David was as good a guy as there is in this World. He came to the Northwoods from down river, in Edwardsville, Illinois. He was the youngest of eight kids, with amazing parents whom he revered.
His Mother, Mary, was an amazing woman who patiently and lovingly nurtured eight children-for crying out loud! His Dad, William (Bill) was an incredibly ambitious and accomplished entrepreneur who ran a print shop and wrote for newspapers. In his “spare” time, he also built a resort on Bil Mar Lane, on Manistique Lake, Michigan, a place where young David spent many childhood days in and on the water, a passion which kept him wet throughout his entire life.
He loved to be on and in the water as well as in the woods, and he loved and cared for the natural world. He was fascinated by birds and fish and plants and animals – an insatiably curious naturalist in his own right. Always messing about in boats…”Davey’s Navy” was a prodigious endeavor. He swam in hundreds of lakes and rivers in the Superior Watershed.
David was always goofing around, making wry comments to keep every situation light, but he cared for everyone he knew, never in an intrusive way, but standing by to share whatever skills he could apply to help, especially on the technical frontier. His gainful employment and technical expertise was as a millwright in the iron mines, and later as GIS Specialist for Grand Portage Reservation. He was uniquely gifted and trained as a photographer and cartographer. He was diligent in his study of his Family’s history.
Dear to his heart were the years he spent in a cabin on the Baptism River in Finland, MN, where he found a close circle of life long friends, and also found sobriety, which he gratefully maintained for over forty years.
He was an incredibly generous friend. Rather than selling useful items, he would rather give them to someone who could use them.
And David’s Music!! He played country rock with Abandoned Neighbors in Finland. Up the shore in Grand Marais he energetically hosted Community Music Circle, Drumming workshops, and GAMEPALAJ -“Gospel And Mother Earth, Peace And Love AND Justice”, the Solstice puppet shows’ live and lively band, endlessly fluid and creative… and not to forget Shanty Camp music get togethers …
We will remember all these parts of his beautiful life, so freely and lovingly given to us.
He is survived by his Daughter Shawn, Granddaughter Kamala, Son Karl, Grandson Levon, his Partner Jim, and many dozens of us in his big warm-hearted circle of loved-ones.
Remembrance Celebration August 3 at 3:00 pm, contact Betsy Bowen for details, betsy@woodcut.com.
