Mike Dana (B3 1959-63)

Mike Dana’s (B3 1959-63) time at Marlborough was one of great happiness – he looked back on it with huge fondness – and was involved for many years on the committee for the OM Club.  It was at Marlborough that Mike first developed his lifelong interest in printing – experimenting with the school’s printing presses – and he took huge pride in publishing the school’s annual Club magazine for many years.

After leaving Marlborough, he trained at the London College of Printing before setting out working for a number of printing businesses in London before setting up his own print business which he ran for over 40 years – right up until the current day.

Mike was very committed to his business.  He worked every hour available to help his customers. And he was always eternally positive – despite the rollercoaster of entrepreneurship.  There were a few things that drove him – but above all he absolutely loved what he did.  The art of printing was his lifelong passion.

There are a few other things that really made Mike tick.  He loved the water and swam everyday either in the pool or the sea and, slightly less regularly, across the Solent to his beloved Isle of Wight.  He was also a passionate believer in God, having been brought up in various rectories around the country.  He was for many years the chair of Urban Hope – a Christian youth work charity in Islington, a role he still held when he died.  Wherever he went Mike would find the church he liked – he loved meeting new people and chatting about spirituality.

He was a beloved husband to Sarah, father to Emily, Olivia and Richard and grandfather, bringing his gentle calm, certainty, positivity, generosity and kindness to his family each day.  He died suddenly at home on the Isle of Wight on 1 May 2023.