Lest We Forget.
Dave Simpson passed away at the fine age of 94 in Perth, Western Australia.
Regional Director of Australia, Geoff Johnston writes;
Dave had a couple of strokes over the previous 12 months and was being cared for in a nursing home. Dave joined the programme in April 2000 (at age 80, no less) and was a very active attendee at courses in both Australia and New Zealand until a couple of years ago.
He achieved his 50 courses and then decided to back off and leave it to the youngsters. He took his role as a CPC very seriously and was very helpful to his allocated students and anyone who wanted to have a chat about stuttering.
e helped to instruct on courses and was strong on maintaining discipline. His stories of life as a boy in the UK were always interesting and they always had a message for new students on the courses.
RIP Dave Simpson – Certified Primary Coach, Course Instructor.
New Zealand graduate Bruce Peter Whitfield, based in Christchurch writes;
As I was so saddened to read about the passing of Dave Simpson, I thought it would be an appropriate opportunity to share with you all the poems I wrote for & about Dave when he attended a McGuire course here in New Zealand in November 2007 – Love you Dave.
A Legend In His Own Lifetime. (Written for his 45th course).
At the spritely age of fifty-one, Dave Simpson threw open life’s doors
And bade a fond, yet glad farewell, to his native UK shores To journey to Perth, for the second time, was his burning desire
To savour the warmth & the good life, & income somewhat higher
A lady called Iris he had married, & four children they did raise
Everything should have been rosy, in those bright & happy days
Life’s vicissitudes he did cope with, by the various hats he did don
All challenges were faced & conquered, save for a nasty persistent one
At sometime in his early life, Dave found he lacked in diction
His Scottish accent & his speech, were plagued by a severe affliction
Some called the problem a stutter, or if you prefer, a stammer
And every time he tried to speak, he waved this leadened banner
Free from this beast he could not shake, even with some help from others
So eventually was resigned, that his words would be shrouded in smothers
Then at the age of seventy-nine, came a blessing from above
The findings of another Dave, were bestowed on him with love
There was a way to kill the beast, to slit its throat & cry
“At last I’m free, in charge of me, see/hear me spread my wings & fly”
With commitment, toil & persistence, Dave’s speech became transformed
And the passing of the stutter, was never even mourned
To our Dave the word retirement, is truly just a joke
Now at the age of eighty-six, he’s still a working bloke
Never a penny spent on baccy, nor a lassie, or a horse Just so he has the “readies”, for that next McGuire course
In about a year, he’ll be in line, for course number fifty
At around a thousand bucks a pop, he sure does have to be thrifty
Dave does tell to one & all, about his miraculous change
And will speak of other lives, that he’s helped to rearrange
As this courageous & great man, journeys on to eloquence
Please take heed of his advice; you know it all makes sense
We have no thoughts of his demise, or call from heavenly forces
We pray for him one hundred years, & another fifty courses.
Have you any memories of Dave you’d like to share? If so, please leave them in the comments below.
