Posthumous award for 'humble' man devoted to charity (From Watford Observer)

Posthumous award for 'humble' man from Watford devoted to charity

12:00pm Thursday 8th April 2010 in News By Chris Hewett

A Watford man who dedicated a large part of his life to charity and the church was given a posthumous award recognising his work on Saturday.

Mayor Dorothy Thornhill visited the Stanborough Park Seventh-Day Adventist Church, in Garston, to present an Audentior award to the wife of David Balderstone.

Mr Balderstone, 67, was born in Luton but lived and worked in and near Watford for most of his life and devoted a huge portion of his time, energy and - at times - finance to charity works.

He passed away on January 16 after a long fight with cancer.

Mayor Thornhill said: “I found it quite emotional.

“He was a lovely, lovely man and I had a great fondness for him, he just got on with things and he was like that all the time.

“It was a great sadness that we could not give the award to him when he was alive.”

Throughout his life Mr Balderstone was closely associated with ADRA-UK, the Adventist Development & Relief Agency arm of his Church.

Over the past four decades his involvement had taken him to various countries overseas, including Africa and Eastern Europe.

Mrs Balderstone, 64, said: “It was very moving because it is the third award he has received for his work posthumously.

“He was a very humble man and would have been highly embarrassed to be given the awards.

“He spent his whole life working for other people.”

One of David’s last legacies was his personal arrangement to pack some 8,000 shoeboxes last November for the needy children overseas.

He also played the part of a shepherd in the nativity programme last year at the Stanborough Park Church where he also served as a Church deacon.

Mayor Thornhill added: “I was delighted that I could meet him in November to help him load the boxes to be posted off to Africa.

“Even though he was very ill at that point, he was loving it.”

During her presentation, Mayor Thornhill paid tribute to Mr Balderstone for his charity works conducted both in this country and overseas.

In accepting the award, Mrs Balderstone spoke of her husband's contributions to various charities during his lifetime to an audience that included their elder son Peter.