PASSIONATE supporter of Blandford and dedicated charity fundraiser David Rose MBE has passed away.
Mr Rose died peacefully at his home in Wimborne on June 6, his family has confirmed, after battling Motor Neurone Disease since 2020.
He is survived by his wife, Isabel, and his children; Heloise, Megan, and Erin and six grandchildren.
David and Isabel lived in Blandford Forum from 2003, before moving to Colehill, Wimborne, in 2021.
He was born in Edinburgh but moved to Kenya at the age of six weeks.
His father, a water engineer, returned to the UK at Kenyan independence and David eventually went to school at Pocklington, where he excelled at sport, coming second in English Schools 800m, and playing for the England Schools rugby at under 16 and under 19 levels.
In 1979, he joined the army and was commissioned into the Green Howards, serving with them in Northern Ireland, UK, Cyprus, and Germany.
David also served with 10th Gurkha Rifles in Hong Kong and Brunei and the 1st Kings Regiment in Cyprus and UK. He served the United Nations in Cyprus and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and with NATO in Macedonia and Kosovo.
The family spent a very happy year at the Indian staff College in South India, and David was also involved in operations in Guyana, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, and Sierra Leone in 2000, where he ran the Information Operations campaign that was one of the main reasons for the defeat of the Revolutionary United Front and for which he was awarded an MBE.
Mr Rose served in a number of military roles
He retired in 2014 and worked for Babcock International Group.
In Blandford, he was active in the community, as a member of Rotary International running the Clean-Up Blandford Campaign for 14 years and the Blandford Hidden Gardens open day for 12 years.
He was also a member of the Blandford Town Team.
In 2020, David was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease.
The couple moved into a house with his eldest daughter and mother-in-law, and converted it.
With an age range in the house between three and 90, there was never a dull moment, the family said.
David, front, attended an unveiling on the North Dorset Trailway just days before he passed away
Pragmatic about the disease, while he could, David did as much as possible for the MND Association, including raising more than £20,000 on a charity walk.
Just days before he passed away, David attended a ceremony to celebrate the completion of work to improve the North Dorset Trailway, helping unveil the first and last marker posts of the project, which he was heavily involved in.
His family and friends said ‘he was so brave’ and they ‘are so proud of him’.
The Hidden Gardens event David founded, in Blandford, take place on June 25 and is dedicated to his memory.
I’m just watching the rugby world cup,, recalling many memories of former playing colleagues. I thought of David he captained the Yorkshire schools side that I had the pleasure of playing in. He was a stoic captain who led by example, his actions spoke louder than any coaches pre match talk. I am sad to read of his demise with MND,but not surprised at his excellent service record. He was inspirational and helped give me an example to follow in my twenties . I shall hold him in my prayers . You meet only a few great people in your life. He was one such person for me.