I was sad to read about David’s passing. While I did not know him well, I did meet him once at a veterinary conference where he was speaking. I approached him after the meeting, feeling quite self conscious and he immediately put me at ease with his genuine and warm demeanour. He was an inspiration to me as an advocate for better mental health in the profession – talking with integrity, and articulating a poorly understood (at the time) but incredibly important subject. I have no doubt he has played a crucial role in the development of a contemporary mental health discourse that is kinder and more open. I for one, have been a beneficiary of that.