David Hirst

We lost David on May 11, 2020 due to complications of diabetes. What we gained through our love for David over his 31-year odyssey is immeasurable. David was driven by both personal discipline and rebelliousness. He showed us how grit and tenacity can reshape post graduate learning in philosophy into a passion for software development and he was relentless when it came to his personal development, from software skills, to weight training, to his meditation practice. At the same time he was playful, funny and quick witted. When Chris and David started to run with something, the laughter was endless. We lived for those moments. And there were so many of them! David will live on in all of the lives that he has left behind. His humour, compassion, generosity, and his authenticity have showed us what it means to be human. We will keep his voice, his laughter, his love for all of us, and especially his love for his niece Ellie, his nephews Jack, Nate and Teddy and his dog Maru, alive within ourselves. After all, he carries a crucial corner of all of our stories. We celebrate David's life for the relationships he formed, the friendships he cherished, the family he loved and the joy he brought to so many. Sweet dreams David… David was a prolific writer of poetry. To honour that part of who David was, we include his poem, Becoming a Mirror. Becoming a Mirror by David Hirst If one sits quietly, still, in solitude, In a room full of people, It is possible to become an image, an object, The expectation that is imbued in silence, The quiet offering of the perceived Other, And if you persist in this state, One might become a mirror.