From QCT Board Chair, Emeritus Professor Wendy Patton

On behalf of the entire QCT Board and staff, we extend our deepest condolences to the family of our friend and colleague, the late Mr David Bliss.

David sadly passed away on Friday 10 April 2026 after a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

I had the privilege of working alongside David for many years and what struck me most was his consistency: his values never wavered, whether he was in a boardroom or on a stage in front of hundreds of teachers. He cared deeply about the teaching profession and about the young people whose lives are shaped by the teachers he worked so hard to support.

A recipient of multiple awards for his service to education, David was respected by peers across the sector as a genuine thought leader.

First appointed to the QCT Board in January 2019 and stepping down only earlier this year, David brought a wise and considered approach to all the considerations of the Board. Uppermost in his mind was supporting the teaching profession in Queensland through his service to the QCT Board.

He brought a distinguished teaching career spanning four decades, nearly 20 of which were served as a Principal of Queensland schools including Rivermount College, Immanuel Lutheran College and St Andrews Lutheran College. His tenure as Executive Director of Lutheran Education Queensland brought another level of leadership and insight to the Board's efforts of governing the QCT's strategic direction and policies.

Many in Queensland's education community will remember David as the familiar face of the QCT's annual TEACHX Awards ceremony, where he served as our MC for many years. He used that platform to celebrate the very best of the profession and to offer thoughtful, generous guidance to teachers at every stage of their careers - from those just starting out to experienced educators seeking renewal and purpose.

David championed rigorous curriculum and assessment practices and encouraged teachers to be curious, innovative and fiercely committed to their craft. He once offered the following sage advice on the transformative power of teaching: "Teaching is the only profession that has direct influence over every other profession through the enabling and equipping of students with aptitudes and attitudes that will carry them through life."

David's legacy to education will be remembered through his desire for the profession to be held in the highest regard, populated by educators who are curious, courageous and committed to the young people in their care. He will be greatly missed.