ALBRIGHTON, Shropshire, England — David J.C. Austin, who spent 34 years transforming his father’s family nursery into a globally recognized rose brand, died July 22, 2026, at his Shropshire home. He was 67. The cause was Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), a rare, incurable neurological condition that causes rapidly progressive brain damage, his family announced.
Austin died surrounded by family, less than eight years after the December 2018 death of his father, company founder David C.H. Austin.
Carrying Forward a Family Vision
Born in 1958, Austin joined the Albrighton-based family business in 1990, working alongside his father as the elder Austin’s pioneering work breeding English Roses gained international recognition. Over three decades, Austin served as managing director and later chairman, guiding the company through major expansion while maintaining focus on fragrant, garden-worthy roses.
Under his leadership, David Austin Roses grew from a regional nursery into a global horticulture name, exporting English Roses to gardeners, florists and landscapers worldwide. Industry experts credit Austin with preserving his father’s founding philosophy: combining old garden roses’ beauty and fragrance with the repeat-flowering reliability of modern varieties — even as the company scaled internationally.
The business now ships to more than 50 countries and operates extensive trial gardens that draw thousands of visitors annually to its Shropshire headquarters.
A Family’s Tribute
In a company statement, Austin’s children — Richard, James and Olivia — remembered their father first as a gardener at heart.
“That was at the heart of who he was,” they said, describing a man who carried his own father’s vision forward “with humility and an unwavering sense of responsibility,” always placing the roses, the family business and its employees ahead of himself.
The family described Austin as kind and modest, with a playful spirit and genuine enjoyment of life, and said he faced his illness with the same courage and dignity he brought to everything else.
“Above all, he was our Dad,” they said, “and words cannot express how much we will miss him. We couldn’t be more proud of him.”
The family thanked those who cared for him and supported them during his illness.
Tributes From the Horticultural World
Austin’s death drew tributes across British horticulture. The Royal Horticultural Society expressed deep sadness at the news. BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Monty Don said Austin left behind a legacy of millions of exquisite roses that would live on, offering condolences to the family.
Hundreds of gardeners and rose enthusiasts left messages on the company’s social media accounts, many recalling personal encounters with Austin at flower shows or crediting the roses he helped bring to market with transforming their gardens.
The Company Moving Forward
David Austin Roses said it will continue operating under its experienced leadership team, working closely with the next generation of the Austin family. The company reaffirmed its commitment to partners and rose lovers worldwide, signaling continuity after losing both its founder and the son who expanded it into a global brand.
Austin’s death closes a long chapter of direct family leadership at a company built on his father’s decades-long pursuit of the perfect rose. Yet with a third generation of Austins — Richard, James and Olivia — already connected to the business, the family’s stewardship of the English Rose looks set to continue into a new era.
For gardeners seeking more information: The David Austin Roses website offers extensive resources on English Rose varieties, growing guides and the company’s breeding history. The Royal Horticultural Society also provides detailed rose care advice through its online plant finder and advisory services.