Dermot, 76, was active up until the night of his death, regularly seeing patients. He was known for his success in helping people in the Algarve with addiction, but also helped couples with counselling, while assisting others in dealing with anxiety, depression and loss.
His funeral will be held this Friday, 23 June, at 3pm at the Igreja de São Francisco de Pêra, on Largo São Francisco, which is located 200 metres behind the main church in the centre of the village (Igreja Matriz de Pêra).
Friends are asked to join the family after the burial at Dermot’s flat which is located at Rua Bartolomeo no. 10 (500 metres from the cemetery).
Should you wish to make a charitable donation rather than give flowers, which according to friends and family were very much Dermot’s wishes, there will be a large leather collection case in the church. Proceeds will go towards the Alcantarilha Old People’s Home, which is one of Dermot Staveacre’s favourite charities.
One of his patients, who spoke to him on the eve of his death, said Dermot was more like a friend than a counsellor: “I spent the past five months speaking to him on the telephone almost on a daily basis – and often even more than that. When he couldn’t take my call, he would always return my call, even if it meant speaking to me for the third or fourth time in a day. In dealing with my problems, he had the ability to foresee how I would react in any given situation. I have never quite met someone with such an ability to understand another human being. His advice was simple and to the point and his wisdom was quite remarkable. Dermot helped me through one of the toughest periods in my life and for that I will be eternally grateful. He will be sorely missed - not as my counsellor, but as my friend.”