Kibkom North Cyprus Forum

R.I.P. Desmond, heard today he has died while in Spain. He will be missed by many including us who loved to chat with him at the Pia Bella where he lived for the past few years, he used to tell us about his travels all over the world, a very interesting man.

So sorry to hear about Desmond. what a lovely, gentle ,gentleman. Will miss him, good supporter of all the charities. R.I.P Desmond

Really sorry to hear that. He has faced some health challenges recently, including the loss of an eye due to cancer. |He was always a gentleman in the extreme. One of the 'old school'. He will be very much missed. Anyone know the cause of death and how old he was?

Thanks for posting the information.

Think he was 93 wasn't told what he died from when we left Pia Bella in March he was seeing doctors and hospital quite often. When we said goodbye to him and said we would see him in December he said "you will probably be visiting me in Green Hills. People from St Andrews church may know more he attended there every Sunday morning.

Thanks. St. Andrews was where I first met him years ago, and he used to live alternately at The Dome and pia Bella. I think he was probably battling cancer, but I don't know. The loss of his eye was due to it, so it may have spread. He obviously knew his days were numbered. But where iwl he be buried. I assume he will be brought back here????

Guess people will post more as they hear! 93 is a good innings, but always a loss when it is someone who is a special person .

So sorry to hear that. A real gentleman of the old school. I met him five years ago at a health check in Lefkosa, he was 88 then and in fine form. I gave him a lift back to the Pia Bella and he was a joy to be with; his anecdotes and comments were lively and witty his gentle voice and manner a symbol of a bygone age. RIP.

We have known Arthur for the 11years we have stayed at the Pia Bella on holiday , we had breakfast with him most mornings, he was still going shopping to Lemar driving his car there. He was having cancer treatment but he was very cool about it and very brave to have travelled to Spain on the 5th June when he wasn't well. We will certainly miss him this year. R.I.P

So sorry to hear about Desmond - one of life's great raconteurs.... Have sent the sad news to Brian.

Does anyone know if dear Desmond will be bought back to Northern Cyprus for burial?

Re reading Woodspeckie's posting it would seem possibly, he mentions Greenhills.

Nice tribute to him in the Cyprus Today from the Pia Bella hotel

Desmond was an institution here when I first came, and thats longer ago than I like to think! Does anyone know if there will be some sort of Memorial Service for him?

I can't comment on where or when Desmond will be buried but it was announced at St Andrews yesterday that there will be a memorial sometime in September, presumably when all his friends who are on their holidays etc, will be back in TRNC.

Marion's. Is it possible to get the Cyprus Today tribute for Desmond by the Pia Bella printed in Kibkom times so we here in the UK can see it or put it on here?

Good idea Woodspeckie. I will ask Soner which is the better thing to do. I don't have a copy to hand, but I will get it scanned somehow - no prob. I read an article in which people like George Ward and others at church made some statements, and sorry that we cdofuld not do a tribute, the news came at the wrong time in the week (we put the p-aper t bed earlier than Cyprus ~Today.l

But it would be nice if the church did a memorial service for him. Is anyone on the church council reading this and could respond, please!

He was such a lovely man, and he was so stoic. I saw him when he had just had his eye removed and he had no self pity at all - a great example of how to take things 'on the chin'.

But will try to get the article on here a;s.a.p, unless someone else can beat me to it.

Would appreciate that Marion, we will miss him when we stay at the Pia Bella, he was so popular with all the Staff and Mr Ali and his family. When we were at the Pia Bella for three months Dec to March and he had his op just before we got there you wouldn't have thought he had gone through such a rough time he just took everything in his stride, he learned how to use a computer while we were there myself and another person Mike taught him, he used to go on the PC every afternoon and was sending e-mails by the time we left. I will try to find out any details from the Pia Bella.