Obituary: David Loo : 41 OBITUARY
David Loo (1947–2016)
I
first met David Loo some 20 years ago when I took the National Honey Show (NHS) stand to the British Beekeepers’ Association (BBKA) Spring Convention which was then held at Stoneleigh Park. There, on arrival, I was told to find David in the Granary Hall as he was in charge of setting up. When I found the Granary Hall I was introduced to David and was surprised when he asked me which table I required. He appeared more interested in talking to other people in the hall and rather left me to get on with it. After I had partly set up the stand, David asked me to move to another table and I was not impressed! However, we somehow met up at a convention evening meal and, when we started talking, found we had a lot in common and became good friends.
Trips Abroad
Our first holiday together was in 2005 when we attended Apimondia, in Dublin. Majka, from Norway, was also there and David got on very well with her so, the following year, we travelled to Norway with Terry Clare and Clare Wilkinson to spend a week near Egersund to enjoy some Norwegian beekeeping with Majka and her family. David really enjoyed this holiday because some of his family ancestors were
David Loo at Apimondia, in Montpellier
David Loo (left) with colleagues at the BIBBA/SICAMM conference, Llangollen
from the country and he was keen to investigate further. Sadly, he ran out of time to visit the hamlet of Loo, near Trondheim, the origin of his family name. David was a very clever, practical person, coming up with ideas and usually forgetting to tell his wife, Pauline, about them. On one continental beekeeping trip to Germany he had arranged, Pauline was alarmed to see the coach driver asleep near her as the coach was about to join an autobahn. David was behind the wheel having forgotten to tell her that he was the relief coach driver and that he had passed the coach driving test for that purpose.
David was always thinking well ahead. For the past few years he was in charge of the trade hall at the National Honey Show (NHS). We were together in Kiev, at Apimondia, when he told me he had drawn up draft plans for that year’s NHS and perhaps we should go through them together. As we were staying in a small apartment, it was easy to examine the plans on the dining area table for a few hours. He was very keen to make optimum use of the space at the NHS.
Special Police Constable
During his time as a special police constable – for which he received a long service award – David undertook such duties as the bishop’s enthronement,
September 2016 Vol 98 No 9
Remembrance Day parades and the occasional royal visit. On spotting him in three different places on one such visit, Prince Philip made some comment, no doubt colourful, and David assured him he knew all the shortcuts around Exeter.
David was always keen on beekeeping and, for a time, worked with Brother Adam at Buckfast Abbey. He helped at the Devon County Show for many years, running a fantastic beeswax candles stall. More recently, I travelled with David to beekeeping events in France, Ukraine and Ireland. We always had a great time at the Gormanston conference, just north of Dublin. The last conference we attended together was the BIBBA/SICAMM conference at Llangollen, in North Wales, where he caused great amusement by attending the formal dinner wearing a hat consisting of a skep and two horns, quite Norwegian really. It was just after this event that David began to feel unwell and started to have various tests. On one occasion in hospital, there were problems and he was rushed into the intensive care unit (ICU). Fortunately, he recovered quite quickly and, as he was feeling better, demanded a phone so he could ring me to provide an update. When he was back on the ward and was finally allowed a phone, he complained bitterly that he was refused a phone in the ICU. Until I mentioned it to Pauline, some time later, she had no idea of this!
The family and a few friends knew early in 2016 that David only had a few months left. He and Pauline were absolutely delighted when Majka was able to come over from Norway to see him. She brought a Norwegian flag and he insisted that it should be put on his coffin and, of course, that was done.
Quite by chance, the day of the funeral was Norwegian Constitution Day. David had hoped he would be well enough to carry the flag in Cardiff that day for the Welsh Norwegian Society.
David died peacefully surrounded by his family and will be sadly missed by them all. I, too, will miss a great friend, but I have many lovely memories of the places we visited. David always had humour in everything he did and we had great times together. John Hendrie
Apimondia Gold Medal for Popular Beekeeping Journals, 2007, 2013 and 2015
www.bee-craft.com
John Hendrie
Lucja Skonieczna
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