Obituary: Alliance Party founder and former Belfast Lord Mayor David Cook

He was aged 76.

David was born in Leicester on January 25, 1944. He moved as a child to Northern Ireland with his parents and sisters after his father was appointed headmaster of Campbell College, Belfast in 1954, growing to love his adopted home.

He devoted his life to finding understanding between its two communities.

His political career started in his 20s when he was a founder member of the Alliance Party in 1970, eventually becoming deputy leader in 1980 and holding that role until 1984.

He was elected to Belfast City Council in 1973 for South Belfast and became the first non-unionist Lord Mayor in the history of the city in 1978, after winning a vote by 26-25.

He brought proceedings against Belfast City Council and other councils in 1986 and 1987 following their protest against the Anglo-Irish Agreement and obtained orders in the High Court, upheld on appeal, compelling them to perform their statutory duties.

David fought many elections for Alliance in South Belfast and was the party’s candidate in the European election in 1984.

He represented South Belfast in the Stormont assembly.

He believed strongly that the middle ground in Northern Ireland must have a political voice during the worst period of the Troubles in 1970s and 80s.

He felt vindicated on the issue of policing reform in Northern Ireland. He was chairman of the Police Authority from 1994 to 1996 when he and his friend and colleague Chris Ryder were sacked by the then secretary of state, “with regret”, after debate about the pace and manner of change had led to a split in the authority.

Away from politics and policing, David Cook was founder and long time chairman of the Northern Ireland Voluntary Trust, now known as the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland.

He travelled extensively fundraising for the trust which has helped hundreds of community organisations right across the country. He also served two terms as a chairman of the Craigavon and Banbridge community health and social care trust.

He was a solicitor, becoming senior partner in his 30s of the firm Sheldon and Stewart, Belfast where he practised law for 49 years.

He was a member of the Valance Marie Trust for 30 years for his old college, Pembroke College, Cambridge, where, in 1965, he was part of the successful 2nd XIII crew that bumped Emmanuel, Jesus, Caius and Peterhouse.

In his private life he enjoyed countryside pursuits including hunting with the West Down Beagles. He spent many happy holidays in Donegal. He was an avid reader with a special interest in history and enjoyed lively conversation and the company of his family and friends.

• David Cook died peacefully just after 6pm on Saturday at Craigavon Hospital. He is survived by his wife Fionnuala; children Barbary, John, Patrick, Julius and Dominic; grand daughters Romy and Imogen; sisters Alison and Nora. His family said that they were grateful “for the kindness he received in local hospitals after he suffered a stroke two years ago and in recent weeks as he faced Covid”.

The family expect a cremation to take place towards the end of the week in Belfast but details are still to be confirmed

• Some tributes to David Cook below:

NAOMI LONG, ALLIANCE PARTY LEADER

David was a beacon of liberalism during very dark times, and he was a trailblazer for equality, respect and fairness when all three were in short supply. He offered the hope of change when hope was scarce, and for that we will always be grateful. He was also a gentleman, well liked by those who met him and dearly loved by those who knew him, not least for his warm wit and his sense of humour. He will be very sadly missed by us all

ROISIN McDONOUGH, ARTS COUNCIL OF NORTHERN IRELAND

He represented so much that is vital, important and progressive about life here. His sense of civic duty, his contribution to community, his passionate advocacy for fairness and justice and his dynamic forward thinking about the role of wider civil society in peace building allied to his love for family, friends and his support for the arts — all of this and more will be hugely missed

PAUL SWEENEY, EX NI VOLUNTARY TRUST COLLEAGUE

In the late 1970s government endowed an independent charitable trust in a deliberate effort to encourage and support self-help community based initiatives throughout the most disadvantaged urban and rural areas of Northern Ireland. From modest beginnings the Northern Ireland Voluntary Trust would become one of the premier community foundations in Europe and beyond – now titled the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland. The most inspired decision was to appoint David Cook as the inaugural Chair of the Trust. His qualities, values and vision provided rock solid foundations for the trust to flourish.

A belief in social justice and equality for all who called this place home.

A passionate respect for all cultural traditions and identities, and an unmoveable belief that we would find ways of living with our deepest divisions, even in the bleakest of times in our recent history.

David combined his passion for progressive politics with an insight that civic society, especially those involved in community development, would have a critical role to play in moving our society out of conflict towards co-existence and a greater respect for the other.

As a leader he characterised ‘soft power’ by the strength of his intellect and wisdom; his disarming smile and wicked sense of humour.

He was a renaissance man, and in homage to one of his many friends, Stewart Parker, “Our Northern Star”

JACKIE REDPATH, FOUNDING TRUSTEE NIVT

In the dark days of the mid-1970s, David Cook brought life, leadership and style to politics and to the community sector as first Chair of the ground breaking NI Voluntary Trust. It was a privilege and invaluable experience to serve with him as a founding trustee

AVILA KILMURRARY, EX NIVT

David was inspirational, indomitable and always ready to take a risk in the interests of peace-building and reconciliation

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