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OBITUARY by Simon Lindley (Church Times)
"Father Douglas Cobb, who died on 21 November, aged 83, was a long-serving and greatly beloved priest of the diocese of London. Father Cobb's ministry took in parishes in Notting Hill and South Ruislip, before his incumbency of St Silas-the-Martyr, Kentish Town, for almost a quarter of a century from 1963. In 1987, he became Chaplain to the Convent of St Mary-at-the-Cross, Edgware, serving that Convent, and its associated care home, Henry Nihill House, with much-valued devotion and commitment. In retirement, he assisted at St Lawrence, Little Stanmore, by then his own parish church, and here, too, his input into so many aspects of the life of that community was well to the fore.
Father Cobb's interests ranged widely - from telecommunications to a great love of music. He numbered many musicians among his friends, and appointed a number of gifted organists to St Silas, giving a particular welcome to those who could also assist with the running of his parish hall. The church was used for CD recordings, and contained a beautiful 18th-century chamber organ, the property of the Guild of St Joseph - an instrument that Mander restored for Father Cobb.
In common with many Kelham-trained priests of his generation, Father Cobb (Douglas to friends, and Dougie to his close family circle), was much more concerned about service than status. He travelled widely, regularly visiting former parishioners in New Zealand and France. His father had run the family business, Cobb of Knightsbridge, before and after the Second World War, and Father Cobb was brought up as a parishioner at St Paul's, Knightsbridge. In common with his father, who lived long into retirement, a twinkle was always in his eye. His impact on those with whom he came into contact was considerable; he fostered vocations, encouraged those going through difficult times in their lives, and supported strongly those who worked within his parish communities - notably the staff at St Silas of the residential children's home immediately opposite his vicarage in St Silas Place. He sustained strong friendships with leading musicians of the day, and was a great supporter of the Royal School of Church Music".
