Ronald Lancaster: key obituary facts
Is Ronald Lancaster dead? Yes. Ronald Lancaster died on October 18, 2026, at age 95.
Cause of death: Ronald Lancaster's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Ronald Lancaster known for?
He was a Church of England clergyman, chemistry teacher, and fireworks manufacturer.
More about Ronald Lancaster
Born: 1931.
Place of birth: Huddersfield.
Gender: male.
Occupation: chemist.
Nationality: United Kingdom.
Education: St John's College, Kimbolton School.
Awards: Member of the Order of the British Empire, Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Chartered Chemist.
Children: Mark Lancaster.
Also known as: Reverend Ronald Lancaster.
Occupations: Chaplain, Chemistry teacher, Kimbolton Fireworks director.
Ronald Lancaster, the British Anglican clergyman, chemist and businessman who founded Kimbolton Fireworks, died October 18, 2026, aged 95.
Born in Huddersfield, he became interested in fireworks after the 1937 coronation of George VI. Lancaster studied psychology at St John’s College, Durham University, before completing national service and studying theology at Cuddesdon in Oxfordshire.
Ordained as a Church of England deacon in 1957 and priest in 1958, he served as a curate in Morley and Harrogate before joining Kimbolton School, where he taught chemistry from 1963 to 1988. Alongside his teaching and clerical work, he established Kimbolton Fireworks and remained its owner. The company became the last fireworks manufacturer in the United Kingdom, before closing in February 2019. Lancaster was a Member of the Order of the British Empire, a Chartered Chemist and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. His career brought together church service, science education and the manufacture of fireworks, the business he had founded and led for decades.