29 November 1954 to 22 February 2018
David looked out for other people all his life – kind and caring, thoughtful and generous, stubborn and sometimes daft as a brush.
This tribute was given by Revd Christine Sandiford at the funeral in St James, Didsbury.
David Ernst Edmondson was born in Stepping Hill Hospital in November 1954, the eldest of three sons to Margaret and Ernest – David, Ian and Malc. He grew up in Hazel Grove and attended local schools including Marple Hall School for Boys. He started university studying botany and biology but left for a job at Manchester Hospital. Most of his working life was at The Christie Hospital in the pathology labs.
David looked out for other people all his life. At the Christie, he was the Unite union rep and Health and Safety rep and kept a drawerful of chocolate to raise the spirits of his colleagues on Monday mornings.
He was always ready to help out his neighbours in the flats where he lived and was quite practical. He was a director of the Housing Association, and a member of the West Didsbury Residents’ Association.
The family remembers David as kind and caring – the kindest person they know – thoughtful and generous, stubborn and bolshy – and sometimes daft as a brush! On one occasion he forgot to prepare Christmas gifts for his nieces and nephews ahead of time, so he drove three hours each way on Christmas eve to North Aston, to leave a bag of gifts on the door handle where they were staying. He didn’t even knock.
David had many varied interests – he loved motorcycling and the freedom it gave him. He dreamed of escaping to the country and live out his days there, but that was not to be. He was involved in amateur dramatics – enjoying singing in the chorus. And he had a profound interest in nature – including badgers, birds and a touch of urban guerrilla gardening (which means planting flowers wherever a piece of land needed perking up). Not everyone was pleased with his efforts.
He married Ann, but sadly that didn’t work out in the long term. With Ann he enjoyed Salsa dancing and he had quite a collection of Spanish guitar music.
As David’s health deteriorated, he spent some months in Salford Royal hospital – and he put up a birdfeeder outside his regular ground floor window, so he could enjoy his little friends, the birds. His final year or so was at a lovely care home in Partington, and he died peacefully on 22 February this year.
He was a brilliant uncle and great uncle to his nephews and nieces and their families, and a wonderful brother. He was also very human – not a saint. I am sure that many of you will remember his wonderful grin and how he was always ready to greet you with a hug. He leaves all of us so much to be thankful for.
