This Is Guernsey

By Nigel Baudains

Getting back to work at Aurigny was one of the goals David Ormrod set himself as he battled cancer. And his family made sure his dream came true as his funeral cortege stopped at the terminal building so workers who could not attend could pay their last respects to a popular colleague. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 0592959)

AURIGNY staff and other airport workers said farewell to a popular colleague yesterday afternoon. David Ormrod lost his battle with cancer on 8 June. He was 49.

The funeral procession travelled to St Stephen’s Church via the airport terminal where it stopped to allow on-duty colleagues to pay their respects.

‘Dad was very keen to return to work and the family felt it was a fitting tribute to his determination,’ said son Glenn, 24. ‘He had a set of goals during his illness and one of them was to get back to work and we felt that this was a way of helping him achieve one of them.’

Aurigny managing director Malcolm Hart said that just about all of the airline’s staff had wanted to attend the funeral but it had not been possible because the operation had to keep running. Mr Ormrod’s death was a great loss, he said.

‘Dave was the sort of chap that you would never hear anybody have a bad word to say about,’ he said.

‘His humour at work was infectious and he was just a fine colleague for people to have and a fine servant to Aurigny.’

Mr Ormrod was originally from Bolton and was passionate about his home town football club. He joined the Royal Navy from school aged 16 and served on six ships during the next 18 years, including HMS Guernsey between July 1979 and November 1981.

It was during a visit that ship made to its namesake island that he met his future wife, Sally Smith. They were married at the Town Church on 21 November 1981. The couple had five children, Glenn, Daniel, 19, Kelsey, 17, and twins Callum and Kadie, 10. Glenn and partner Hannah Weir gave Mr Ormrod his first grandchild, Rosie, now aged six months.

Mr Ormrod left the Royal Navy in March 1992 and in the following years had jobs at St Peter Port Harbour, as a pest controller and as a driver.

He joined Aurigny as a baggage handler in late 2001 before becoming a traffic officer with the airline.

His was a well-known face around the airport and he had a good rapport with passengers and colleagues. His illness was diagnosed in September 2006.

‘He maintained his sense of humour throughout and approached his illness in a very positive way,’ said Glenn.

‘The whole family are so proud of him and he never gave up.’

Mr Ormrod loved Guernsey and sport, too, particularly rugby where he had qualified as a coach for the Guernsey Rugby Club under 18s.

Aurigny duty officer Richard ‘Spike’ Ozanne echoed the words of Mr Hart and said Mr Ormrod was a ‘smashing bloke’.

‘Dave was just a good egg and what you saw was what you got,’ he said.

‘I thought of him this morning when I went to Checkers as I would always see him there wearing his slippers. I think it’s a north of England thing and I would take the mickey out of him about it.

‘He was always devoted to his family and he thought the world of them.

‘It’s tragic that he should have died so young.’

A wreath from Aurigny was predominantly yellow, the airline’s colour, and attached was a model of an ATR72 aircraft.

Article posted on 14th June, 2008 - 9.29am