Tributes for Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation visionary leader, Dennis Earl, continue to flow following his recent passing at the age of 86.

As former Managing Director of SAS Channel 7 Adelaide, Dennis was a founding Board member of the Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation (CRF) when the first meeting was held on June 29, 1976.

Dennis was elected Deputy Chair of the CRF in June 1986 and was a Board representative on the Research Committee from 1986.

Elected as Chairman on May 26, 1992, Dennis remained at the helm of the Board and its Annual Research Grants program before retiring as Chairman at the CRF AGM on November 29, 2019. 

For more than 40 years, Dennis was instrumental in developing and preserving the Foundation’s vision to improve the health, education welfare of Australia’s children. He was also particularly concerned with the development and encouragement of young researchers so that they could get a good start in their chosen fields. 

Another South Australian organisation indebted to Dennis for his vision and selfless contributions is Novita Children’s Services. Dennis served as a Board member for 31 years (1985 to 2016) and helped to guide Novita through an era of historic change, including its renaming from the Crippled Children’s Association of SA to Novita to reflect society’s changing attitudes towards disability.

The Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation was established in 1976 using funds raised by The Channel Seven Christmas Appeals, which were telecast annually over several years. Since 1976, the Foundation has donated more than $42 million to nearly 1000 research projects specifically concerned with children’s health, education and welfare.

For all who had the privilege to know and work with Dennis, his humour and sense of fairness made him a joy to work with and his leadership will be greatly missed.

His former SAS Channel 7 television colleagues remember Dennis as a loyal, trustworthy and compassionate man, with a long and distinguished career as an industry figurehead.

The Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation is a fine legacy for an even finer gentleman that will be remembered as a passionate advocate for children. The entire CRF community expresses its deepest sympathy to Dennis’ family, friends and colleagues.