Retired printer Jack Dando, the father of journalists Jill and Nigel Dando, has died on his 91st birthday.
Former chief reporter Nigel Dando, who now works for the BBC, described his father as “an archetypal gentle man who saw the good in everybody”. Nigel, 56, said: “He was just a great chap who was nice to have as a father and a friend. He was a typical family man. “Although he was very frail for the last couple of years he remained cheerful to the end. “He was a regular sort of chap. He never saw bad in anyone and rubbed along with everyone he met. He will be sadly missed by us and everyone who knew him.” Jack was born in south Somerset and his family moved to Weston where his dad was a policeman. He joined the Weston Mercury in the late 1940s after World War II and spent most of his working life at the newspaper, heading up the composing room.
Nigel, who is chief reporter at Radio Bristol, said: “He loved his time at the Mercury. It was a real family affair back then as it was run by the Frampton brothers and for a time both Jill and I worked there with him as reporters.