Today he would have turned 73. I could wait until his 75th birthday to do this but why? It feels right now. Today I will try to define my husband for his children and grandchildren. Dave was a multifaceted person and it is only in knowing all of the parts of his life that we truly know the man he was.
Dave was born under the sign of Gemeni and truly reflected this in his personality. He loved people and was quick to make them feel comfortable. At parties and gatherings he became very personable and was quick to join in the fun. At home he could be quiet and introspective but he always had a great sense of humor. After 41 years of marriage, he still made me laugh.
After graduating from high school in 1957, Dave joined the U S Army. He was first trained as a medic and later went to jump school and became a paratrooper and proud member of the 101st Airborne Division. This led to a post army love of sky-diving. I believe Dave made about 150 jumps as a sky-diver.
Leaving the army in 1960, Dave worked as a tree surgeon and laundry truck driver before eventually being hired at Western Electric. There he remained for 30 years beginning with polishing telephone handsets and advancing to repairing secure phones for the White House during the Gulf War in 1991. He attended every school and training offered him by the company. He became a computer repair person and often taught his skills to others in his section. He was very willing to share his knowledge and experience.
Dave's sense of duty to his country extended past his military service. As a young family-man, Dave became involved in the local village government. He was elected to the village board and served for 4 years until we moved to another community. Dave was appointed police commissioner and also was on the water and zoning committees. Even after retirement, Dave was serving his country as the clerk of an election poll. He was responsible for all the poll workers and the smooth running of the election. He also helped train new poll workers for many years.
When our son joined Cub Scouts, Dave stepped up to become Pack Leader.then he advanced to Boy Scout Troop Leader, staying with the troop until our son graduated from high school. He led the boys on several trips including one to the Philmont Scout Ranch.
Dave had a strong devotion to his church. He was a lector and eucharistic minister for about 30 years, serving the needs of whichever parish we belonged to. He joined the Knights of Columbus and was admitted to the 4th Degree, the patriotic arm. He was a member of the 4th Degree Color Corps which is charged with the responsibility of protecting the Bishop of the church. Dave served his K of C Council in several offices including Grand Knight. He served the 4th Degree Assembly as Faithful Navigator in addition to being Color Corps Commander.
Dave was a man of many parts, all of them admirable. He is missed.
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