Hi all, I'm very very sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
Rowan Broadbent 17 July 1953 — 21 January 2023 RIP
Rowan’s wife Sabine has asked me to let you know that he passed away peacefully while in palliative care in hospital, in Langeac, France on Saturday morning. Rowan finally succumbed to the effects of one of the cancers that he had long fought and valiantly resisted.
Rowan was the man behind and the driving force of Pheon Decals, a company which did much to raise the profile of World War I aviation modelling, providing meticulously researched and beautifully produced decals for the enthusiast. His enthusiasm for, and knowledge of, the period was second to none, and this shone through in his conversations, his informative instructions and advice, and in the depth of research that was always evident in his work. He was also a passionate ‘petrolhead’, an aficionado of inter-war aviation and admirer of Hawker’s fine fighting aircraft – particularly the Tempest.
Rowan had lived in France for nearly two decades with his French wife, Sabine. First in Brittany and then in The Auvergne where the two shared their house with two cats and a beautiful view over the valley of the river Allier and its surrounding hills.
Rowan’s first battle with cancer started in 2017 when a kidney tumour was discovered, and while this was successfully removed, some of it had already settled into his brain, prompting another battle, with radiotherapy helping stop the progress. In between these two struggles Rowan had also tackled a heart condition which resulted in a stent being fitted, and a bout of sepsis after a particularly nasty attack of diverticulitis, a condition he had lived with for many years. He bore all of this with a healthy disregard for sentimentality or self-pity. While he would have been the first to admit that the occasional ‘black dog’ would bring him down, he maintained an ability to live life as fully as his situation allowed.
He was loved and cared for by his beloved wife Sabine during all this, and was happy for every day extra he could spend with her, having long before decided that he could be at peace with whatever the fickle hand of fate threw at him next.
The radiotherapy for the brain tumour and subsequent drug treatments prevented him from producing more decals as he felt he was unable to draw, or design, to the standard he required. He undertook a course of immunotherapy despite the inherent risks and while initially successful, these manifested themselves reducing his mobility and affecting his lungs. Even so he still continued to maintain composure and a stoic spirit. In recent months he had finally started modelling again having regained some dexterity and was enjoying himself immensely when the brain cancer returned.
Fiercely passionate, and a true friend for whom nothing was ever too much trouble, I am proud to have known him and even prouder to call him my friend.
He is survived by Sabine, his daughter and grandchildren, all of whom he loved, and loved to be with.
For those wondering about Pheon Decals, Sabine would like you to know that she will accept orders again from mid-February 2023, to give her a chance to reply to the requests for stock or catalogues already received. All orders will be fulfilled in the order they have been, or will be, received.
Jon Tabinor. Assistant editor SAM magazine.
