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General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

Douglas Hockly 8-Jan-2021 At 1:10:05 PM IdratherbeclimbingM9

Message

On 8-Jan-2021 Wendy wrote:
>You may have heard over the past few years that Douglas had become increasingly
>disabled by a degenerative brain disease. He had been living most of last
>year with full time carers. He became unexpectedly ill over the xmas period
>and chose to have palliative care over active treatment, dying peacefully
>with his mother and sister at his side on Wednesday. He will be coming
>home to be buried in the climber's corner of Nati Cemetery.
>
>Douglas organised an early wake last January whilst he was still able
>to travel and see his community for what we expected to be the final time,
>and it was. The hall was packed with people celebrating his life. We joked
>about how if there was life after death, he would have to come back and
>haunt me to let me know. I'll let you know if he turns up.
>
>

Thank you Wendy for updating us on Chockstone.

I knew he was crook but this news coming via an unexpected source to me (Strava), this morning, was still quite a shock.

Although I didn’t know Douglas as well as many others, we still had sufficient overlap that I regarded him as a good friend.
I appreciated his community engagement evidenced by such things as Nati Goatfest and fun things he was integral to like the Henry Barber climbs re-enactment commemorative days.

On Chockstone I appreciated his dry humour that came through regularly during his 435 posts contribution to us that covered a wide range of topics from guidebook production, bolting issues, Goatfest, Nati Cafe, Brawling at Araps, Doco on Australian climbing - Barber to Gullich, and also his serious insights / thoughtful nature evidenced by such posts as;
http://www.chockstone.org/Forum/Forum.asp?Action=Display&ForumID=1&MessageID=35503

We will miss him.
Rest In Peace duglash.