On the 9^th of September on a blustery Carlyon beach we said farewell in a unique way to a unique man. After listening to the words below we held hands for a Celtic blessing before a mad dash for the sea. Some braved the waves and went all the way in, some paddled in the shallows and some just stood being sprayed by the surf but all were covered by the warmth generated by over 300 friends, family and colleagues.

By Laurence Couldrick

Dylan was larger than life and not just because he was a mountain of a man. Back when I first moved to Cornwall I was doing my house up and needed to buy sand and cement. In order to work out how many bags I could fit in my car my standard measurement wasn’t in abstract kilograms or stones but in Dyls. I knew I could probably get one Dylan in the front, three in the back and a cheeky Dylan in the boot for good measure. So with a quarter of a tonne of sand and cement in my aging car I set off home. Suffice to say, my car wasn’t designed to carry that many Dyls.

Summing up Dylan though goes far beyond dimensions. He was one of the smartest, kindest, most enthusiastic people I have ever met. His ability to recall scientific information at an instant, and blend it with common sense and optimism, meant it was very hard not to come round to his point of view. He was never one to shy away from a challenge – and where most of us would see a series of insurmountable barriers, Dylan would not. He encouraged us to believe, not only in ourselves, but each other and every day I have to remind myself – to be more Dyl.

Yes, that means taking challenges head on rather than shying away, and questioning the status a quo with a good dose of ‘why not?’, but more importantly it means supporting people to achieve what’s inside them, even when they don’t see it – and showing how proud you are that they reached that potential. Sure this approach is important at work and Dylan had such a wide ranging impact on so many fields and areas it was a clear he was a master in helping people reach their goals, but it extended far beyond work. Despite having a huge impact on the environmental movement Dylan achieved one of those rare feats of balancing passion for his work, whilst investing the same energy in his family and friends. We would often talk on our catch ups about work but it would very quickly progress onto our families. Dylan was immensely proud of his children, Oscar and Flo, and how much they’d developed. Seeing them surfing on the beach and helping my children explore the rocks and waves will always of remind me of Dylan’s enthusiasm, compassion and love for life.

Dylan loved life and he loved living it. He would not have wanted today to be a dour event, in some strange building, where someone listed out his achievements. We all know what Dylan has done for us, as organisations and as individuals, but it is who he was, and how he lived, that is key. He was so much more than a measurement of weight. He was a safe pair of hands to steady the ship, he was the much needed support when it all seemed black, he was that extra push to follow the vision. But more than that – he was an inspirational colleague, a loving husband, a doting father and a keen friend.

Thank you Dylan. In the short time you were here you brought so much brightness to the world.  You will be sorely missed, but never forgotten.

To Dylan.