{{Short description|British businessman (1929–2019)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}} {{Infobox military person | name = Sir Donald Gosling | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCVO|KStJ}} | image = Sir Donald Gosling.jpg | caption = Gosling onboard [[HMS Victory]], May 2012 | birth_name = Frederick Donald Gosling | birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1929|03|02}} | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2019|09|16|1929|03|02}} | birth_place = | death_place = | allegiance = [[United Kingdom]] | service_years = 1944–2019 | rank = [[Vice admiral (Royal Navy)|Vice-Admiral]] (Honorary) | branch = [[Royal Navy]] <br/>[[Royal Naval Reserve]] | battles = [[World War II]] | awards = [[Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order]]<br/>[[Knight Bachelor]]<br/>[[Venerable Order of Saint John|Knight of the Order of St John]]<br/>[[Order of the Eagle of Georgia|Grand Cross of the Order of the Eagle of Georgia]] }}

'''Sir Frederick Donald Gosling''', {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCVO|KStJ}} (2 March 1929 – 16 September 2019) was a British businessman, who was chairman of [[National Car Parks]]. He served in the [[Royal Navy]] and later became an honorary vice admiral and a benefactor to naval charities.

==Business career== Gosling joined the [[Royal Navy]] in 1944 during [[World War II]] and served in the [[Mediterranean]] in the [[cruiser]] [[HMNZS Leander|HMS ''Leander'']].<ref name=WW>''[[Who's Who (UK)|Who's Who]] 2010'', [[A & C Black]], 2010, {{ISBN|978-1-408-11414-8}}</ref> After the War, together with Ronald Hobson, he founded Central Car Parks, when the pair invested £200 in a [[bombsite]] in [[Holborn]], central [[London]] to create a car park.<ref name="3iSale">{{cite web|url=http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/support_services/article543268.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110612050638/http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/support_services/article543268.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 June 2011 |title=Support Servies |website=[[The Times]] |access-date=21 November 2016}} {{subscription required|date=November 2016}}</ref> In 1959 Central Car Parks took over [[National Car Parks]] from Anne Lucas, the widow of Colonel Frederick Lucas.<ref name="BBCSale">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/68904.stm |title=Millions for car park entrepreneurs |work=[[BBC News]] |date=24 March 1998 |accessdate=21 November 2016}}</ref> Gosling co-chaired the business until he retired in 1998.<ref name=WW/>

==Retirement== Gosling became a trustee of the [[Fleet Air Arm Museum]] at [[Yeovilton]] in 1974 and vice-president of [[Seafarers UK]] in 1993.<ref name=WW/> He was appointed honorary [[Captain (Royal Navy)|captain]] of the [[Royal Naval Reserve]] (RNR) by the Queen in January 1993; he was subsequently promoted to commodore and then to honorary rear admiral of the Reserve.<ref>[http://debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/g/18464/(Frederick)%20Donald+GOSLING.aspx Sir Donald Gosling authorised biography]{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Debretts.com</ref> He also had a long association with the White Ensign Association, serving as chairman from 1979 to 1983, vice president from 1983 to 1987 and then as president on the council of management under the patron, [[Charles, Prince of Wales|The Prince of Wales]].<ref>[http://www.whiteensign.co.uk/wordpress/about-the-wea/organisation/council Council] The White Ensign {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120427032011/http://www.whiteensign.co.uk/wordpress/about-the-wea/organisation/council |date=27 April 2012 }}</ref> In 1998 during the [[Kosovo War]], Gosling arranged a rendezvous with the submarine [[HMS Splendid (S106)|HMS ''Splendid'']] aboard his motor yacht ''[[Leander G]]'' to provide the men on board with fresh stores and allow them a few hours aboard the yacht in order to shower and rest.<ref>[https://www.boatinternational.com/luxury-yacht-life/owners-experiences/sir-donald-gosling-s-superyacht-memories--1659 Sir Donald Gosling's superyacht memories], ''Boat International'', 28 February 2010</ref>

In April 2012, he became [[Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom]], an honorific position sub-ordinate to the [[Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom]], the [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh|Duke of Edinburgh]].<ref>[https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-british-monarchy/court-circular-23-april-2012/420110774684663 Windsor Castle] Court Circular, 23 April 2012</ref>

Gosling was [[Knight Bachelor|knighted]] in the [[1976 Prime Minister's Resignation Honours|1976 Resignation Honours List]]<ref name="The Times pg. 2">''The Times'', Thursday, 27 May 1976; pg. 2; Issue 59714; col B: "Sir Harold's resignation honours list in full"</ref> and appointed Knight Commander of the [[Royal Victorian Order]] (KCVO) in the [[2004 New Year Honours]] for services to [[The Duke of Edinburgh's Award]] and the [[Outward Bound|Outward Bound Trust]].<ref name="New Year Honours List">[https://web.archive.org/web/20100731055501/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/new-year-honours-diplomatic-service-and-overseas-list-757877.html New Year Honours List] ''[[The Independent]]'', 31 December 2003</ref>

His interests included [[yacht]]ing and he owned the motor yacht ''[[Leander G]]'' until she was sold in February 2016.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Gosling|first1=Donald|title=Sir Donald Gosling's superyacht memories|url=http://www.boatinternational.com/luxury-yacht-life/owners-experiences/sir-donald-gosling-s-superyacht-memories--1659|publisher=Boat International|accessdate=12 March 2016}}</ref>

Gosling died on 16 September 2019, aged 90, after a short illness.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tributes paid to millionaire car parking tsar who saved HMS Victory with £25m donation |url=https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/defence/tributes-paid-to-millionaire-car-parking-tsar-sir-donald-gosling-who-saved-hms-victory-with-25m-donation-1-9074697 |accessdate=17 September 2019 |work=portsmouth.co.uk }}</ref>

==Royal Naval Reserve ranks== *27 January 1993 – May 2005: Captain (Honorary)<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=53227|supp=y|page=3311|date=23 February 1993}}</ref> *31 May 2005 – March 2009: Commodore (Honorary)<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=57693|supp=y|page=8688|date=5 July 2005}}</ref> *2 March 2009 – 2 April 2015: Rear Admiral (Honorary)<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=59029|supp=y|page=5961|date=7 April 2009}}</ref> *2 April 2015 – 16 September 2019: Vice Admiral (Honorary)<ref>The Daily Telegraph, 16 February 2015, p.28</ref>

==Family and personal life== In 1959 Gosling married Elizabeth Shauna Ingram; together they had three sons before their marriage was dissolved in 1988.<ref name=WW/>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-hon}} {{s-bef|before=[[George Zambellas|Sir George Zambellas]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom]] |years=2012&ndash;2019}} {{s-aft|after=[[Michael Boyce, Baron Boyce]]}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gosling, Donald}} [[Category:1929 births]] [[Category:2019 deaths]] [[Category:Royal Navy vice admirals]] [[Category:Royal Navy personnel of World War II]] [[Category:Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order]] [[Category:Knights Bachelor]] [[Category:20th-century English businesspeople]] [[Category:Royal Naval Reserve personnel]] [[Category:21st-century Royal Navy personnel]]