Tuesday, October 12, 2021
Kia ora katou. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts on my big brother.
My daughters always referred to their uncle as Big Dave. He truly was larger than life. Blessed with an imposing physical presence, fierce intelligence and determination he lived his life on a grand scale and those who knew him were privileged to discover his very complex character.
He was adored by his parents.his exploits and achievements gave them great pride and, particularly when he was younger, caused them some consternation. Davids passion for life, and restless spirit were matched only by his mothers and her fierce love for him resulted in what could be a volatile relationship at times. David loved growing up on the farm at Kaikohe and moving to Taranaki and becoming a townie was a difficult transition for him. As mentioned he was fiercely intelligent however school was not the ideal environment for him and he left at a young age to join the army, which at that time was a brutal place for physically large but sensitive 15 year old. He developed resilience and did well, and it was thrilling for his younger sister when he came home in uniform, often with a handsome friend in tow.
His independent nature saw him leave the army and seek his own path in the world. He was never scared of a challenge and his entrepreneurial nature and wide range of skills saw him achieve success in a variety of occupations. In a few short years he had moved from sales to the National Sales Manager of NZ Couriers. We were constantly amazed by the incredible skill set that he was able to employ at short notice.
Liz captured his heart and together they created a beautiful family. Davids restless spirit however saw him seek another path and eventually he needed to go somewhere that he could dream big and achieve those dreams. I believe David found his spiritual home in the mountains of Northern California where the scale of the landscape and breadth of opportunity provided an environment where he could thrive. While his family missed him I think we all understood and accepted that was where he needed to be and that he found contentment.
David was handsome, charismatic and his passionate nature and zest for life never failed to attract lovely women. He has been very blessed in his life to have enjoyed loving relationships and I would like to thank the women who shared their life and love with him and I know that it was not always an easy ride.
As mentioned David and Liz had three lovely children and my heart goes out to Jennifer, Kylie, Daniel and their families.
I know that Big Dave will be in a happy place and in my minds eye it will have a cabin in the woods, dear people and at least two loyal dogs at his feet.
Ata noho i runga i te rangimārie taku tuakana (rest in peace my brother).
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