OXENBURY, Thomas Bernard
Thomas Bernard Oxenbury was born at Totnes, Devon on 5 March 1904, son of Thomas Henry Oxenbury (18 April 1871-19 April 1958), a grocer's clerk late of Southampton, and his wife Mary Louisa née Doney (5 August 1873-1955), of Liskeard, Cornwall who married at Totnes Parish Church on 10 October 1901. Thomas was educated at King Edward VI Grammar School, Totnes where he studied art and at Totnes Evening School and became a member of the Royal Institute of British Architects. He married at Smethwick in 1934, Muriel Helen Taylor (1 April 1915-27 July 2004) and they were the parents of writer and illustrator of children's books and stage designer Helen Oxenbury. In 1939, Oxenbury was a 'town & county planning officer', living at 73 Bixley Road, Ipswich, his wife was living back at Totnes. A painter in watercolours and a member of Ipswich Art Club from 1942 and elected its first chairman in 1965, a position that he held until 1975. Thomas was the author of several local planning statements including 'Suffolk Planning Survey' (1946),'Outline Plan for Lowestoft' (1950), 'The Factual Survey and Outline Plan for the Borough of Beccles' (1951) and 'Lowestoft Central Area. Survey Appraisal' (1964). The Oxenbury's lived at South Hill Cottage, Felixstowe but Thomas Bernard Oxenbury died in London on 2 August 1996.