We are lucky to have some giants in our professional community. We have just lost one of them. I knew David for twenty years. In that time we argued a lot and we joked a lot. He always knew what to say in order to push my thinking forward. He gave me things to think about rather than telling me what to think, just as a good educator should. David was dedicated to the scholarship of learning and teaching, and was working on his last book to the very end. Truly inspirational. Thank you, David. …

It is with real sadness that I write this, mixed with the brilliant memories of working with David over many years – all the way back to OBU. Working with David was a pleasure and an inspiration. We shall all miss him.   …

So sorry to hear of your loss to the SEDA community, David. As one of the founding members, you were always enthusiastc and passionate about education and provided a warm welcome to all newcomers. Your contributions to the wider academic community have been immense and you were very generous in your support of others. I know that all your family and friends will miss you dearly, but I will fondly remember your smile and love of the outdoors. Rest in peace, in the knowldge that your contrbutions have made a difference and left a precious legacy. …

Among David’s many enormous contributions to higher education, I will always be grateful for his wise and finely-honed inputs to our work with the Nigerian Higher Education Commission over the years. David gave unstintingly to this project, and of course to the broader work of CODE. Thank you, David. RIP. …

David was both a colleague and a friend. I will miss the ‘Travel Supplement’ of his yearly Christmas card, his enthusiasm for new places was infectious. He had the rare gift of writing in such a way that the reader could hear his voice, both the humour and the passion – often at the same time. Because he spoke directly without wasting words he was a great persuader. His wisdom and humanity shone through his writing and I believe his influence will be felt through the world of education for many years to come. You enriched the lives of those you met, David: thank you.  …

I have known David since the inception of SEDA – I came from the SRHE SD SIG and found some of the SCED colleagues a bit frosty, but not David – he was much more welcoming.  He was a pleasure to work with and to nudge with.  I discovered that Carol had been a fellow student at UMIST, though we had not run into one another there.  Rosemary came to meet them somewhat later but we both enjoed the warmth of their company – keeping in touch when each of us nominally retired… …

Thank you for your kindness, compassion and openness in our interactions as CODE Fellows. I only knew you for a limited time but you were generous and gracious in our interactions and sharing of knowledge. Thank you for the conversations. …

During my time in the OUC short-term course, I had the privilege of getting to know David. As a student tutor, I had the opportunity to assist with CODE-related tasks. David’s speeches were consistently profound, delivered with a witty and powerful language that deeply inspired me. Dear David, it’s been a great honor to know you, and I genuinely cherish the moments we shared in work. With the utmost gratitude and warm memories. …

I have known David for well over 10 years. We first worked together when I was a CDE Fellow at the University of London around 2008. Soon after I attended a SEDA summer school at Cumberland Lodge facilitied by David and Carol – my first experience of action learning sets. It was a fantastic few days that inspired my work to develop a digital literacy framework for LSE, where I was working at the time. Over the years I have met up with David on numerous occasions, often at Senate House. But in 2018 I facilitated a number of workshops with him at the SEDA conference and at LILAC. This led to spending a really pleasant day with him and Carol at their house, with a wonderful lunch to help with all the intellectual activities (photo taken on this day during a walk around the lake opposite his house). David was always so generous with his time, and our overlapping interests in educational development and digital and information literacy were the source of many interesting conversations and email exchanges. I always looked forward to seeing him and enjoyed the thoughtful way he approached his work and life. I shall …

Honoured to have closely engaged with David as part of the Southern African Universities Learning and Teaching Forum. David was very generous with his scholarship on academic development and never missed an opportunity to exemplify how to become an engaged scholar and authentic practitioner. Am also thankful to have learned more from him in the LTHEchats, which helped me navigate the challenges posed by the emergency pivot to online learning during COVID-19. …