The Hornsey Vale community was saddened to learn of the passing of Dennis Bury on 28 December 2024. Volunteer and former trustee Lynne Brackley shares this tribute to a much-loved volunteer, neighbour and community member.
Many visitors and regular users at Hornsey Vale met and talked to Dennis Bury over the many years he volunteered here. He and his wife Ursula were founding members and served as trustees and, thanks to them, the centre continues to thrive. Dennis was the friendly key-holder, the man with a paintbrush and, of course, the formidable badminton player. He seemed to wear so many hats. Including, as Fr Bruce told us at Dennis’s beautiful funeral service at Hornsey Parish Church, a tea cosy on one occasion when he greeted him at the front door.
Dennis was a professor of psychology and a therapist. He had a talent for seeing through disagreements and helping people to find solutions that respected everyone’s voice. I was lucky enough to work with him and his students a few times at the American University of Syracuse in London. He was an impressive facilitator, asking the right questions to elicit thoughtful and considered responses: a great teacher and a kind mentor.
He was also an inventor and problem-solver. Shinning up the zip-tower to change the lights in the gym, he would come up with insanely dangerous ways of leaning out and reaching the unreachable [note: our Health & Safety policy has been amended since then! – ed.]. He liked finding small adaptations to make domestic life easier, often channelling Wallace and Gromit. Apparently, he was wont to turn the stairs in his house into a giant slide for children (and, I imagine, any adults who wanted a turn!)
A regular presence at the church, he engaged in community-building there just as he did at Hornsey Vale. Dennis was generous with his time, not only doing the odd and often boring jobs around the centre but also stopping for a chat. As he became less mobile, he could still be seen whizzing up the street on his scooter or enjoying the inclusive cycling at Finsbury Park. A man who loved his outdoor pursuits, he wasn’t keen to slow down.
He could be quirky. He had a huge bank of knowledge. He made references to stuff that went right over my head. He told me once my hair was too short. (He was probably right: I had had a bit of a close shave.) He would burst into song at a social occasion.
Our thoughts go out to Ursula and family. Dennis was once described as ‘tall, elegant, charming, always with a twinkle in his eye’. He touched so many people and our lives are richer for having spent time with him.
– Lynne Brackley