On Wednesday, July 17th, 1991, the Herts Advertiser reported:

"Holiday Climb Death Riddle

Tireless former parish clerk Dudley Wood is presumed dead after going missing on a solo mountain climbing expedition while on holiday in the Azores.

Mr. Wood, 76, of Sandridge Road, St Albans, who was dubbed "Mr Colney Heath" becoming the district's longest serving parish clerk failed to return from the mountainside on June 26.

The authorities on Pico in the Azores began a full search but failed to find any trace of Mr Wood.

His son and daughter were notified of their father's disappearance and travelled to the Portuguese island to continue the search without success.

Mr Wood's son Don said his family had accepted that their father had died in an accident on the mountain - the highest peak in Portuguese territory - which he had set out to climb in poor weather conditions.

A keen traveller, who loved walking and mountain climbing, Mr Wood retired after 32 years as Colney Heath parish clerk last year. At a reception in his honour, he was presented with £500 travel vouchers paid for by a collection in the village.

Renowned for his love of discovering new places, Mr Wood had been on a three-week island-hopping holiday.

He was midway through the tour but with only one day to climb the mountain on Pico, he decided to go ahead with it despite the poor weather.

A taxi driver who was due to pick him up later that same day raised the alarm when Mr Wood failed to appear.

Don Wood said his father was a disciplined man who was unlikely to have wandered from a recognised route. "He was not the sort of man to take unnecessary risks so it seems likely that in the poor visibility he lost the track and met with an accident."

He described the loss of his father as "the source of a great deal of sadness to us."

A memorial service will be held at 11am on Saturday, July 27, at St Peter's church in London Colney and an invitation is extended to everyone who knew Mr Wood. Anyone who would like to say a few words about him at the service should contact Mr Don Wood on St Albans 823743."

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