Page 45 - QARANC Vol 20 No 1 2022

The Gazette QARANC Association 45
Obituaries
‘His steadfast nature and total dedication
always shone through’
Maj Darren Heddington
28 January 1964 – 15 November 2021
It is with sadness that the death of Major Darren Heddington is announced. He passed away unexpectedly at home on 15 November 2021, aged 57.
Darren was born in Bristol where he lived for most of his life. He met and married Sam and started work as a postman with the Royal Mail in 1980, a job that kept him fit and active, which he very much enjoyed.
Highly motivated, Darren was ambitious for other life challenges and in 1999 he embarked on a new career studying nursing as a mature student at the University of the West of England, Bristol from which he graduated in 2002.
This was a perfect job for Darren’s talents and very quickly established himself in the Emergency Department (E.D.) at the Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI). He was totally dedicated to nursing and became a leading figure at the BRI, using his maturity, life experience, calm nature and a completely professional approach to all situations.
He was often instrumental in bringing leadership and order to the chaos of an NHS Emergency Department on Friday and Saturday nights and was frequently described by his colleagues as unflappable. Over time Darren built a strong clinical portfolio becoming an Extended Nursing Practitioner and a Nursing Prescriber.
Darren had always wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father and join the army, and in 2010 he fulfilled this ambition by joining 243 Field Hospital as an Army Reservist at Bristol detachment, bringing his finely honed emergency medicine skills with him into the QARANC.
Within a year he commissioned from Sandhurst in the rank of Captain and in 2012 volunteered for operational deployment on Operation Herrick to Afghanistan. Despite his short army seniority Darren’s extensive NHS E.D. expertise saw him take on the role of head of the E.D. at Camp Bastion Hospital for the duration of a very busy operational tour.
His steadfast nature and his total dedication to his patients and colleagues always shone through during the difficult times of the mission.
After Afghanistan, Darren utilised his recent military experience to mentor and support attached Regular Army, Navy and Army Reserve medical personnel during their E.D. placements at the BRI. Back at his reserve unit he became head of department for the E.D. as the lead instructor on numerous clinical training sessions, resulting in his promotion to Major.
Away from nursing and army life Darren was a keen explorer, cyclist, hill walker, fitness enthusiast and chef, spending many happy times with Sam and daughter Lucy on campervan adventures to New Zealand and Australia, walking in the Brecon Beacons or the Dorset coastline, in particular the picturesque beach at Durdle Door. He very much enjoyed
time in the gym keeping himself fit.
At home he was always happy in the kitchen or the garden
producing excellent food or bar-b-que meals in the summer. Darren’s proudest achievement was his daughter Lucy, who followed her dad into the military as a Regular Army soldier,
now serving as a LCpl with the 6th Battalion REME.
Major Darren Heddington is survived by his wife Sam of 35 years, and daughter Lucy. He was buried at South Bristol Cemetery on the 17 December, at a service attended by more than 200 family, friends, NHS and military colleagues. All of
whom mourn the loss of a much-respected friend.
This obituary was written with the assistance of Captain
George Harrill. RAMC.