he was made a Sapphire member in 2013.

Last March, the club also awarded him a Lifetime Achievement Award with thanks for his guidance and inspiration.

Throughout his life, Graham also went on several visits to China as a travelling professor of Beijing University, advising on varied agricultural issues, rural incomes and equine policy.

Graham also saw that there was a dire need to provide higher education in the equine sector to support its development.

To that end he developed and introduced some of the first dedicated horse courses in the UK and introduced the UK’s first Equine Degree.

This led to his involvement in developing the horse passport and the National Equine Database with the National Equine Forum and Princess Royal.

He was endlessly creative involving himself in many works of charity nationally and internationally with Rotary International and the Norton Foundation.

As diverse as supporting eye and polio health programs in India to helping a Romanian orphanage support itself with a food production business.

He has been a tireless example of service above self and inspiring others to find the best in themselves, he will be sorely missed.

Graham’s funeral will take place at 11.30am on Tuesday, December 5 at St Peter’s Church in Wellesbourne.

Here is a list of Graham’s work:

• 1992 – 1996: Chief Executive Warwickshire College Further Education Corporation
• 1996 – 2002: Consultant Director of Breeding British Equestrian Federation
• 2005 – 2007: Director of Equine Development and Breeding British Equestrian Federation and
• Chairman of the National Equine Database
• As well as being a Professor and having an OBE, Graham was also; JP, DL, Hon DSc, MPhil, MEd, BSc, NDA, PGCE, CIEWS, CBiol, FSB, FRAgS, FRSA, PHSF, WCTF and FNEF (1936-2023).

Graham’s interests in life – to name a few – included:

• Scouting – a lifelong involvement – Kings Scout 1952 to District Commissioner for East Yorkshire and later Warwickshire
• British Association for Shooting and Conservation
• Shepherds Crook Making, National Champion 1985
• Sailing – Offshore Skipper

Throughout his life, Graham was presented with many awards and accolades including:

• Officer of the British Empire in 1993
• Paul Harris Fellow Rotary International in 1995
• Deputy Lieutenant of Warwickshire in 1996
• Justice of the Peace in 1987 – he served 10 years on the bench
• Winston Churchill Fellow in 1971
• Honorary Professor of Bejing University in 1994
• Degree of Doctor of Science honoris causa Coventry University in 1997
• Honorary Vice President of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC)in 1998
• He was a blood donor and over the years donated more than 100 pints.