TRIBUTES have been pouring in for drama teacher and actor David Love, who died on New Year’s Day aged 64.
As well as passing on his knowledge of drama to hundreds of young Islanders, Mr Love had a long association with both the Green Room Club and the Jersey Eisteddfod and was also the organiser of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Island Games when the event came to Jersey in 1997.
Mr Love, who moved to the Island in 1968, was married to Jean for more than 40 years and they had one daughter, Joanna, and three grandchildren.
His death followed a battle against leukaemia. In May last year he put on a performance called Showstoppers! to show his appreciation for the care and attention he had received at hospital in Jersey and Bournemouth.
The president of the Jersey Green Room Club, John Farley, said that Mr Love was a valued member of the club for 40 years.
‘He was a man who could speak on every level,’ he said. ‘He was a great director and actor, and a lot of people have benefited from his knowledge,’ he said. ‘He was a real perfectionist – everything had to be absolutely right.’
As well as being a founder-member of the Good Theatre Company and being heavily involved with the Arts Alive youth club shows, Mr Love was involved with the Jersey Eisteddfod for four decades. His first entry was in the one-act play section with the Green Room Club, and he spent 40 years entering groups and individuals in the adult and junior sections as an actor, director and teacher.
From 1998 to 2001 he was chairman of the English Speech and Drama section and he was also stage manager for the Performing Arts Festival in the late 1990s. His last performance, just a few weeks before his death, was in a scene from Oliver Twist with Sheila Jones at a concert celebrating the Eisteddfod’s centenary.
As well as helping countless Islanders to achieve success in drama exams and at the Eisteddfod through his private individual and group drama lessons, Mr Love was drama teacher at Helvetia House School for 15 years and at Beaulieu Convent Primary School for ten years. Until recently he also worked part-time in the finance industry.
Beaulieu Primary’s head teacher, Louise Warran, described him as someone who was always full of fun and enthusiasm.
‘He had high expectations of himself and the pupils he worked with, and he never failed to amaze us with the standards he achieved,’ she said. ‘Our Christmas production just a few weeks ago was Peace Child, beautifully produced and directed by David.
‘One lasting memory of him for all of us will be the wonderful joy and pride on his face as our school community thanked him for all his hard work at the end of the evening. Our staffroom was enlivened on the days David came to work and our biscuit tin was emptied of anything with chocolate in it by the time he went home. We will remember David and his family in our prayers.’
Helvetia School are currently holding a collection for the Leukaemia Research Fund at the General Hospital. Head teacher Lindsay Woodward described him as a highly respected man and said that he returned to teach in September, after receiving treatment for leukaemia, to help the pupils to win a trophy in November’s Eisteddfod.
‘He was an exceptional man with many talents and was one of our longest-serving members of staff,’ she said. ‘He was an inspiration to the many girls who were taught by him and those who attended his drama club after school. We will all miss him terribly.’
• Picture: David Love: A great perfectionist
