To David's family and friends

I worked closely with David for a few months. In that time it was clear he was a deeply intelligent person, but also very willing and able to connect with those he worked with, of all levels in the organisation.

He will be truly missed.
Mark

Dear David,
On 04th dec 2025 I was in London at Waterside for the BA1000 Transformation forum when, all of a sudden, the door opened and you appeared so joyful, so full of enthusiam, like if arriving from the future. A group of young colleagues followed you in admiration, their eyes shining as they were inspired by your energy, always ahead of its time. 

I stood there in silent respect, taking in how radiant that moment was. Watching you move through the offices, fading into the distance among urgent priorities. I felt as if I could glimpse our tomorrow through you.

I did not know that day would be the last time I would see you. But this is how I will remember you: a comet who arrived to illuminate our path towards our grand destiny.

Goodbye David. May angels surround you in peaceful glory.
Amen.

Marina

To the Oppenheim Family, I really enjoyed working with David and following his travel career from UA to AS to IHG and finally to BA. We certainly talked a bit of business but I really enjoyed sharing stories about family with him.  He loved his family very much and always had a smile when talking about his wife and the kids.
My condolences.
God Bless.

Lawrence Restiano
American Express Global Business Travel.

Shocked and saddened to read this news. My thoughts and prayers are with you during this incredibly difficult time. David was a true gentleman and a pleasure to work with since he transferred to London with BA.

My deepest condolences.  Sending all my best wishes to you all.

Dear Oppenheim Family

I was so saddened to hear of David's passing, and sending you all my thoughts. He was such an incredibly talented colleague to work with, with amazing experience across so many businesses. All carried out with the driest and wonderful sense of humour and great care. He will be so missed by all of us who worked with him at IAG.

Sending love
Rob

I was truly shocked and saddened to hear about David’s sudden passing.  

Over the past two years, I had the privilege of working under his leadership, and I will always remember his kindness, vision, and the way he inspired those around him.

I feel especially grateful for the time we spent together in Milan with my Italian Team during our recent meetings. Those two days gave me the chance to see not only his professionalism but also his genuine passion for people and collaboration.

My thoughts are with his family and with everyone who had the honor of knowing and working with him. He will be greatly missed.

Carlo from BA Family

When David joined British Airways back in 2023 he became my line manager, and it was soon clear that I was in the presence of an incredibly talented and intelligent individual. 

Over the following two years he transformed Global Sales, and made a lasting impact on the department and the ~300 worldwide colleagues that are part of it. Very few leaders deliver change at the pace David did, and even fewer simultaneously earn the respect, engagement and commitment of employees. He brought everyone along for the ride, and raised the bar. 

I will personally remember David for his dry sense of humour, our shared geeky aviation passions, and for his calm, collected and measured approach to work. My thoughts are with his family at this unimaginably difficult time x

I met David in Dublin when he came to visit our Digital Sales office in Dublin few times. Great guy, kind, friendly, open minded and knowledgeable. He'll be missed from all our office. Rest in peace David

The news of David’s passing is heart-breaking. David was a genuinely good human who lifted-up others anytime he had the chance. 

In 2017, David hired me back at Alaska Airlines after being impacted by layoffs just weeks before. In fact, David had three open roles on his team after re-orgs and filled each spot with someone who had lost their job. I didn’t have sales experience, but he took a chance on me anyways. When I was out on maternity leave, he called me to let me know he was leaving Alaska – another classy move. 

Under his leadership, he inspired a creative marketer to find passion for data and data visualization. His keen knack for numbers was so impressive. He would spot a .2 error on a chart while I was still trying to figure out what the blue line meant. 

He was kind, genuine and a great example for all of us. My deepest sympathies for his family who a grieving this immeasurable loss.

I had the pleasure of working with David at British Airways. A great professional - he will be sorely missed.

Dear Family & Friends,

David and I crossed paths while he led my team at IHG. My favorite memory with him was when he took our team to Greenville, SC for our team event, and we raced each other at the BMW performance track. He was SO competitive and it was such a blast. It is to this day my favorite memory from all of my time at IHG. He was such a warm soul and genuine in all he did. He will be missed.

Deepest Condolences,
Steven Johnson

Dear Emily, Maddie, Ellie, Lilly and all the family,
I'm so deeply sorry for your loss. Working alongside David as his HR Partner at BA was a genuine privilege. Over the last few years, I had the honour of getting to know David well, and it’s impossible not to reflect on what an extraordinary person he was; intelligent, thoughtful, and always caring. His unique leadership style made every day at work uplifting and memorable, and he leaves behind a legacy of kindness and inspiration that will always stay with us.
David spoke so warmly about his family and how you were all settling into life in the UK, always with a twinkle in his eye. We shared many laughs over the quirks of British culture, and those moments and many other fond memories will always remain special to me and will be treasured. 
All of our thoughts are with you during this time, and I hope you find some comfort in knowing how much David meant to those who worked with him. It was truly an honour to have had him as a colleague and friend.
With heartfelt sympathy,
Jake

To all of David's family and love ones,

My deepest condolences for your loss. I had the pleasure of seeing David in the workplace and will miss his leadership and personality greatly. 

As everyone has commented, his intellect was plain to see, but often rare to find it with such warmth, humour and of course, the ability to work a room. He would often reach out to show support on initiatives I was working on, and I'll always seek to hold that and replicate.

It was a privilege to work with him and he will be greatly missed by all here at British Airways.

Dear Emily, Maddie, Ellie, and Lilly -

So deeply saddened to hear of the loss of David. He was such a pleasure and so loved for the deeply special and caring person he was. 

He always spoke so glowingly of all of you and with such deep admiration for the amazing people you all are. David was truly brilliant, thoughtful, and had such an easy-going manner - he will be so missed in this world. 

We send you all of our love and please know we are here for you in any way we can ever assist. 

Truly with all of our love,

The Root Family

I worked with David on my first case at BCG - and yes it was about airlines. His intellect intimidated me, but his personality and attitude was all about support. He was the same age as me, but had been around BCG longer, and just had this very unique air of being incredibly informed and wise, but also not superior. I was so sad when he left BCG because we really lost a good one then but happy for him to pursue a focused dream in an industry he loved. He left a positive mark on this firm and many people who are still here at BCG (me among them). But I'm incredibly sad to hear that Dave is no longer with us and I really feel most of all, of course, for his family.

Dear Emily, Maddie, Ellie and Lilly,

I am so sorry for your loss. It was a pleasure to work with David. He was so incredibly intelligent and articulate, warm and kind and very funny. I remember sitting in a training room in Waterside with David to talk to some of our colleagues about our career paths. His experience and intellect meant he was a hard act to follow. I noted to myself that in future, I would speak first.. I will never forget the key role that David played in our showcases in New York and Los Angeles. He appeared as comfortable on stage as he was working the room - he always did us so proud and we will never forget him or the impact he had on us. 

Best wishes,
Nicola

Dear Emily, Maddie, Ellie, Lilly, and the Oppenheim family,

I was deeply saddened to learn of David’s passing. Please accept my heartfelt sympathies during this incredibly difficult time. I had the pleasure of working with David in a few different roles over the years, and I always admired his sharp intellect, his kindness, and his genuine dedication to his work. He was a true professional and a wonderful colleague who made a lasting positive impact on everyone around him.

My thoughts are with you and your family.

With sincere condolences,
Andrew Chase
Navan

My condolences to his family. I pray for strength for you all. 
He was a quiet man with a loud impact. His sense of humour was so sharp he made me laugh often. He was always so supportive of the work I was producing and that gave me confidence to continue and courage to be bold. 
He was and continues to be an inspiration. 
With deepest respect I say am so privileged to have known him.

This is such devastating news. Dave was a true friend and someone who was always thinking of and looking out for those around him. It is no exaggeration to say that he had a huge impact on my own career and he did so completely selflessly. His devotion to Emily and the girls was complete. He was incredibly funny, down to earth, curious and easily filled with wonder despite his incredible intelligence.

I had the pleasure of working with David at BA. He was such a light to all of us. 

So many special moments, happy and funny memories come to mind when I think of him. 

I am so sorry for your loss, keeping all of you in my thoughts. 

Rest in peace David! You will always be missed.

I knew David as a friend and colleague when we were at United Airlines in Chicago. A quiet, intelligent, and driven family man. I am so very sorry for the family’s loss. Please accept my condolences. 

Ravi Simhambhatla.

I picked up the deeply sad news of David passing whilst away, and no words to describe the loss to the world.  I did 3 projects alongside David , and felt inspired by his brilliance, yet excitement for so many topics including economy (supply and demand, with even many moments of David drawing on the whiteboard that I had to try and then make sense of).  All now cherished memories of just a wonderful wonderful true gentleman, who at the same time was just lovely and humble in every way......!!!

RIP David - gone too soon from this earth and my prayers with the family,

Sonia Kanda
Commercial Planning

It was a pleasure to have worked with you David. You were a true gent, a wonderful man, I very much enjoyed our exchanges. It was a real privilege to have helped and supported your impressive career. I know you will be sadly missed by everyone who was lucky enough to work with you and witness your talents. Rest easy David from James and the Venari Partners team.  xx

Sending our deepest condolences to Emily, Maddie, Ellie, and Lilly, and to everyone who knew David. 

We are so deeply sorry for your loss and our thoughts and prayers are with you all.

From his colleagues at International Airline Group.

I am so sorry for your loss. May you be comforted in your time of grief.

Dear Emily, Maddie, Ellie, and Lilly,

On behalf of the American Airlines team and myself, please accept our deepest condolences. David was one of the kindest, smartest, and most genuinely funny colleagues any of us have ever had the privilege of working with. He inspired us to be better versions of ourselves through his brilliance, generosity, and kindhearted nature, and his quick wit and wonderful sense of humor made every day brighter. Everything truly felt better with him there.

Beyond his professional impact, David was incredibly kind to me personally. He always made time to help me with my move to the UK and to share his invaluable insights. From day one, he made me feel welcome, and his support and friendship meant a great deal to me. 

He loved you all so much and spoke of you often, specifically his proud dad moments as he called them. Memories of him telling me when one of you conquered the Hatton Cross roundabout in an emergency, or coming home late from a work event to wake one of you up and say he got concert tickets and then you saying you wanted to go with him instead of friends, which just melted him. You all meant the world to him.

We will never forget our time working with David and are truly proud to have known him and to call him a friend.

With our deepest sympathies,
Joe Colby & the American Airlines Team

Dear Emily, Maddie, Ellie, Lilly and family,

I was incredibly sorry to learn of David’s passing. He was such a lovely and brilliant man. Our very first meeting together at BA I was blown away - he was so smart, so intellectually curious and so warm - we talked about family, euphoniums, brass bands and more. In a relatively short period of time he made a massive impact in terms of what he did and who he was. I will miss him very much.

Sending my sincerest condolences. You are all in our thoughts at this incredibly difficult time.

Andy

David was one of the kindest, most considerate persons I ever met at BA.  We talked often about his life in Europe and how we was deeply enjoying work and the new experience with his family. 

I will miss him greatly, as will most of his peers and friends.  And I will pray for him and his family this Christmas.  

God bless you, David.

Rest in Peace David Oppenheim.  Condolences and sympathies to his loved ones. Good memories of RHS marching band, Jazz Express and high school music trips. Low brass representing.  "Moose!", "Salute to the chairperson"  "We are the Ridgewood (marching) band, there is no let up in the setup, we tighten up before we lighten up, we are strong, we will excel, ahh!"
Dave was a great musician and a great friend to me and so many of us. He'll be greatly missed. Be well, V

Dear Emily, Maddie, Ellie and Lilly,

I was so saddened when we heard of David's passing. He was such a lovely person to work with and alongside at British Airways. I am honoured to have known him over these past few years.

The conversations we have had he always spoke so lovingly about his family, especially about his girls and he had such a wonderful dry sense of humour. I will miss our talks and his insights.

I will always remember his calm approach and quick wit in whatever he did. He left an impact on all of us.

David will be deeply missed. Please know that our thoughts are with you and the family at this difficult time.

Deepest condolences 
Carol Llewellyn

Dear Emily, Maddie, Ellie, and Lilly,

I'm sure you knew, but your husband and father...David to most of us, was a well respected leader in the travel industry.   As much as had going on leading the various teams he had.... the 4 of you were always top of mind... and he spoke with such delight of all of you.   A great man gone way too soon.   My heart is with you and I pray for you to find peace. 
Susan Stich

To David's beloved family,

The Iberia Team would like to express our deepest condolences for your immense loss.

David was an outstanding professional and a valued colleague, always thoughtful, supportive and dedicated in every interaction we had with him. Working alongside him was a privilege, and we are truly grateful for the time we shared together.

Please know that you are very much in our thoughts. We send you our sincere sympathy, strength and affection during this difficult time.

With deepest condolences,
The Iberia Team

On behalf of myself, the UKs Business Travel Association Team, our board directors and our members I send our deepest condolences to David’s families and friends.  David was a true gentleman in business, he was professional, dedicated and talented.  At these, the hardest of times, the hearts of the business travel community go out to all those impacted by this very sad news. Rest in peace David.

Dear Emily, Maddie, Ellie, Lilly and all the family,
It was deeply shocking to hear of David's sudden passing.  
He led our department at British Airways with such ease, kindness and good humour.  He will be missed immensely.
Please know that you are very much in my thoughts and prayers.
With heartfelt sympathy
Juan

Dear Emily, Maddie, Ellie and Lilly,

I was so heartbroken to hear this news through my sister, who worked with David recently. Although we haven’t been closely in touch since our HBS/BCG days, apart from sharing the joy of our children’s arrivals, I have been thinking of you and holding you in my thoughts. David was such an incredible person, and I can only imagine how difficult this time must be.

I’m currently in London, and if there is anything at all you need, now or in the days ahead, I am here and very happy to help.

With deepest sympathy,
Ashley

Dearest family,

I had the privilege of working directly under David’s leadership at IHG and keeping in touch with him after he relocated to London. Words can't capture the depth of this loss. David was a bright light, and I'm so grateful to have known him and his incredible mind. His brilliance was a gift and his legacy will forever inspire. May you find comfort in the countless lives David touched. 

We are keeping you in our thoughts and sending you strength during this difficult time. 

Jatin Babani & Family

Dear Emily, Maddie, Ellie, and Lilly, 

We are deeply saddened by your loss. 
David was truly an extraordinary and remarkable person, and his memory will live on in the hearts of all who knew him. 

Please know that we are keeping you in our thoughts and sending you love and strength during this difficult time. 

With heartfelt sympathy, 
Kiran and Ian

Dear Emily, Maddie, Ellie and Lilly,  

David was a wonderful colleague and an incredibly important and valued member of our Commercial Leadership Team at British Airways.  He combined his exceptional intellect with a great sense of humour, and it was a true privilege to work with him and we will miss him deeply. 

Deepest condolences. 

Ben Gibbs

Dearest family, 

We, Davids Global Sales Team, are all so deeply saddened by this monumental loss. 

David was a remarkable colleague and a true friend to so many of us. His genuine brilliance, kindness, and humor left a lasting impression on everyone who had the privilege of working with him. 

He spoke so warmly and fondly of his family, who he clearly adored and we cannot comprehend the pain of his passing for all of you.

We are a sending you all of our love and strength through this dark time. 

With deepest sympathy, 
BA Global Sales Team

Dear Emily, Maddie, Ellie, and Lilly, I had the privilege to work with David for the last number of years here at British Airways.  A lovely and brilliant colleague who we are devastated to lose from our family. Our deepest condolences..

Sean Doyle

OBITUARY

David Oppenheim

9 August, 1979 – 9 December, 2025

Riverside Memorial Chapel

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