FAMILY’S SHOCK AS ‘MUCH-LOVED’ RETIRED SCHOOL HEAD DIES ON CRUISE
Ex-headteacher died on cruise around Med
GRIEVING family and friends have paid tribute to a retired headteacher who died suddenly on a Mediterranean cruise.
Dave Edwards, of Baddeley Green, had been on the two-week cruise with his partner Rita Pennington when he died off the Spanish coast on Wednesday morning.
The 71-year-old was headteacher at Hassell Community Primary School, in Newcastle, for 19 years until 2010, and had become a well-known figure in the Staffordshire running community.
Brother Jeffrey Edwards, of Milton, led tributes to the father-of-three.
The 69-year-old said: “He was my best mate as well as my brother – we did everything together.
“I looked up to him and if I ever had a problem he would look after me, even when we were kids.
“I was in utter disbelief when I was told what had happened.
“I was only texting him the night before because it was the first time he had been on a cruise and he said it was fabulous.
“He was planning on doing another because he was loving it. He said he was on karaoke every night pretending he was Neil Diamond.
“His passion was always the school and it was his life when he took it over.
“When he was there he built it up to a good school and he was well thought of by everyone.
“Everyone who knew Dave will be shocked. He was extremely well thought of and still played football, went to the gym, and enjoyed running.”
Hassell Community Primary School headteacher Kirsty Broome worked as Dave’s deputy until he retired eight years ago.
She said: “We were all shocked when we got the news because he was a well liked and respected headteacher.
“He was much loved by the staff and his pupils.
“I knew him really well and he was a lovely man with a great sense of humour. He would always come in to see us around Christmas.”
The keen runner helped to organise events such as the Milton 10k and Alsager 5 – and was even a correspondent for The Sentinel.
Potters’ Arf organiser Ken Rushton said: “Dave and I go back 35 years and we have been organising events together since 1984. “He always had a smile on his face. “In 1989 he helped to bring the Amateur Athletic Association 10k to Milton, which was a bit like bringing the FA Cup final to Port Vale.
“He was a very special person and he will be sorely missed.
“He had a massive impact on the local running community and it would have been poorer without his influence.
“Dave was headteacher at Hassell for almost 20 years and prided himself on avoiding any school closures.”
Dave leaves partner Rita; children Jonathan, Faye, and Will; nephew Andy and sister-in-law Margaret.
His body will be repatriated when the cruise liner returns to Southampton.