Dave Uden will be sorely missed - but his legacy lives on!

I found out a couple of days ago, that someone who I credit with critically shaping and changing the course of my life (and those I came to know) had passed away. It hit me especially hard as because although I've known him for a quarter of a century, I've no recollection of him ever being sick. When I travelled back to the UK and met up with him ten years ago, he looked, sounded and acted the way I'd known my whole life. The same laugh, the same smile. It was like no time had passed at all. In fact this photo from his obituary is actually how I remember him best, white shirt, grey trousers and that same stripy tie.

I last spoke with him when I sent him an email in late 2020 to share that I had passed my thesis defense and earned a Doctorate of Engineering. This was especially surprising as 25 years ago, most teachers were convinced I wouldn't actually pass my GCSEs. In his reply to my email (his email address from all those years ago is still active) he said:

Hi Pete - Outstanding!!! What a journey you have been on since your time in Bonnies. I still show people your book with pride where you named me in the acknowledgments.

He was as excited about it as I was and I'm so happy that I got to share the news with him. Unfortunately, due to COVID the graduation ceremony wasn't held until last November and although I ordered a graduation photo to share with him, sadly it still hasn't arrived. Those that knew him know him to be a humble guy, always raising others up whilst avoiding the spotlight.

However, the book didn't actually list him in the acknowledgements, it was in fact dedicated entirely to him. Not just by me either, all three authors dedicated the book to him as we wouldn't have even known each other without Dave's influence, and I think it's fair to say, that none of us would be where we are today without him. Yet my two friends never met Dave (although one came close but alas, a delayed flight meant they weren't able to meet in person), have never even spoken to him and yet wanted to recognise his contribution. I think that really says it all.

In case you can't see the image, here's the dedication:

We would all like to dedicate this book the same person, someone who only one of us has ever actually met but someone who has had a significant impact on all of our lives. 15 years ago Dave Uden took something of a s risk to support one of us and helped us achieve our potential. That support changed everything and profoundly affected how that person saw the world. In the coming years, that person extended the same support openly to others, two of whom he considers two of his closest friends. All of us feel that our lives would have been very different without that initial support.

To Dave Uden then, we extend our sincerest thanks. We owe you more than words can say.

When I shared this with him, he said that all he ever wanted to do was make a difference in the lives of his students and knowing that he had not only succeeded but his teachings had been passed to people he never knew, was the greatest reward he, as a teacher, could ever receive.

There are many other things I could talk about, from the way he helped me study for my Red Hat Certified Engineer exam, to allowing me help manage and improve the school network (to be fair we both benefited quite nicely from that), to his support on leaving a newly begun post at St. Boniface's College to persue something bigger. That opportunity was only available to me because the work that I had done at the school had caught the attention of a government agency who were keen to write about it (and ultimately did) to share as an example to other schools.

I think the most important thing I learned working with him whilst being a student was the importance of communication and how to ensure ideas were communicated in such a way that others could understand the benefits and the risks of a project. This approach continues to serve me well in life, and although I've tweaked it over the ensuing decades, the core idea remains the same.

One thing that used to make Dave laugh was that after 7 years of knowing him as a student and calling him 'Sir' on a daily basis, even after I became staff, and later on in life, it just felt so strange to call him by his name. Even during our last meeting nearly a decade ago, Sir slipped out a couple of times. He used to joke that I was a free man now and I didn't have to call him Sir. To me though, he will always be 'Sir'.

Dave, you left the world far earlier than you deserved, but you left behind a world far better for your presence. Rest In Peace my friend.