A tribute to my university friend Dan Filson
I have just learned the sad news of the recent death of Dan Filson.
In the late 1960s/early 1970s, Dan and I were at university together, both of us studying Management Sciences at the then University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST). In the academic year 1969-70, we both served as full-time sabbatical officers in the Students’ Union – me as President and he as Secretary. At that time, we saw each other every day and often spent hours working and talking together.
After university, our lives went in different directions: I became a national trade union official and he became a tax officer. But we both retained our interest in politics and Dan came back to my attention when last year he became a Labour Councillor in my London Borough (Brent), having previously spent 12 years as a Councillor in the Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham.
Having not seen Dan for perhaps 40 years, I reconnected with him this year when we got together twice to team up with some fellow UMIST students of our time at university [i blogged about the first occasion here]. Then, thanks to e-mail and his contributions to Twitter, I was able to follow some of his political activities and thoughts.
I knew that he had suffered ill-health, but his death comes as a real shock. I pay tribute to him for the support he gave me at UMIST Students’ Unions, his professional work as a tax officer, and his many years of service as a Labour Councillor. I offer my condolences to his family and friends.