Family pay tribute to ‘wonderful and kind’ man who died in a Settle collision

The family of Graham Nash, a 54 year-old-man who died in a collision on the A65 at Settle yesterday morning (6 August), have released this loving tribute to him.

“Graham was a caring, gentle, unwittingly funny man, who was at the centre of a large and close-knit family. He had a wonderful, kind and selfless nature, loyal to all around him, and showed unconditional love for his wife Linda and his family. The time and energy he gave to his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews was unmatched, and was always delivered with a cheeky smile.

“Graham was raised in Hyde Heath, Buckinghamshire by his parents, alongside his brother and two sisters. At the age of 16 he joined the Royal Navy and served as a Marine Engineering Mechanic on submarine HMS Trafalgar. His service enabled him to visit many countries, including Bermuda, Gibraltar and the USA. During this time, he also met Linda.

“On leaving the navy, he moved to live in Horton in Ribblesdale to be with Linda, and later they moved to Giggleswick. They spent 31 wonderful, loving years raising Leanne, Nathan and Oliver. He was a devoted family man, who held his children and grandchildren in such high regard. He loved to spend time with them, playing and making them laugh.

“An enthusiastic sportsman, Graham dedicated lots of his spare time participating in numerous sporting activities. Alongside the late Pat Illingworth, he was a part of the Settle Dragons Taekwondo club, where he helped and instructed the class. Here, he achieved a first-degree black belt, the first in the club.  He also enjoyed cross country running throughout his life, and at the age of 53, he achieved a lifelong ambition to complete the Yorkshire Dales Three Peaks Race. During the summer months, he was a keen cyclist, particularly enjoying rides out in the Forest of Bowland. His enthusiasm for sports and keeping fit saw him cycling to work on a regular basis.

“For the past 26 years, he worked at Angus Fire, Bentham, as a supervisor in the maintenance department where he was well respected and held in high regard by all.

“Graham was fun to be around and really was one of life’s good guys. He will be dearly missed by his family in both the North and South of the country.”

Police enquiries into this collision are ongoing. Anyone who can assist the investigation is asked to email the Major Collision Investigation Team [email protected] quoting NYP reference 12240141033.