Obituary: Bronwen, Viscountess Astor

It is with sadness that we record the death of Bronwen, Viscountess Astor, who died on 28th December 2017 ages 87.  Bronwen Astor was a great friend of the AHRERC and Society. She was one of the earliest people to respond to Sir Alister Hardy's 1969 appeal for accounts of religious and spiritual experiences. She went on to meet Sir Alister, and through him David Hay who, in 1986, invited her to join the AHRERC's Advisory Research Council.  Bronwen was also one of the earliest members of the former Alister Hardy Society, becoming a Life Member and Chair of the Society when it was formally launched in November 1994 (serving from then to 1997 in that capacity). As Chair she took a leading role in vital fund-raising efforts made on behalf of the Centre in those early years.  Also in 1992, she became a Trustee of the then newly formed Alister Hardy Trust when it took over the running of the Centre from the Advisory Research Council.   And, finally, in 2000, Bronwen became a Patron of the Centre - later retiring to live in Chichester.

A funeral mass will be said for her at St. Richard's Church, Chichester on Tuesday 16th January 2018 at 10.30 am; and a full obituary will be included in the Spring 2018 issue of the AHT journal, De Numine.