of Gwynneville formerly of Cessnock
Passed away peacefully on Monday 11th August 2025. Dearly loved eldest son of Alan and Barbara (both dec). Dear brother of Jeffery. David will be sadly missed by his loving brother and many dear friends.
Aged 68 Years
A dedicated Spitfire enthusiast
Now soaring high
Relatives and friends are invited to attend David’s funeral service to be held at Rankins Funeral Home, 270 Cowper Street Warrawong on Monday 25th August 2025 at 12noon.
Watch Livestream here
Service now available to stream
Funeral Details
Date & Time
12:00 pm, Mon 25 August 2025Venue
Rankins Funeral Home, 270 Cowper St, Warrawong, New South Wales 2502, AUView on Google Maps
Funeral Director
Rankins Funerals
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Funeral Director
Rankins Funerals
Rankins Funerals is highly experienced in cultural and religious funeral traditions.(02) 42761000
info@rankinsfunerals.com.au
270 Cowper St, Warrawong, New South Wales 2502
https://rankinsfunerals.com.au/
David, we long time friends Rotaract at Fairy Meadow. We always Xmas card from you ,firstly, plane.
We always thinking about you, peace to you.
Dave a long time friend of ours was always good to catch up and hear about your holidays to the air shows will miss the Xmas cards of your air planes and the stories attached to them gone but won’t be forgotten fly high our friend Garry & Val Clark
Hey Dave, such sad news!
I’ll miss you mate! You were one of a kind and good to me when I needed somewhere to stay and a mate’s support.
I never thought I’d say it, but I’ll miss your crappy humor and you putting sh#t on me!
Fly high mate like your beloved aircraft! Cheers Marco
Dear Dave,
I’ll dearly miss our chats around the coffee machine about old warbirds and how best to photograph them. Your friendship, guidance at work, and even your bad jokes meant a lot to me. I’ll never forget how happy you were when you got ticket No 2 for the Wanaka Airshow — your excitement was contagious. Airshows around the world won’t be the same without you. You’ll be deeply missed.
Jason Kolsky
The last few weeks in the hospital I really thought you would get out Dave and we could share another meal together it all happened so quickly in the end, it’s been over a week I still can’t believe it, so very sad.
I had the privilege of knowing David as a close friend for over 40 years. In that time, I came to know him as a man of quiet strength, loyalty, and kindness.
He was always there when you needed him. David had a thoughtful way about him, and he showed great warmth not just to me but also to my children, something I will always be grateful for.
There are many memories that bring a smile to my face — from summer days digging trenches and sharing my first attempt at making instant coffee for him, to late nights watching an old TV show called Soap with apple pie, and of course the snow trip, when he ended up being marched to reception to pay his share after I told him he could stay for free on the floor. The look on his face is something I will never forget.
David will be remembered for his dry humour, his thoughtfulness, and above all, his friendship. I am truly thankful for the years we shared, and I will carry his memory with deep respect and gratitude.
Dave,
We will sorely miss your cheeky smile at airshows, your perennial blue shirts, serious SLR camera gear always at the ready to capture that perfect Spitfire photo. We’ll miss seeing you walk the flight line at the Wanaka and Blenheim air shows, waiting by the inside fence at the Temora, Rathmines, HARS and Avalon air shows again to capture the best aircraft and best photos.
We’ll miss traveling with you on the English air show tours, persuading baristas to provide an acceptable Americano coffee, slyly alerting one of us (the vinyl record collector) as to the location of H&M record stores in Cambridge and Southampton (resulting in the fast purchase of another suitcase).
Above all, we’ll miss your friendship, banter about the weather, air show car parks, hotel reviews, Italian restaurants and hotel laundry services.
Rest in peace, Dave
Dear Dave,
You were my Procurement Guru when I first joined BlueScope. When I first met you, you had printed out a 40-page document, full of screenshots and descriptions, to teach me everything you knew about Procurement. Even when I would come to you with many questions, you were always calm and explained things over and over again. The genuine care and diligence you showed in mentoring me is something I will endeavour to carry with me throughout my career. Rest in Peace.
Karthik Murthy.
Fly high ‘Uncle’ Dave!
How grateful I am, to have had you as my Godfather.
Your passion and enthusiasm for aircraft and air shows was such a pleasure to witness, your joy for them was magical.
Although we moved around lot, our connection was always strong.
I love that you would send me postcards and photos as you were on your adventures, you were always so thoughtful.
I remember when I was really interested in SCUBA diving and marine creatures as a teenager, you sent me photos of your time in America, with Orca’s and you at Disneyland.
It was always a highlight to come home to Wollongong and you show me all the photos from the most recent air shows and share all the stories,
I shared your passion when I did Air cadets as a teenager and was able to get up close to FA-18 & other military aircraft at RAAF Base Williamtown.
I’m so glad that you got to meet my husband and sons a few years ago on one of our most recent visits.
So grateful we spoke over the phone recently where we spoke about my boys current interests.
I’m sad that I won’t be there on Monday, but I will be watching from Western Australia. I’m glad Grandma will be there to represent Mum and myself.
You will be missed.
Love you always Alanna.
No enough word to describe this beautiful man.. had the opportunity to meet Dave through friend and for that I am very thankful.. little time I spent with David and every time he use to talk about aeroplane shows, listening to him always made me feel part of him……………………
Of my many memories of Dave, the strongest is of his generosity. He was a prolific supporter of a number of air-linked charities – smaller air museums, specific aircraft restorations and the like. He was also generous with his time. On our tours together, we always had to find mail boxes for the piles of postcards he sent back to friends. And he was a prodigious gift-giver. OK, sometimes his gifts were a bit naff. Like the fridge magnet of Chartwell’s Jock the cat. But they were always relevant to some shared experience or conversation. His last gift to me was of one of his iconic blue embroidered shirts. Weather permitting, I will be wearing it during the forthcoming UK air tour.
Dear Dave, sadly you have passed but nothing can erase the memories of the great times we spent together. During our 25 years of friendship, we have shared many adventures, mostly revolving around our common passion for vintage aeroplanes. While we lived in separate states and connected regularly by telephone, the time we spent together when we did meet up was always fun and memorable. Wendy and I will miss you, your humour, your thoughtful gifts and presence. You were a much-valued friend.
Oh Dave, things just won’t be the same without you. We have shared many memories over the years and our upcoming tour will be with you in mind, and to some of the places you requested. Every time the Spitfires scramble at Duxford, we will think of you and at every NZ airshow we will raise a glass. Blue skies dear friend.
From the first day we meet at Beaten Park in Wollongong in 1976, we formed a strong connection. Many years later we discovered we are distant cousins through our first fleet ancestor Ann Forbes.
You became a member of our family and my daughters Godfather, you shared a Christmas meal every year with my parents and off course delivering Airplane Calanders for everyone.
Over the years we have had a lot of distance between us but no matter wherever I moved you always managed to visit or two.
Almost 50years of friendship, so many memories. Some of my fondest memories are:
In the early years; you chaperoning me to Piccadilly Night Club and always making sure I got home safely—those times gave me a sense of comfort that has stayed with me.
You at the drive-in at Fairymeadow in your little mini minor, squeezing in with a grin. Those nights taught me what true friendship felt like—safe, silly, and unforgettable.
Pizza and coffee, saluting the sugar as it sunk into our cappuccinos—the taste strong coffee, silly laughter.
Lunch in Perth WA, on your way back from your last visit to England, hearing your stories mainly about Planes and Paddington Bear. (I will treasure the little Christmas Paddington bear that you brought back for me)
Your Cheshire Cat smile—the way it would light up a room.
I am so pleased I saw you in June when I was in Wollongong, just before you went into hospital. I hated seeing you in so much pain.
You were like a solid rock always there, you were loyal, kind and thoughtful.
Will miss you.
Always in our hearts
Dear David, we are very sad that you are gone. We especially treasure shared childhood memories as cousins. Playing endless cricket and bush walks up the creek on the farm every school holidays with you and Jeffrey. Christmas days with all the family. Your ongoing connection despite the distances and sharing your travel news and the joy you had in air shows and making so many friends wherever you went. It’s so lovely to read what others have written and speaks to the thoughtful and kind soul we knew. You are loved and we will always remember. Thank you. Fly high
Dave,
It’s sad to think you’re no longer with us with that great big smile of yours. To say that you knew the Bluescope Procurement system inside out would be an understatement. Thank you for all your help and guidance and the friendship you gave me over many years of working together.
Fly high Dave!