George Dunk was a much-loved presence on the Lib Dem scene for decades. I first knew him through his wife, Sandra, who was the Party’s fantastic candidates officer. She died very suddenly in 2004. He was such a kind and funny man who always had a story to tell and he is incredibly missed. He died at the end of April.
This Saturday, his memorial service will take place at St James Church, Bermondsey, Thurland Road, SE16 4AA at 11:30 am. It’s just off Jamaica Road, and three minutes from Bermondsey tube station. There will be a gathering in a local pub afterwards.
The Southwark News had a tribute to George, who used to be a councillor in the area, when he died:
On behalf of Bermondsey and Southwark Liberal Democrats, Sir Simon Hughes, Bermondsey and Old Southwark MP from 1983 to 2015, said: “George Dunk was a passionate, dedicated, compassionate and hugely committed Liberal and Liberal Democrat, well-known and loved throughout the party, and across the Riverside ward in Bermondsey which he proudly represented for eight years.
“His fourteen years of marriage to his South African wife Sandra, who shared his Liberal commitment, saw them working together for three years on the council after Sandra’s election as a Dockyard councillor in 1995.
“At a personal level George was the kindest and most generous of men, and most loyal of friends. It was typical of George that in his last text message to me from his St Thomas’ hospital bed he ended with the p.s. ‘ have voted’, meaning he had sent in his postal votes for the council elections.
I’m sorry I can’t be there, but I will be thinking of George this Saturday.
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
Follow @libdemvoice.org on Bluesky
Like us on Facebook
Subscribe to our feed
Sign-up for our daily email digest
The Joy of Six 1339
Kemi Badenoch vs the Conservative Party: how the polling compares - The Week in Polls
F10 is passed overwhelmingly. Now the work begins...
Blackness Road - 1967 #dundeewestend
Torchwood is now a Cardiff Bay institution
Zachary Adam Barker
tom arms
Neil Hickman
Joe Bourke
3 Comments
I first met George in 1966 when he came to a meeting of Bromley Young Liberals. It seems strange that we then had our meetings in the basement of the guesthouse run by a former Liberal councillor, elected in the 1962 round of local elections, in the aftermath of the Orpington by-election.
We didn’t get on. Somehow we ended up on the opposite sides of a lot of Liberal arguments. However we both became Liberal councillors, George in Bermondsey and me in Todmorden. We kept in touch spasmodically and met up at party conferences and had beer together.
Then about 15 years ago we started meeting regularly at ALDE events and found we had a lot in common and became firm friends. Ruth and I enjoyed George’s company and his amazing ability to find the cheapest way to get to these events and the best places to eat. We had lots to eat and drink together in a range of European cities, whenever and wherever the ALDE council or ALDE Congress decided to meet. George was wholly committed to the European ideal and was increasingly appalled about the referendum decision.
Ruth and I will miss his camaraderie and the political discussions we had. George was a solid Liberal and the party owes him a great debt.
I first met George in the Autimn of ’73. I had just arrived at Reading University and as a Young Liberal from Lewisham, I joined the Liberal Club. George was Chair of the South East England Young Liberal Federation (SEELYF). He was a frequent visitor as he had taken a shine to the Secretary of our Liberal Club! I echo what has been said about him and always remember his slogan when he ran for Parliament in Woking – “Dunk the Man”! I saw him at a recent Party Conference when he seemed not too good. Then Tony Rogers told me that he was in hospital and not long for this world. All very sad. I will be at the English Party Council Executive on Saturday morning but will take a moment to remember the George Dunk who was full of energy, decency and compassion.
As a friend and colleague of George’s for over 30 years, I shall miss meeting him at conference. A lovely man and good friend. I am sorry I cannot be there on Saturday.