His name is David. He’s the one who took a couple of two to become a family of three. Born July 18, 1946–in the midst of World War II–he joined the ranks of many baby boomers that would earn that title for several more years. He’s the one who immediately became the apple of his parents’ eyes and tested their parenting abilities for four years until Mark joined the family in 1950. A baby sister came along in November of 1953…he is my oldest brother. 

Much like our dad and numerous relatives, Dave had a twinkle in his eyes most of the time. Sometimes the twinkle meant he was ready to enjoy a favorite sporting event on TV or tell a cute story–sometimes from a personal experience that sounded like a stand up comedian reciting his routine. Dave had the ability to tell a story and add his own spin which made us laugh til our sides hurt. I have many fond memories of him…here are a few from my highlight reel…

• As a four year old Dave traveled by train with mom from Michigan to San Diego to visit dad who was stationed there for a while in the Navy. It was Dave who shared a chicken meal with mom in order to be frugal, and also receive extra attention…some extra food too I believe…from a conductor who was willing to engage with a little guy.
• It was David who scared mom out of her mind when he didn’t come home from kindergarten one day. The police were called. Streets were scoured. The “search party” returned to the house only to find Dave sitting on the front porch beaming from ear to ear…”Guess what, mom? I found another way home”.  She wasn’t amused, not even as the police officer whispered to her as he walked back to his car “don’t be too hard on him”. I guess Dave was proving he was creative in his own way, using his thinking skills that developed deeper over his lifetime.

• In high school years he told mom that fish was brain food, so for the solid four hours he was a freshman to a senior, she packed him two tuna sandwiches for his lunch. Every. Single. Day. Dave was an above average student so maybe the countless cans of tuna did contribute to his success?
• In junior high Dave was among the students required to take a music class where vocals were taught, performances in choir required. Unfortunately Dave did not possess a talent for being on pitch. In her mercy towards Dave she told him “you mouth the words in choir and I’ll give you an A for participation”.
• It was Dave who tried to teach me at age 9 or so how to play euchre. I can still see him face palming his hand to his forehead when I’d ask “what do I do when I have these two guys”…the Jacks….his desire to play a simple card game was one of exasperation when mom and dad weren’t around to be his opponent.
• It was Dave who learned how to make mom’s ice cream recipe from scratch on his own or slowly scorched a favorite pan used for popping corn.
• It was Dave who went to community college and needed a physical education credit, so he took up bowling. And a love affair with the game was launched. From those early classes he not only wanted to bowl, he watched the family TV set on Saturdays to watch bowling competitions. He played on several leagues for a number of years….he took me to a “pro” when I was 24 so I could get my own bowling ball drilled specifically for my left hand (we were both left handed)
• Often, while at his college classes, he’d get out mid afternoon and make the impulsive drive to visit Grandpa and Grandma Jewell in Otter Lake. In the 60s there were no cell phones so mom—wondering where he was when he hadn’t come home when expected–wasn’t surprised when the phone rang, hearing grandma’s soft sweet voice say “Ida, David’s here. We’ll feed him dinner and he’ll be home tomorrow”. Dave wanted grandma to himself for conversations about the Lord, a topic they both shared with great faith. I think he also wanted to see if he could beat her to the rocking chair that was “her spot” to relax after chores were finished.
• It was Dave who was very willing to hold newborn babies as our family expanded over years. Marrying at 19 and becoming a father a year later certainly prepared him for numerous nephews and nieces from both sides of his family.
• Dave could read a book and retain its information like Fort Knox keeps gold secure. In his 60s he enrolled in classes to become a Deacon in his church denomination. I was thrilled to attend his “graduation” ceremony.

We shared many good memories growing up as kids on Arthur Street. I was 13 when he married…14 when his oldest daughter was born. Both of those events caused me to think how “cool” I had become. I had a married brother and now I was an aunt. As we both continued to grow and mature, slowly life for both of us got in the way of our once very close relationship. My family left the area in 1989 so birthdays and holidays became our main source of social interaction…with phone conversations thrown into the mix.

As an adult, Dave experienced some hardships…there were days I know that deep sadness overshadowed the twinkle in his eyes. Admittedly, we had several disagreements that put a strain on our relationship but we always managed to recenter ourselves and not allow differences to take deep root.

In 2018, Dave became very ill. It took several weeks for his doctors to determine the cause of physical limitations. Learning from my niece that her dad had a rare brain tumor was devastating, but after a visit with Dave in the hospital, it was pure joy to see him laugh–with that twinkle–that an answer had been found and he had hope for a favorable outcome after surgery was scheduled. Unfortunately, surgery could not eradicate the growth that had invaded the brain fed by four years of tuna sandwiches and devouring books on Christian theology. Final weeks or days remaining for Dave were his calendar now as he left the hospital and took up residence in a rehab facility. Times of complete coherence eroded quickly, joined by Dave’s need for morphine to keep him comfortable. I was able to visit him on a beautiful Saturday in the fall. Although he couldn’t hold a conversation with me for very long, our connection remained, and before I left for home our hands held tight as we both whispered “I love you”. Those were his last words spoken to me before I got the call that he was “gone”.

I titled my blog intentionally as His name IS David, not was. Dave had 72 years on this side of Heaven. That’s his “was”. On October 24, 2018 he entered Heaven and IS living for eternity. He’s no longer in pain. He’s not bowling. He’s not playing cards. He may not even be reading a book. No, he’s worshiping the Lord, the Lamb, the Redeemer, the One whose book of scriptures Dave read with great curiosity for truth and assurance…the Lord he and grandma had many discussions about as he rocked in her chair…the One who holds the Book of Life with Dave’s name written in it because he put his faith in Christ at an early age. He IS my oldest brother. I love him. I miss him. I will see him again and we will worship together.