Ronald Farquhar

I was saddened to learn of the death of Ronnie Farquhar. He was a great man, the best you could hope to work alongside. Ronnie led by example, characteristically first in the office and last out: I never met a more dedicated and hard-working journalist, nor one as modest and unassuming. 

Always down-to-earth and good-humoured, he was the ideal agency colleague, exemplary in dealing even-handedly with everything, from heavy political analysis to the routine weekend sports results. He helped and encouraged me greatly when I was starting out in Vienna and Berlin. We shared, for instance, a love of sport and he would be a reassuring presence at the end of the phone line, still in the office and taking football copy from me from some far-flung East European stadium - stuff he could no doubt have written better himself. He was a good and kind man. Thanks, Ronnie. ■