Our dearly loved son, brother, uncle and friend passed this June 27 from complications of Crohn’s disease.
As a teenager, David terrorized the city of Burlington skateboarding with his friends. Public property sacrificed itself as he and his buddies mastered their ollies and other skateboard tricks.
Hearing the rhythmic, musical sounds of skateboard wheels speeding down the streets of Burlington will always make us think of Dave. He admired the A_Dog Skatepark in Burlington, which was built after he left to attend the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. This is where his artistic skills flourished. He studied art in Florence, Italy, and elsewhere in Europe. He stayed on after graduation and was the exhibitions manager for the SMFA Boston for the next 15 years. He managed the SMFA Annual Art Sale, which generated up to $1 million for student scholarships and artists annually.
The metaphors and paradoxes hidden within David’s poignant humor continue to delight us. One of his greatest pleasures was making music and playing with his nieces Sophie and Lily Baine. His artwork will continue to cover our walls, warm our hearts and shine in our visions.
His memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on July 17 at Shao Shan Buddhist Temple, 125 Cranberry Meadow Road, East Calais, VT 05650. Phone: 802-456-7091; website: shaoshantemple.org.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in support of the A_Dog Skatepark c/o The Parks Foundation of Burlington, 645 Pine Street, Suite B, Burlington, VT 05401, or at parksfoundationburlington.org. Or simply just hang out and be there for a close friend or family member who’d really like you there.
This article appears in The Cartoon Issue 2017.
Dave was one of my closest friends in middle school and we remained friends through HS. I always felt a kinship with him even though our worlds diverged as we got older. His artistic talent and intellectual perspective always amazed me and I remember many philosophical discussions while riding our bikes and skateboards. He and I didn’t always agree on things but I always felt he respected me. The feeling was mutual. Though we have been out of contact for many years, I will miss him and cherish my memories of him. ~Steve Tomczak