We met in a hotel in Santiago Chile. I was but 25 years old, graduate thesis signed off and off to the South Pole. Little did I know that over the Drake Passage and Magellan Straits I would meet lifelong friends who so graciously would invite me into their extended family.
As my family grew ( in leaps and bounds) you were always there for support, to laugh and eat "flesh" with. Your friendship for these last 25 + years has continued to grow. I used to think my beloved redwood trees were the most amazing thing in the world I've ever seen. Wrong. It is the family of friends that has supported and loved me. Thank you for being so dear to me and continuing through it all to share your humor. Your wild man scream and floppy scalp make me smile even now.
A friend named Guawg, from Lewjean
Some say you can judge a man by his friends. I think this may be true for David.
When we first met David 20 years or so ago, he was keeping company with a character named Guawg, not necessarily a pretty name nor a pretty person. But Guawg's attractions were mighty compelling! He was a marvelous tour guide and could see the interesting in the mundane, the whimsical in the everyday, the creative possibilities in routine events and daily tasks. He could make you laugh and he could make you see at things in a fresh way. He had fun and was fun to be with.
David’s like that.
Another of his friends also has qualities we see in David. If you value loyalty, real friendship, caring, selflessness, humor, appreciation of others, then you need look no farther than David’s friend Barbara to see those attributes which are mirrored in David.
Dani's "Davey" Highlights
There are some highlights that may be forever etched into my memory:
David Rogers, dark and handsome, long hair, bearded. Kind man who likes to make funny faces and some strange noises. Every time Whitney saw you she cried. You and I were laughing about just before you left in August of 2013.
You got into cycling but Barbie could not keep up with you. So, you bought her a motorized bike. Richard and I recently bought bikes. I should have bought a trailer for him!
How about the time you sketched the outlines of Kirsten and Lauren on Lauren’s bedroom wall, then gave the girls paint and let them have at it.
Or the time you borrowed my wedding dress. I don’t think you wore it out to the bars but rather used it as a prop. You hung it from the light over that glass table you made. That was a cool table by the way, the glass mounted on a large chunk of corrugated pipe. Anyway, I think this was part of your version of A Christmas Story – an artistic spin on Christmas for Kirsten.
Then there was a fantastic life experience in the Bahamas which included, but was not limited to: adventures in the skiff, snorkeling with barracuda, trips to the market, conch on the beach, chilling with your “spam sucking troller trash” friends, stories and pictures of your award winning sand sculpture – Hamburger in Paradise.
And not to forget your generous sails on Puget Sound with dear cousin Winnie from Scotland. On our fridge is a photo you took that day of Winnie, Lauren, and I.
There is one thing that always brings tears to my eyes - having missed Kirsten’s wedding - and seeing you with Kirsten on that special day. As I recall, Kirsten had kept much of that day as a surprise for you. I lied on the floor (unable to walk) and cried Saturday, Sunday, Monday… and now too. You have so much to be proud of in that beautiful daughter of yours!