Dave's Story
David Craig was born in Jarrow on 10th May 1947 to Margaret and Harry. He had an older sister, Stella and a younger brother, Raymond. Dave had a happy enough childhood, and went to school at Jarrow Central. He loved listening to Johnny Duncan, watching Flash Gordon and collecting toy cars. He took up one of his main passions in his life, cycling, at the age of eleven. Around this time began another great passion, his love of Newcastle United. Dave started to take cycling seriously whilst at North Tyneside College and was pretty good - so he used to tell me.
It was at this time that he was an apprentice electrician at the Vickers Naval Yard in North Shields where he came into contact with asbestos. Dave worked in the Naval Yard until he was 23 years old and became employed in 1972 at Westoe Colliery where he worked until its closure in 1993.
He continued to cycle and rode to work at least 30 miles each weekday for enjoyment! Dave became a member of Sunderland Clarion Cycling Club and went on club runs, riding between 80 and 120 miles on Sundays. He would also race competitively and won a number of trophies.
Dave was a good looking, well liked young lad who could have had the pick of most of the girls in Tyneside, but he chose a girl from Hebburn - Anne. We married in the April of 1970 and had two sons, David and Darren. In 1995 our first grandson, Oliver, was born. Dave spent alot of his time with Oliver teaching him about the good things in life; birds and animals, football, cars, books and music including The Beatles and The Moody Blues. He loved Oliver and our other grandson, Evan who was born in 1999. Sadly, he did not live long enough to see our youngest grandson Alex David.
In the winter of 2000 Dave developed a cough, which did not subside. He also found that he was having difficulty cycling up hills but he carried on as normal. Whilst on a 120-mile ride in May 2001 he reached halfway and returned home as he began to have problems breathing - he still managed to cycle 30 miles home. Dave visited his doctor, which was not a common occurrence, and was sent for a chest x-ray. This showed that his right Lung had collapsed, full of fluid.
Dave was admitted to hospital to have the fluid drained and underwent various tests. On 28th of June 2001 Mesothelioma was diagnosed. My dad died on the same day. We were devastated, my dad was an old man who lived to see great grandchildren, Dave was only 54, he was so young and fit and had so much more to do in his life, so many plans to fulfil. We loved each other and had expected to grow old together. Dave fought this disease accepting any treatment available, He never submitted to it until it eventually beat him on the 5th of February 2002.
Dave was my life, I loved him from the first time I saw him and will continue to until I can be with him again. He did not deserve to die in the way he did. Dave was a fitness fanatic who never smoked and only drank occasionally. He should have lived another 30 years. Those few early years working in close contact with asbestos robbed my Dave of the rest of his life.
Dave and his Grandson
