Thursday, April 25, 2024
August 7, 1951 to
June 10, 2022
On Friday, June 10 with errands finally complete, Dave started home not knowing his true destination that evening would be his heavenly home. There was no evidence he was avoiding danger or difficulty – he was simply and suddenly – gone. He didn't feel the crash or suffer.
Dave grew up living on Queen Anne Hill and then in Concord, California. He graduated high school in 1970 at Incline Village, Nevada. He met his first wife Judy Collins in California. He attended Green River Community College obtaining his degree in foresty management. He thoroughly enjoyed working three seasons in unsurveyed National Forest in the Idaho Panhandle. After separating from Judy, Dave started working as a commercial fisherman for Barrett Monsaas during the summer season in southeast Alaska on a purse seiner.
In 1975, Dave met his second wife Cheri, finished the fishing season and then worked at Frank Hawkin's (Cheri's dad) Buick dealership as a mechanic for a little over three years. Dave then worked at Whitney Fidalgo, Fisherman's Terminal dry dock in the off seasons of fishing. The last skipper he worked with was Fred Dobzinski before retiring from fishing. His final employer was Marco in Ballard, Washington as a crane operator/electrician – retiring in December of 2010.
Dave loved to fish – both commercially and personally for the joy of the chase. He loved to hunt – mentoring more than one individual in the "right way" to bag your buck. It was by happenstance, that he wandered into the 25 Mile Creek drainage and started taking his vacation/hunting season time in the Chelan area. It was here that he met his third wife, Marci. His standard phrase was: "I'm living the dream – moved to the mountains, retired where I use to vacation and married a beautiful woman."
He enjoyed all genres of music – was old school with reel-to-reel, tuner, record player and big speakers.
As his health began to fail, he turned to meals at-large and BBQ-ing to keep his mind sharp. He loved studying and then trying new recipes. He was meticulous in meal preparations with the end result, a culinary delight. There are countless pictures of plates of food sent from visitors before they "dug in" to the friend stuck at home. Envy was a given.
Dave is survivied by his wife, Marci Hale, brothers Jack, Dale, Jerry, Jeff and Roger Darling; nephews David Darling, Doug (Stephanie and daughters Raylee and Delaney) Darling; cousins Jean Marie (John) Holdcraft. Cher (Bob) Hughes, nieces Susan (Chris) Heimbinger and Chris (Justin) Wolfe; long-time friend, Ted (Rhonda) Koska, mentored hunting friend, Gary "Butterbuck" Stuntz and more work related, fishing and hunting friends than can be named.
He was preceeded in death by his Dad, Dave Darling, Mom, Phyllis (Versoi) Darling and his brother, Darrell Darling.
A Celebration of Life potluck will be held August 6, 2022 at Quiet Acres, 25 Mile Creek, one day before what would have been Dave's 71st birthday.
