ALBRIGHTON, England — A quiet family enterprise that transformed the modern rose has lost its second patriarch in less than a decade.
David J.C. Austin, chairman of David Austin Roses, died at his home in Shropshire on Tuesday after a brief battle with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare and incurable brain condition. He was 67. His family said he passed away surrounded by loved ones.
The death marks the second time in eight years that the unassuming nursery tucked into the fields outside this small English village has lost the man at its center. Austin’s father, David C.H. Austin, died in December 2018 at age 92, having spent 75 years breeding what became known as the “English Rose.”
From Niche Nursery to Global Horticulture Power
When David J.C. Austin joined the family business in 1990, the company was already gaining recognition under his father’s direction. The elder Austin, a farmer’s son, had spent decades addressing what he considered a fundamental flaw in modern roses: in their quest for continuous summer blooming, they had sacrificed fragrance, fullness and romantic character.
His solution — crossing old garden varieties with contemporary hybrids — produced the English Rose, a flower that captured the public’s imagination and revived interest in richly scented blooms.
Over the next three decades, the son took that concept and built it into an international enterprise. Under his leadership, David Austin Roses expanded from a local Shropshire operation to a globally recognized name, with varieties grown under license across continents. The company’s flowers became fixtures at prestigious flower shows, florist displays and, most notably, in wedding bouquets that made the brand a signature presence in bridal fashion.
A Gardener First, Businessman Second
Those who worked alongside Austin described a man far more comfortable among trial beds than in boardrooms. He maintained a modest, understated presence despite overseeing a company whose roses adorned royal coronation arrangements and countless gardens worldwide.
His children — Richard, James and Olivia — issued a family statement emphasizing that their father was, above all, a gardener. They said he carried forward his own father’s vision with humility and unwavering responsibility, always prioritizing the roses, the business and its people above himself. They recalled a man with a playful streak and genuine zest for life who faced his illness with quiet courage.
Industry Mourns a Quiet Giant
The Royal Horticultural Society expressed deep sadness at the news. Garden writer and broadcaster Monty Don noted that Austin had left behind millions of exquisite roses that would outlive him — a tribute grounded in literal truth.
Hundreds of gardeners and rose enthusiasts left online tributes beneath the company’s announcement, many recalling specific David Austin roses that had survived house moves, marriages and decades.
Continuity in a New Era
The company has announced it will continue operating under its existing leadership team alongside the next generation of the Austin family. The third generation — including Austin’s children — remains closely involved with the business.
With the passing of both founders within eight years, David Austin Roses enters a new chapter without the two men most responsible for its identity. Yet for the millions of blooms growing in gardens worldwide, the legacy — and the roses themselves — endures.