In Memory of David Geoghegan

On behalf of everyone here at Diverseco and more specifically at SCACO - at the old Scale Components, I wish to express our grief at the loss of our wonderful brother in arms, the one and only, David Geoghegan. David passed away on Saturday 8 June at the age of 63 after a valiant four-year battle with cancer. David is survived by his wife Nikki and his five children, Frances, Vince, Grace, Lilly, and Liam, whose collective permission I have to pen these words of tribute.

David was a co-founder in spirit of the original Scale Components along with Ian Fleming and the two of them created a business more than twenty years ago that became focused on a niche in the measurement automation segment, namely dimensioning or cubing. Since the early days of “check weigh cube” as it was called back in 90’s – and still is by many, David worked with the leading transport and supply chain businesses in Australia and Southeast Asia to create a new market for new measurement automation solutions that enabled businesses to improve their processes and their outcomes and to help them grow and prosper. The work mattered. The work mattered to David because the people for whom he did the work mattered and David took his work seriously. He had a “can do” attitude which endures in our business model now. He was a multi-skilled professional and an excellent software programmer and always sought to take the perspective of the software user and endeavoured to simplify the user experience – even if it meant deep complexity in his code. One of his enduring legacies is our CubeMaster software product for use with CubiScans. David of course was proud of this important product and so are we to this day.

Hard worker that he was, David did enjoy having a laugh, and at most opportunities. He had, if I may, a bawdy sense of humour, sometimes dark and mysterious but always intelligent and challenging. He saw the humour in situations many of us would otherwise miss. This made him a bit cantankerous, but in a good way. He sometimes had a singular view of the world and when certain of these views were expressed some of us would tease him about being that guy on top of the mountain who could see everything more clearly than everyone else. I think he liked this metaphor.

If David cared about his work and he certainly did, then he cared about his family even more, much more, and he would talk about each of his children, all of whom he adored, constantly and affectionately, relaying stories of their achievements and anecdotes of family adventures. He was quick to show you photos of his family and the love he expressed was obvious and endearing and even a little inspiring.

But dedicated family man that he was I think it is safe to say that David also had a bit of the rebel in him. He loved his Harley Davidson motorcycle and he loved getting on the road alone, as well as with his “old lady” Nikki, who will pardon me the use of a what I am told is a technical term in the motorcycling community. It was wonderful to see the two of them together and to see their love flourish through good times and bad.

And as bad as the times got for David, he fought the good fight like a legend, like a genuine hero and he applied a level of stoicism to his circumstances that was inspiring and he did not go gentle into that good night and old age did burn and rave at close of day and, as if to prove the point, I am told he would actually fly his drone gizmo in the hospital just to let them all know he did it, because he could do it. Only David would have the chutzpah to do something like that.

It goes without saying that David will be forever missed by his family and friends, as others will attest. But for my part I wish to say that David will be forever missed by his colleagues back at work. Although his spirit will endure, he leaves behind metaphorical shoes that simply cannot be filled. We wish the best for his family, and wish him a peaceful rest perched now on his mountaintop as he keeps a watchful eye on those of us who carry on the work that he once started long ago.   

Rhett Talley, Brisbane, 14 June 2019