David Gow obituary

"The journalist David Gow, who has died aged 80 from a heart attack, served as the Guardian's authoritative education editor, European business editor, and Germany correspondent. After his time on the paper he remained active in considering social and economic issues from a leftwing perspective. David started his career at the Scotsman as a graduate trainee in 1969. The following year, Edward Heath's Conservatives came to power and Britain started negotiating entry to the European Economic Community."

"David was appointed the paper's first European correspondent, then labour correspondent, and later its London editor over a period interrupted by a spell at Thames Television's Weekend World. Britain joined the EEC in 1973, and on visits to Brussels, David met Sue Lewis, a member of the cabinet of George Thomson, one of Britain's European commissioners. She had worked for Harold Wilson at 10 Downing Street;"

"In 1980 David and Sue married and had a daughter, Gemma. When David joined the Guardian in 1989, he covered the important issues of education, and developments in Germany at the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. He was a gifted linguist and his fluent German helped him attract a rich network of contacts. On returning to Britain, and after a brief time as Wales correspondent, he joined the paper's business and industrial desk in London."

David Gow died aged 80 of a heart attack. He began his journalism career at the Scotsman in 1969 and became the paper's first European correspondent, later serving as labour correspondent and London editor, with a spell at Thames Television's Weekend World. In Brussels he met Sue Lewis, who had worked for Harold Wilson; they married in 1980 and had a daughter, Gemma. He joined the Guardian in 1989, covering education and German developments during the Soviet collapse, using fluent German to build contacts. He later worked on the business desk and in Brussels, and remained active on social and economic issues from a leftwing perspective.

Read at www.theguardian.com