FROM FRIENDS

"Dave became my instant best friend when he moved to Harrisonburg and we became 10th grade classmates at Eastern Mennonite High School. He seemed way more cool and self-assured than anyone I had known until then, and for some reason unbeknownst to me we bonded almost immediately. Perhaps it was our mutual disdain for all things (and people) Mennonite, or that we both felt like outsiders, or that we were looking for something beyond what was right in front of us....I'm not sure, but we bonded over weed, music, drives on the Skyline Drive, lusting after the unobtainable girls at school, and mocking our pious teachers and classmates. Of course, it was the music that Dave introduced me to that still resonates to this day. He opened up a world of musical appreciation unknown to me until then. Progressive rock, classical music, jazz, and music that didn't fit into any category were all fair game, and his openness his stimulated in me a curiosity and love of all genres of music that persists even now. But his curiosity was not limited to listening to and creating music, and extended to an obsession with the afterlife, spirits, fairies, extraterrestrial life, and other fancies that often superseded his interest in the seemingly mundane details of the here and now.Ultimately, he found the world to be an unfriendly and inhospitable place, and in many ways it was. In another era he might have found professional and personal satisfaction, but such was not meant to be in this life. He was a kind an gentle soul to a fault, and went out of his way to try to make others smile despite his own inner demons. I miss him dearly, as I would a brother, and still think of him often, occasionally with a twinge of sadness at how he spent has last few years, but more often with the tug of a grin when I remember his laugh, his off-the-cuff puns, his creativity, and his generosity as a friend." — Robert Kyler

“Dave threw himself, heart and soul, into the art of glass etching for a while. He was able to offer his artwork for sale in the VMFA gift shop. That was quite impressive. I remember his willingness to be there for a friend in need. He was loyal and wanted to protect those he loved most in this world.”  — Susan Baker

"Dave and I met through our mutual friend, Happy The Artist, in 1988... Since then, our friendship evolved from that simply being studio assistants for Happy to being like brothers. We jogged countless miles on the pavements and trails of Richmond, Virginia. During all of those steps, we exchanged words covering everything from progressive rock to the meaning of existence. Dave immersed me into his world, enriching me with new friends and new visions life I could never have otherwise experienced. He is the closest to a brother I will ever have!" — Forrest Young

DAVE'S FAV'S

"Traveling faster than the speed of light is not only impossible, it is also quite undesirable as one's hat keeps blowing off" — Woody Allen

"It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues." — Abraham Lincoln

"Grant stood by me when I was crazy, and I stood by him when he was drunk, and now we stand by each other." — William Tecumseh Sherman

"Never argue with a fool, onlookers may not be able to tell the difference." — Mark Twain

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"If you want to make God laugh, tell him your future plans." — Woody Allen