Bazz Lewis and Tony Dumphy

These 2 men were great friends so it seems appropriate to value & remember them together.

Bazz Lewis

It was a great shock when Bazz died so suddenly, in his 50s and enjoying early retirement from ICI with his wife Sally. He was a gentle, unassuming man, with high qualifications for his work and a wide range of other interests. He tutored a popular WEA course in astronomy a few years ago; he was a founder member of the Bowls Club, as well as of the Archaeology Group; he enjoyed gardening; he was also a member of the Folk Club, known with his friends Stuart & Ricky as the Bazz Band. His guitar playing gave him & others a great deal of pleasure. He was a loving father of his 2 daughters, proudly walking Layla down the aisle last May Day & being very supportive of Vicky’s career – & her adventurous holidays!

His last day was a splendid one – winning a Bowls Tournament, having a celebratory lunch with Sally & friends, then performing at the Folk Club. The overflowing Chapel at the Crematorium testified to the huge number of friends he had, and how much he will be missed by family, friends - and the village he came to through his work, but made his family’s home, contributing to its life in so many ways. A special man indeed.

Tony Dumphy

The tragic death of award-winning journalist Tony Dumphy at the age of 53 stunned his family, his colleagues at the Evening Gazette and his many friends in Great Ayton.

Originally from Manchester, Tony met his future wife, Barbara, at Queen’s University, Belfast. After a spell on She magazine in London, they went to live in the Pyrenees for a year where Tony was a shepherd, before they moved to Great Ayton in 1979, when Tony became a Sub-Editor at the Evening Gazette.

Tony, who has been Head of Editorial Production at the Gazette for the past 8 years, loved the area and living in the village. He was always glad to be home, in such a beautiful part of the world, even from visits to places like Holy Island and the Lake District. A very keen birdwatcher, he and Barbara enjoyed walking on the moors and by the coast. He always said that the village was the reason he never wanted to move to another newspaper – it was such a lovely place to bring up children, and for them to come back to. A peaceful place where he and Barbara found lovely, kind friends.

A strong family man, Tony was justly proud of his two children, Alex and Alison, and of their achievements. He will be greatly missed.