Tributes have been paid to a popular Hull man following his death from cancer.
Dave Forth, 65, was long employed in the local print industry, having worked for the Hull Daily Mail for a number of years, and later Grimsby and Scunthorpe Newspapers. Dave, originally from Lansdowne Street in Hull, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in January of this year.
He endured three rounds of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant but sadly passed away at the end of June, surrounded by his loved ones. His daughter, Jo Forth, said: “It was clear he wasn’t going to go without a fight; he fought a really hard battle.
“He will be very much missed by everybody who knew him. Dad was a really great person, he had a good sense of humour, and was well-loved by everyone – one of his former work colleagues, who knew him from when they were in Australia, came all the way from Athens to see him in the hospital, that’s how well thought-of he was.”
Dave was a father of two – Richard, 39, and Jo, 33 – and also a grandad. A former pupil of Hull Grammar School, he also lived at one point at Fernhill Road, in Hull, and worked for engineering companies Rosedowns and Priestman’s before his mum heard about a job going at the Hull Daily Mail.
(Image: Scunthorpe Telegraph)
Jo said: “He joined the circulation department of the Hull Daily Mail in May 1982 as a rep at what was then the building in Jameson Street. He helped move the department to the new building – which continues to be the base for the newspaper – at Blundell’s Corner in August 1989.
“Dad got promoted to newspaper sales manager of the Scunthorpe Telegraph in October 1990, where he won prestigious awards for best circulation performance. He left the Scunthorpe Telegraph in 1998 to become contract print manager at Grimsby and Scunthorpe Newspapers.”
After Dave’s role in Grimsby was made redundant, he went to Journal Print, based in Scunthorpe. After again facing redundancy, Dave went self-employed as a handyman, then worked for an employment agency as a hospital porter.
“He moved to Australia in 2014 and worked for Spotpress Printing Company as estimator and MIS administrator,” said Jo. “His loving partner of the time, Wendy, went out there shortly afterwards and they married.”
Dave achieved a degree in business and management with the University of Essex, while working in Australia. “My dad and Wendy returned to the UK and settled in Wales, before Dad retired in June 2024.
“He suddenly became ill in January this year.” Reflecting on her father’s interests, Jo said: “ Hull City was a big passion of Dad’s.
(Image: Family of Dave Forth)
“When he moved to Wales, he’d be going to all the away games. Even when he was in Sydney, he went to the Cheers Bar to join the other Hull City supporters and watch matches.”
One of Dave’s former colleagues said: “Dave was a very popular member of the Northcliffe Newspapers team. He worked at both the Scunthorpe and Grimsby Telegraph newspaper centres, where he was the contract print manager when the titles were printed six days a week.
“Always well organised and methodical, he managed his department with friendly efficiency and was well-liked by all his colleagues. He will be sadly missed by those who knew him.”
A funeral will take place on Monday, August 4, at 2.30pm at Lelley Fields Crematorium. It is family flowers only.
“We discussed this kind of thing before he passed away and Dad didn’t want any donations,” Jo said. “He just wanted people to go and enjoy a meal, a drink or an outing and raise a toast to him and remember him that way.
“He also said that if people wore something to his funeral that gave a nod to Hull City, that would make him smile.”