A true news pro till the end

Legendary editor, diving enthusiast and long-time Hong Kong resident Dave Smith, who died this week aged 79, was a journalist's journalist who flew the flag for the anti-hero and lived life on his own terms till the very end.

Born in Liverpool, Dave started life as a rookie reporter with the Merseyside Weekly News Group before going to earn his wings as a features writer and sub-editor with the Lancashire Evening Post and the Kent Messenger Group.

In 1971, he packed his bags and flew halfway across the world to Hong Kong, which became his home for most of the rest of his life.

Joining the China Mail that year as a sports editor, the Everton aficionado rose to become the chief-sub and was its deputy editor when the newspaper faded into history in 1974.

The next eight years saw him take on senior positions at the Far Eastern Economic Review, Asiaweek and the South China Morning Post, as well the editor's role at Media magazine.

In the early eighties, Dave's love for the seas took him to Cebu in the Philippines where he set up his own diving center and also found love, marrying a Cebuano.

A qualified PADI instructor, Dave soon became an expert on scuba diving in the central and south Philippines, helping coral researchers and co-authoring a book, The Diver's Guide to The Philippines, which was published in 1982.

Returning to Hong Hong in 1983, he rejoined Asiaweek, working there as a senior editor for two years.

He then freelanced for various publishers, including The Standard, till the turn of the century before joining the newspaper full time in 2002.

Dave was a pillar of The Standard's editorial desk and worked tirelessly for 22 years out of his love for journalism and sport, until his health failed him With his scathing wit and devastating put-downs that would make even Deadpool blush, Dave practically owned The Standard's Potshot - quirky musings on standalone photos that took pride of place on the editorial page.

His acerbic wit and hilarious one-liners brightened everyone's day, if only for a few minutes, as Potshot looked at the world through a different lens and delivered withering and amusing critiques of life on this planet.

He also had a critical eye that is so vital to accuracy and always sought to strike the right balance when editing global affairs.

Dave was a tough taskmaster but behind his grim exterior lay a kind heart that not many knew of.

His children and grandchildren in Cebu meant the world to him and not a day would pass without Dave taking a break from work to call them, always concerned about their welfare.

Dave lost his wife in 2019 and further tragedy stuck when he lost his only son, while stricken with Covid last June.

In a final act of selfless parental love, he resolutely chose to live out his last painful months in a hospital ward rather than be a burden to his family in the Philippines.

His editing skills, wisdom and wit - as well as his signature potshots - will be sorely missed.