David was an amazing man- a huge hole has been left in the world

In memory of a talented, interesting and interested man who I was privileged to become friends with after our career together. David, I am grateful for those months and God bless you

For a brilliant Godfather who will be missed.

In loving memory of a man who felt like family and will be greatly missed.

Love you Dad

As a governor, David was an excellent Headmaster to work with as he was a clear communicator with high standards and always wanted the best for every student in the school. David was a totally genuine person, extremely courteous and empathetic, concerned for others and exceedingly conscientious. David was a spiritual person, with a deep faith, who was always happy to lead any group in prayer. He was very respectful and considerate of others and always made a point of speaking to everyone as an equal. He was a highly reflective person who considered every aspect of a situation carefully before making decisions in his professional life.
As a friend David demonstrated all the same qualities but showed even more of his sense of humour and enjoyed the fun side of life. He left the world too soon and he will be sadly missed by many, many people. It was a privilege to know him for 15 years, more than a quarter of his life.

Marta, I have only now heard .......I feel a deep sadness but also have great memories of that special
wedding in the mountains and of David starting his hike from our village in the Pyrenees.
Think of all the good times to escape your sorrow.
Huguette

Love you for ever dearest husband David xxxxxx
Thank you for so much love. A true gentleman, your absence is bigger than this world, it is like the sky spread over everything every second of my existence.
Te quiero mucho dearest David xxxxxxxxxx

Well, better late than never…. that I found out one year after David’s death shows how much I had neglected our friendship. I thought: one day, we’re finished with careers, kids, stress, and we’ll find time once again to do some marvellous things together.
We shared a house together whilst at Durham; tramped around the mountains of the Lake District and Wales, occasionally Scotland – chatting for hours whilst sheltering in a tent from the mucky weather outside; climbed half of Ireland’s mountains one summer; and as part of our JOB88 charity bike ride, rode together from Stoke to Jerusalem. These are experiences you don’t ever forget.
After the wonderful wedding to Marta in the Pyrenees (the day before we had found time to camp up on the Balcon de Pineta and climb to the summit), we went our separate ways, living in different countries. We managed to meet up in person on a few occasions since, and now of course, it’s clear it was too little too late.
It goes without saying that David as father, husband, colleague, was a far more significant presence in peoples’ lives, but I will always treasure the adventurous side of him that I was allowed to share.