Meat Management is sad to report the death of John Coggan of Coggan (1937) Ltd, a figure well known to many in the meat trade as a past director of the Coggan meat business which operated at Fareham Abattoir.
John's passing marks the end of a significant era of four generations of the Coggan family’s involvement in the farming, meat and livestock industries.
Born in Salisbury on 29th June 1932, John was the second son of John (Jack) Coggan and Phyllis Coggan, nee Osmond.
His early years were happily spent in the company of his older brother Patrick at Stratford Sub Castle surrounded by his extended family: grandfather Reginald Coggan and his aunt, Doris Coggan.
The Coggan family owned a successful stud and following his education at Dauntseys, his father sent him at the age of 21 to the Castletown Stud Lexington Kentucky to learn from the best in the industry how to manage a breeding stud. He returned in 1954 to oversee Home Stud Ltd in association with his father who purchased the property in 1947 from Washington Singer. The stud enjoyed a series of successful partnerships with leading owners, most notably Phil Bull of Timeform.
John also joined his father as a director of Coggan (1937) Ltd. The meat business at Fareham supplied leading UK supermarkets and exported across Europe.
John’s life was enriched by his wish to personally select the stock, attending cattle markets and farms across the south and meeting with breeders throughout the region. This knowledge of livestock made him, like his father Jack, a much sought-after judge of livestock at the Smithfield Show, Romsey Show and New Forest Show to name a few. He served on the Council of Romsey Agricultural and Horse Show Society for many years and was appointed Honorary President in 1984.
John’s passion for breeding was not only restricted to racehorses, where he was regularly referred to as a ‘walking stud book’! With his father they bred a successful herd of Charolais cattle and won breed champion at the 1974 Royal Show.
He was a true local Hampshire man with his roots engrained deeply within the Hampshire soil. He was known for his altruism and his love of animals. In his retirement John actively pursued his passion for the countryside.
John also shared a passion for the arts with Francoise, his Swiss wife of 64 years, who survives him, as do his two daughters and four grandchildren. His son James predeceased him.
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
