It is with great sadness that we reflect on the life of stalwart fundraiser Anthony ‘Tony’ Dale, who passed away last Sunday evening.

A dedicated supporter of the Charity since 1963, Tony helped to raise funds throughout his career and took on numerous volunteer roles to further the health and wellbeing of his colleagues and friends across Norfolk.

Amongst his lengthy list of volunteer roles, Tony spent time as a Brigade Secretary, Member of the National Council, Company Member, Service Coordinator and Home Visitor. He held and supported countless fundraising events alongside his other Charity commitments and even continued to do so after a quadruple heart bypass.

A loyal supporter throughout his life, compassionate and committed, with an unfailing ‘can-do’ attitude, Tony was the deserving winner of our Spirit of Fire Lifetime Achievement award in 2015.

A one-of a-kind

Our former Chair, Ken Seager, reflects on Tony’s life of service to The Fire Fighters Charity and his colleagues in the fire service:

Tony Dale was a genuine one-of-a-kind person. I feel privileged to have known him and deeply honoured to have worked with him for our Charity since 1980. At the old Group 4 (Anglia) meetings, Tony always spoke up for beneficiaries (and Norfolk always had more than any of the rest of us). He reported on new and continuing cases with real passion and compassion for their circumstances and it was clear he knew them and their circumstances intimately.  

Later in life, he made countless contributions to our AGM discussions. Often at odds with the majority in the room he would nevertheless deliver reasoned arguments, always from the beneficiary’s perspective, and was a constant reminder to us all that everything we did should always make things better for those in need who depended on us. It was a mark of his greatness that even when he lost his argument, he never took exception or let it dent his loyalty to our great Charity – he just shrugged it off and got with the job of looking after his people.

Our Charity has gone from humble beginnings to greatness in 80 years. It has been built on the backs of our hard working and compassionate foot soldiers in brigades who know their communities, seek out need and deliver help and support. Tony Dale will forever stand tall and proud in that cohort and we will all miss him greatly. Rest in Peace, Tony.

Ken Seager, Life Patron.