Memorial day to honour much-missed country ranger

A MEMORIAL day to celebrate the life of a much-missed Caithness countryside ranger will be held this weekend.

Belgian national Dieter Tuerlinckx died four days before Christmas, leaving behind a young family at the home he made for them in Broubster.

He is survived by his partner Kune and two children – seven-year-old daughter Arden and his son Frodi, who was born just a month before his father died.

The memorial day will be held at Dunnet beach on Sunday starting at 2pm with a seashore sculpture event for families and anyone who wishes to go along.

George Legg, a former Wick High art teacher, will be co-ordinating the event.

At 3pm there will be a humanist service on the beach which will last about half an hour. Dieter’s mother and father will also attend the service and afterwards there will be teas, coffees and cakes served at the Seadrift Centre.

Dieter’s colleague and close friend Marina Swanson job-shared with him as Caithness east ranger for five years. They worked together out of the Bruce Buildings in Wick’s Sinclair Terrace.

Marina said: "It’s a celebration of Dieter’s life. We just want people to come along and do as they please. He had a funeral in Belgium but it was just with very close family and friends and nobody travelled from here so it’s going to be somewhere where people who knew him can gather and remember him.

"We’re hoping there will be children there as it’s going to be very informal. They can carry on with the sculptures or whatever they want to do. Dieter’s wife, Kune, wants no funeral wear. Outdoor, relaxed clothing would be best. It’ll be a very relaxed service."

Dieter died of a heart attack aged 38. He had not realised he had suffered from arteriosclerosis, a hereditary condition, all of his life.

Marina said: "It was such a shock. He was such a healthy and fit character and was the last person that you would expect to have it.

"You could maybe accept it with an older person but you can’t explain it with such a young man."

Dieter was well-known within schools and community groups, leading others on nature and wildlife walks, setting up new conservation initiatives and being a voice for the local authority’s plans for many countryside ventures.

Marina said: "He was very good at making willow structures called bowers. He was famous, and children remember him, for being the fairy in The Gruffalo. He loved drama, role play and improvisation. The kids just thought he was wonderful because he was so much fun.

"He had a fantastic musical streak and used to make up stories on the creation of the world. He loved instruments, but unusual instruments in particular, and he played the didgeridoo. The kids used to love it.

"He always dreamed of coming to Caithness. He loved the open space and the countryside and lack of people. He loved doing long walks and not meeting anybody.

"It was a short life but he lived it how he wanted to and didn’t miss out on anything. He was happy with his family, work and his house. He was a happy guy – that came across so often.

"He was great fun to be around and just made the most of life."

Kirsty Rosie has been named as the new ranger on the job share. She has worked with the rangers in the past and will join the team at the end of this month.

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