Sad news - Dave Prior

[mykaskin]

I'm sorry to announce that Dave Prior died yesterday (14/4/10) afternoon.

 

Dave was a kind and thoughtful man - always ready to help others. Despite suffering from disability and pain for a number of years, he has always displayed the determination to continue with life as near to normal as his body would allow. Lesser men would not have achieved as much as he did or lasted as long.

 

 

RIP Dave Prior 1941 - 2010

 

Thanks to Laura Sturrock for the image taken at Braunston 2004.

 

Mike

[n.b.Goldie]

I'm sorry to announce that Dave Prior died yesterday (14/4/10) afternoon.

 

Dave was a kind and thoughtful man - always ready to help others. Despite suffering from disability and pain for a number of years, he has always displayed the determination to continue with life as near to normal as his body would allow. Lesser men would not have achieved as much as he did or lasted as long.

 

 

RIP Dave Prior 1941 - 2010

 

Thanks to Laura Sturrock for the image taken at Braunston 2004.

 

Mike

I and my partner are both much saddened by Dave's death. We first met Dave when we took up our towpath mooring at Fenny Stratford in 2000 and he soon became a firm friend.

 

Dave certainly put a lot into life and was a prominent character with his then wife Roz Prior on the drag racing circuit before he became a 'liveaboard' boater and prominent member of the Milton Keynes IWA. Dave chaired the committee which organised the IWA National at Milton Keynes.

 

Some of the working boats Dave owned;

* Callisto

* Indus Too

* Bream

 

His last boat was Goosander III which was ex-working-boat-woman Annie Garners' (dec'd) boat which he kept at James Griffins (Wyvern Shipping) yard.

 

I will always be grateful to Dave for allowing me to steer Indus Too on the 2004 Jam 'Ole recreation run and latterly to steer Bream when towing the 70' hopper on the Milton Keynes Canal Cleanup. We had the privilege of mooring next to Dave on both the tow-path and off-side moorings at Fenny Stratford and have many fond memories of our canal orientated discussions whilst sharing a pot of tea. Dave loved his food and was always keen to be invited for a meal.

 

It is no overstatement to say that Dave's death has left a very large unfillable hole in our lives.

 

Thank you Dave for having touched our lives.

 

Ditchdabbler & partner

[mykaskin]

Details of the funeral from David Blagrove:

 

The Funeral will be held on Friday 30th April at 1:45pm at Bedford Norse Crematorium, Norse Road, Bedford MK41 0RL and afterwards at Marston Moretaine Social Club, Station Road, Marston Moretaine, Bedford, Bedfordshire, MK43 0PW

Family Flowers Only donations to Friends of The Museum (Stoke Bruerne) for the upkeep of Sculptor.

Donations to the Sculptor Appeal can be made via Laura Sturrock, Treasurer of The Friends of The Canal Museum at Stoke Bruerne, at 39 Church Street, Nether Heyford, Northamptonshire NN7 3LH (cheques made payable to Friends of The Canal Museum).

[n.b.Goldie]

Well, yesterday we said our goodbyes to Dave.

 

The very well attended service was a civil i.e. non-religious type. I cannot recall Dave being remotely religious so it was probably appropriate. As one gets older and attends more funeral services the civil version is becoming much more popular.

 

Just a few of the attendees I think I recognised;

 

David Blagrove

Drew Burge

Diana Carter

Tim Coughlan (Braunston marina)

Graham Lockhart (Lockhart Marine & Wendover Festival)

Dave King (recent Chair of IWA National Festival Committee)

Mick Betts (fender maker)

Hazel Betts (BW warden @ Cosgrove)

Dave Burr (Commodore of Lionhearts cruising club)

Mike Spooner (treasurer of Lionhearts cruising club)

WOL (BW warden @ Fenny Stratford)

Dave Leeson (harbourmaster of Wendover Festival)

Ray Toye (noted canal photographer)

 

The point of my listing the above is to illustrate the regard in which Dave was held throughout the Canal world. There were many others from the 'working-boat-world' and his drag-racing days but I do not know their names.

 

R.I.P. Dave Prior - forever remembered

 

Ditchdabbler

 

p.s. next Thursday (Election Day) we say goodbye to ex-working boater John Garner - we are fast losing our living canal heritage.................

[nigel carton]

I was very lucky to meet the man on several occasions, had coffee's and chats, very sad. RIP