We are saddened to share the news that our founder, Di Burton, passed away this month at the age of 68.

If you met Di, you were unlikely to forget her.

Assertive and inquisitive by nature, her infectious personality always left a lasting impression.

She will be remembered as one of Harrogate’s best-known and most respected business figures and one of the country’s leading PR practitioners.

Launching a successful business is far from easy but Di turned Cicada into a thriving PR consultancy that helped a wide range of companies to manage their reputation, raise their profile and boost their bottom line.

All of us who worked with her benefitted from her enthusiastic leadership and mentoring.

As Di’s husband Andy eloquently puts it: “Di was one of those people for whom tomorrow could not come quickly enough. Much of her mind was always in the future; there was always so much more to accomplish.”

In 2015, Cicada was acquired by its current management team, providing Di with a well-earned retirement (although, Di being Di, she continued to work beyond this point, passing on her experience by training the next generation of PR professionals).

In 2022, Cicada celebrated its 35th anniversary.

Di is survived by her husband Andy, her children Sarah and Rupert and grandchildren. Her funeral takes place at All Saints Church, Ripley, near Harrogate at 2.30pm on 30 January 2023.

The family has requested no flowers at the funeral, but instead for donations to either Harrogate’s Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre or Yorkshire Air Ambulance.