David Howell was an obstetrician and gynaecologist in Sydney, New South Wales. He was born on 26 February 1928, the son of Kenneth John Howell, a doctor, and Mary Howell née Russell. He studied medicine at Sydney University and qualified in 1950. He represented his university at cricket in 1945. He became a member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in 1954 and gained his fellowships of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in 1956. He spent his professional career in obstetrics and gynaecology in Sydney. Outside medicine he was a passionate golfer and a dedicated member of the Royal Sydney Golf Club. Predeceased by his wife Patricia Mollie (née Peet), Howell died in Sydney on 5 July 2017. He was 89.