Tribute to Bart Haines (1940 – 2021)

Freshwater is shocked and saddened by the loss of Bart Haines, a friend and much-respected colleague, who died aged 80 on January 14 after a short illness.

Bart became a director of the company in 2003 and served on the board for ten years, bringing to the business his wide-ranging experience in the private and public sectors.

After leaving the board, he remained a shareholder and, in 2018, continued to support us by participating in a management buy-out to give much younger colleagues a chance to lead the company.

For many years until his retirement in 2001, he had been European vice-president of Dow Corning based in Brussels. Since 1997, when he became a governor of Barry College, he had continuously been involved in training and education in Wales. He was still serving as vice chair of Cardiff and Vale College at the time of his death.

“We are really grateful to have benefited from Bart’s advice and support for so many years,” said Steve Howell, Freshwater’s founder. “When I spoke to him a few weeks before Christmas he was his usual kind and enthusiastic self.

“He was keen to know how everyone at Freshwater was coping with the COVID crisis and was talking as passionately as ever about his role at Cardiff and Vale College and the importance of training and education for young people.

“He spent his retirement years making a massive contribution to the life of Wales, for which he never sought recognition or reward. He will be hugely missed, and our thoughts are with his wife, Pat, and all the family.”