The son of wartime Bailiff Alexander (later Lord) Coutanche, he served as a Jurat and then Lieut-Bailiff for 20 years and was a much-loved Islander, known for his warmth of spirit and good humour.
Educated at St George’s School and Sherborne, he also spent several terms at Victoria College because of travelling restrictions at the beginning of the Second World War.
On leaving school, he joined the Royal Navy where he served as a regular seaman and a commissioned officer.
Leaving the service in 1946, he trained as a brewer but remained a naval reserve and maintained a lifelong love of the sea.
He returned to Jersey six years later when he took up a position with Randalls Brewery and was the company’s head brewer.
In 1975, he was elected a Jurat.
His services to the community were marked in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List in December 1996 when he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire.
He is survived by his second wife, Jill.
