A Yorkshire nursery owner and his daughter have both died from coronavirus

David Whincup and his daughter Joanne Rennison were both directors of Educare Nursery in Beverley

David Whincup, 79, who owned Educare in Beverley, passed away on Easter Sunday, just days after his daughter Joanne Rennison, 52, also died. Both had been diagnosed with coronavirus.

The father and daughter lived together in the Hull suburb of Cottingham with David's wife Margaret and Joanne's daughter Alice, a university student.

David was a retired police officer who was a member of the Howden and Haltemprice Conservative Association, and he was well-known in the community.

David with his wife Margaret and daughters Al, Vickie and Joanne, who suffered from multiple sclerosis

He was an enthusiastic charity fundraiser who worked as a director for the British Red Cross in Hull after leaving the police. He was also a founder member of Haltemprice Lions Club.

Joanne, who suffered from multiple scleroris, also held roles with both Educare and the Red Cross.

David also leaves two other daughters and three grandchildren.

A post on Educare's Facebook page read: "On Sunday April 12, our wonderful and amazing owner, David Whincup, passed away peacefully in hospital with his wonderful wife by his side.

"David John Whincup was dearly loved and a loving husband to Margaret, devoted father to Vicki, Joanne and Al and an incredibly adored grandpa to Alex, Alice and Francesca.

"David was incredibly passionate about Educare Nursery and immensely proud that we have been open for almost 22 years. He was very involved with the nursery and the best boss we could have wished for. He always wanted the best for each and every child and looked after the staff so well. David was incredibly positive which is why the whole team at Educare will be continuing with the nursery and as soon as its safe to do so we will be re-opening and making him proud.

"To further our incredibly sad news, a week before we lost David, the family also lost one of their daughters, Joanne. Joanne passed away peacefully in Castle Hill Hospital aged 52. Joanne was a devoted mother to Alice, dearly loved daughter of David and Margaret, cherished sister to Vicki and Al, much loved sister-in-law to Paul and loving aunt to Alex and Frankie.

"As he was such a positive, upbeat person, all the staff are looking forward to keeping his passion going and are determined to ensure the nursery continues with all its plans. The family will be keeping the nursery going and the staff can’t wait to get back to work."

David's grandchildren have now set up an appeal to raise funds for the MS Society, a charity close to the family's hearts, in memory of him and Joanne.

Local MP David Davis also paid tribute to David, whom he knew through the Conservative Association.

“David was the kindest, most thoughtful, and utterly decent man I have ever had the privilege to meet. He had a fantastic commitment to selfless public service, not least when serving as chairman of the Haltemprice and Howden Conservatives. We shall all miss him greatly.”

His Humberside Police career saw him reach the rank of superintendent and he was actively involved in welfare activities, organising balls, concerts and acting as treasurer for the force's sports club. He retired in 1990.

More recently he organised a fundraising dinner through the Lions Club and managed to secure Frank Bruno, Sir Ian Botham and Graham Gooch as guest speakers.

His daughters Vicki and Al described their admiration for their remarkable father who always had a smile, was full of energy, full of life, full of fun and full of love for his family. They are devastated by the impact the cruel illness Covid-19 has on families, however they are grateful for the special times they shared with their father and fun-loving sister Jo.

To support the JustGiving appeal in memory of David and Jo, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/in-memory-of-david-and-jo