Opportunity to pay tribute to former Lindisfarne nature warden at memorial service

David Anthony O’Connor had been seriously ill since February, for the first time in his life, and was eventually diagnosed with terminal liver cancer in June. He died peacefully at his home in Fenwick on July 2 at the age of 84.

He is survived by his daughters Rachel and Sara and his grandchildren, Dan and Zoe O'Connor and Jacob and Sam Waller.

During his time as warden on the nature reserve, he was known locally as ‘The Sheriff’.

He consulted on several books on the importance of the Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve, including 'The Cradle Isle' with Magnus Magnusson. This went on to become a TV documentary – one of several where he was the local guide, expert and production advisor.

People are welcome to attend the humanist service of thanksgiving and celebration at the Holy Island Village Hall (Crossman Hall) on Friday, July 29 from 11am and afterwards for refreshments. The tide closes around 2pm.

David, who was born in Hebburn in 1938, volunteered for UNA in Northern Greece in the late 1950s and early 1960s, where he spent nine years working with poverty-stricken communities in Epirus and across the Albanian borders improving and teaching farming and irrigation.

In Greece, he met Teresa. They married and raised their two daughters in north Northumberland where David worked as a nature warden for the reserve – protecting the flora, fauna and sea life, running from Cheswick to Budle Bay.

He then spent several years as the national health and safety officer for the Nature Conservancy Council. He also sat on the National Executive for the Civil Service Union.

A statement from the family said: “Once retired, well past his 60s, David enjoyed sailing and boat deliveries across Europe and spending time with his good friends David and Marg Ridley in France.

“After his retirement from the Nature Conservancy, David continued to support the community through his work at Belford Primary School as Governor and within the Holy Island community as a trustee and one of the driving forces behind the rebuilding of the Holy Island Village Hall.

“He spent 15 years raising, applying for and managing the funds to set-up, build and run the new Holy Island Village Hall.

“He had a career filled with acts of kindness, generosity and protection of people, nature, birds and animals without a guardian.

“He was a mighty man who placed huge value on the community and worked to maintain it. This is evident from the warmth of his friendships in Fenwick village, to the place he held within the Holy Island village community and wider afield across north Northumberland.

“He was a proud northerner, kind to the core and a widely known local force for good. He was awarded a British Empire Medal from the Queen for his work in the community and the Auxiliary Coastguard long service medal.

“David was a great mischief maker and joker with a smile and a twinkle never far away – even in the more difficult last few days of his life.”