David John Longford, late of Glenorie, was born on the 13 March 1963. Mum Margaret, had Peter, David, Geoffrey and then Anne in 4 years and 4 months. Five years later, another sister Helen was born. Dave’s childhood was spent initially at Epping, but the majority was on 5 acres at Kenthurst. At that time it was a small, rural, residential community on the outskirts of Sydney. It was a childhood spent in the bush, down at the creek, collecting tadpoles and cicadas; throwing, kicking and hitting balls of all shapes and sizes, playing cricket, swimming and jumping on the trampoline. There was contact with the extended family often: grandparents; uncles and aunties, all the cousins and the cousin’s children. Well you get the picture – it was all about family and the people from the local district.
Whilst much of it sounds idyllic as Dave always had so many friends, at the same time he encountered a lot of bullying. He was a skinny kid with freckles and buck teeth and suffered from asthma. Dave showed difficulty in focus in class so at St Bernadette’s Castle Hill in Year 4 he was sent to the Vocational Guidance Centre for testing. The results showed he was in the lower end of superior intelligence. At Oakhill College, Dave was again tested and Brother Ambrose who conducted them said, of over 500 children in his time, David’s results in visual learning were the highest he had ever seen. Dave and his brothers moved to Galston High to do woodwork, metal work, and tech drawing – learning opportunities not then offered at Oakhill.
An important influence on David’s life whilst growing up was a neighbour who taught electronics at TAFE and David was in his element, spending hours building radios. David became a CB radio enthusiast and communicating over the radio waves was a passion for David throughout his life so he has friends worldwide.
David had a genius for fixing, building, transforming and creating things. He became an electronics technician, a rigger and as the work force computerised, Dave adapted and was a self-taught IT guru. Dave also knew about plumbing, mechanics, building and handiwork. He loved gardening, photography, astronomy, go-carting, music, comedy and bushwalking.
As an adult David had transformed from that buck toothed kid into an attractive man with those qualities women often fall for: the beautiful sad eyes, a gentle, loving but also volatile man in need of love and protection. David had numerous girlfriends over the years and one short marriage to a girl he met in England.
Nearly 7 years ago David met Cheryl. It was the right time for Dave and Cheryl. They were soul mates. It was David’s dream to buy her a house and he did just that in Numeralla near Cooma. They worked like a Trojans on that place – the future he was building for the two of them.
Dave became ill after his forced resignation from his IT job in December 2016. Dave was admitted to Hornsby Hospital.
Cheryl supported Dave throughout this and all the time they had together with the ferocity of a lioness protecting her cub. Cheryl’s words about her love:
“Dave loved his own little family – as he referred to us – our kids – the dogs, Jazzy and Kimbie, the horses Goldie and Wildfire and of course Glenn the pigeon whom I suspect was top of the list. Dave would say ‘I never thought I would love a pigeon’.
He helped me rescue, rehabilitate and release a huge array of animals. We had snakes, goannas, all breeds of birds, possums, wallabies, echidnas, bandicoots (whom we named Thelma and Louise) even an unnamed Koala. You name it – we looked after them, even the ferals.
Dave was kind, gentle, caring, generous, loving and loyal, soft but strong, resilient and tough when needed and a true gentleman. He was witty and would give freely and not ask for any recognition. Dave was a ‘no frills’ person, salt of the earth, not at all pretentious, a rare human being.” David had an amazing capacity for love. His incredible generosity and love for his and Cheryl’s family and his many friends knew no boundaries. But his greatest love was saved for Cheryl. His last words to the hospital staff were “Tell Cheryl I love her”.
The way he interacted with his loved ones and with animals, it is true to say of David…….. “this world was not meant for one as beautiful as you.”
