I’ve always liked the idea of writing for The Guardian, which, despite my many disagreements with its editorial stances, is the paper I grew up with. It’s a sad irony that my first and perhaps only Guardian byline is my father’s obituary.
Dad passed away at the end of October, after a long struggle with hydrocephalus, and a much shorter decline in general health brought on, in part, I think, by being stuck in a hospital bed for around 6 weeks for a procedure the doctors eventually decided not to carry out. He remained bedbound after that.
He was a very remarkable man, but also very quiet and self-contained. It is not possible to sum up all that he was to everyone he interacted with. A lover of trees, a protector of the countryside, a seeker of wisdom, an incredible artist, a practitioner of meditation, and a teacher, mentor and friend to many; his art, his activism, and his philosophy were very much one.
He will be hugely missed.
Here is the obituary, which was published online on 15th Feb and then appeared in the paper and iPad editions on 24th of the same month:
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2026/feb/15/alan-burgess-obituary
I also thought I’d share some of the pictures we gather togther for the funeral for the obituary:
Finally – for now – in the obituary, I mention how he learned Chinese painting in Malaya. You may be interested in the post I did on that over on Instagram.
Paul Burgess 