SUFFOLK, ENGLAND — Long-time miller David Sugden, 77, died July 9 following an illness.
Born Sept. 22, 1937, Sugden worked for Associated British Foods Plc for 31 years for its Allied Mills and Allied Bakeries businesses. He served on nabim’s Executive Committee for most of the 1980s.

In 1989, he received the Thaddeus Bownik Award from the Association of Operative Millers for advancing the science of milling technology.

After serving in the British Army, Sugden spent two years training at mills in Norway, the Netherlands and U.K. He started his milling career in 1959 as mill foreman manager for his family’s mill, Thomas Sugden & Son Ltd. The mill was sold to ABF in 1962.

He worked for Allied Mills in various positions at mills throughout the U.K. In 1987, he joined Allied Bakeries as production director, reporting to the chairman.

From 1988-92, he was a consultant to the grain industry, and joined Satake UK Limited in 1992 as business development director. He worked with the company president on new market possibilities and provided a link among Satake, Japan and the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) to set up the Satake Center for Grain Processing Engineering in Post Graduate learning and research.

He was an independent grain industry consultant from 1996-2002, undertaking assignments in nine countries in grain processing and related management and technology.
During retirement, he volunteered with organizations dedicated to supporting those with learning disabilities/mental handicaps and their families.

Sugden was married and had three daughters.