Gavin
Nightingale, manager of the weekly titles’ subbing team at Colchester,
has died in a walking accident on Ben Nevis. He was 38 and had been
missing since 11 February.
Gavin’s body was recovered from the mountain on 30 April and formally identified.
Gavin
joined Essex County Newspapers in Colchester in 1988 from the Essex
Chronicle. He worked on the Essex County Standard and later became a
sub-editor. A perfectionist, Gavin took to subbing like a duck to water.
He
excelled and was later made manager of the central publishing unit
based in Colchester and was responsible for a team subbing five weekly
paid-fors and the group’s free titles. He was also a member of the
editors’ group for the Newsquest centre.
Staff in all departments have paid tribute to his quiet, friendly and professional manner and good sense of humour.
Gavin lived in Colchester with his parents who have been touched by the many messages of support from friends and colleagues.
A former pupil at St Helena School, Gavin was a Colchester United fan, motorcycle enthusiast, fisherman and a lover of nature.
An
experienced walker, Gavin took every opportunity to go walking on hills
and mountains. He was particularly keen on exploring The Munros, the
group of 284 mountain tops which include the highest in Scotland. He
took up winter walking 10 years ago as the next stage of his hobby
which was inspired by family holidays.
He fell in love with hill-walking when taken to Snowdonia as a 15-yearold boy by his father.
Gavin is survived by his parents, John and Frances, younger brother Ross and nephew Max.
Irene Kettle, editor-in-chief, Essex County Newspapers
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