The funeral for David Ashworth will take place at Barham Crematorium on Friday 10 July at 2.40pm.

Professor Mike Fairhurst, a former colleague in the School of Engineering and Digital Arts, has written the following tribute:

‘All who knew Dr David Ashworth were shocked and immensely saddened to hear recently that he had died in a brave attempt to rescue a member of the public involved in an accident. David was a long-standing member of the Department of Electronics (later to become the School of Engineering and Digital Arts, its present name) and, indeed, was one of its earliest academic appointments, joining the University almost from its inception. He retired in 2005, but maintained regular contact with the University.

‘Generations of David’s students will have fond memories of a skilful, kind and sympathetic teacher who was unstinting in the time and support he gave to those he taught, and his ability to make them feel that he was as much their friend as their teacher. In research, David was one of the early collaborators with Roger Jennison, founding Professor in the Department, cheerfully and expertly grappling with some of the more abstruse mathematical problems in relativity and physical electronics. His colleagues will remember him as an outgoing, reliable, conscientious and thoroughly committed member of the academic community, always playing a key part in smooth operation of the Department, and his legendary long service as Undergraduate Admissions Officer was, as one colleague once put it, the engine room of the Department for many years.

‘That it was his act of kindness towards someone in need of help which led to David’s untimely death makes this all the more tragic, yet is entirely characteristic of him. We will miss him for his warmth, his easy friendship and his generosity of spirit, and we will remember him as a talented academic and a much-valued colleague and friend.’