David Scarce Obituary, Death – David Scrase had a wonderful personality, was talented in the kitchen, and had a superb musical ear. He was a triple threat. David Scrase’s favourite thing to do was to amuse others by presenting them with unexpected gifts. Colleagues who worked with him at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge stated that after he had said something silly, he would frequently apologise by leaving fresh fish or asparagus from a local market stall sitting on their chairs when they returned to their desks.
This was something that he would do on a regular basis. One of his many talents was the ability to persuade others, especially the elderly women whose company he enjoyed, to part with their money in the form of gifts. He was very good at this.
1976 was the year that Scrase started his career in the art world at the Fitzwilliam Museum, where he worked as an assistant keeper of paintings and drawings. As the museum’s associate director of collections up to the time of his retirement in 2013, he was employed there. His understanding of those priceless artefacts was unequaled, and as a result, his museum tours and lectures, which were more akin to virtuoso performances than to typical conversations, became extremely popular very quickly. He had a trendy black scarf and rimless spectacles that were perilously perched on the point of his nose, and his grey hair was dishevelled and hanging in his face.