I have been lucky enough to have met David more than a decade ago and indeed Carole. David was always from the first time you met him someone who would make you feeel at ease and chat to you but yes would often challenge some of your comments and ideas. This was to make you think about them further and enhance them. He liked to make statements and leave the room to discuss and mull. He has given so much to education but particularly education development and so we must as David would say continue the work to question, reflect and enhance. Bless you David  …

I have known and worked with David for over 20 years and it is very sad to think that he is gone.  He was an inspirational educator who always had time to listen and I am priviledged to have known and worked with him. He had boundless energy, passion and enthusiasm for education and is a sad loss for the educator community. Thank you David for all your work. Ayona  …

It would have no doubt been a pleasure and privilege to have worked with David, even just a bit if you were lucky enough. I was lucky enough as a fellow CODE member and I am ever so grateful.  His pearls of wisdom and wit were always welcomed by all. He will be a muchly missed person of significance in life and educational leadership but leaves an important and recognised legacy. So he is not really gone but always with us. Thank you. Rest well, David.  …

It was a pleasure to work with David as a fellow CODE Fellow. He was always knowledgeable and supportive and he will be missed. …

I have  known David   for over  thirty years  and worked  and  socialised with  both  David  and  Carole Baume  too many  times  to  remember. David’s wisdom,  wit  and insight  have over the years  been invaluable  to  me and  members of  the  SEDA  and  Higher  Education community . His loss leaves   a huge   gap for  our  community  I remember his  kindness  driving me  round  London  to  his university’s  sites   with  my  armfuls of handouts  so  I could do something on assessment  for his colleagues. That  was  the  day  I also met  Carole.  I  remember vividy the last time we worked  together, it  was up a mountain in Lesotho on  the  South  African  Rurality in HE project for  which he  was  an  advisor .We  were standing  with  a fabulous  view  trying  to  sort out a knotty problem. As ever  David  had some  wise and  valuable  suggestions which  sorted   it all out.  A true problem solver, David  leaves a big gap , much lasting  advice and   many  fine memories. …

I will miss David immensely. He had this wonderful ability to simply throw out provocations and wait to see what came out of the subsequent discussions, which is just a great way to teach and to learn.  David made me feel truly welcome when I first joined CODE and when I left my normal job to pursue a freelance career he offered the advice to say yes to every opportunity as you never know quite where it will lead or what it will let you learn! He was so very right! He also put me in touch with my first ‘client’, to provide technical support for SEDA’s online conferences. This helped me to gain confidence that I really could go independent at a time when I was very uncertain about what the future would bring.  David was a true gentleman; kind, inquisitive, and always willing to experiment!    …

David was one of the most committed educators it has been my privilege to work with. He also had a youthfulness I remember as a wide smile and a twinkle in the eye. Thank you for all for those conversations on learning, teaching and why we are educators.  …

My first encounter with David was at a UOL Teaching Centres Gathering in Senate House. He was the Session Chair. I was co-presenting and thought the session went well. David was kind enough to provide feedback that he, too, thought it went well. Then, in an understated way, he set out areas for potential improvement. He delivered the message in such a way that ‘it all just made sense’. ThereafterI ensured that in meetings and presentations when David was speaking, I listened attentively to his invariably well thought through insights and ideas. His publications reflected his approach to detail. I had the opportunity to share some both serious and humourous moments with him. His spirit endures. …

I did not have the privilege to have met Dr Baume. However, it was an honour to have received online lessons from Dr Baume in my PGCLTHE course with the University of London. Coming from an experimental sciences background, I have valued the easy to understand and engaging discussions used by Dr Baume in his writings and recorded video sessions. Thank you Sir, for your great contributions to education for us all.  …

We, colleagues and friends of David and Carole, are all immensely saddened at the news of David’s death just a short time after the anniversary of Carole’s passing. I knew David from my time at the Open University and the community of Milton Keynes, but I came to work with him directly and closely from the founding of the University of London’s Centre for Distance Education (now CODE). David was authoritative, reliable and energetic. His vision of education put the learner at the centre and consequently he focused on assessment and evaluation. His knowledge and insights brought him an international reputation and he was much sought after as a consultant. His enormous contribution to open and distance learning is reflected in the fact that he contributed two single authored and two jointly authored chapters to the recently published Online and Distance Education for a Connected World (about 20% of the volume). He will be greatly missed, but his work will continue to influence teachers and learners involved with ODE across the world. Hugh Starkey (Chair of CDE 2005 – 2015) …