Our dad, David Warren LaValley, lost his battle with Pancreatic Cancer on May 18, 2024 at 2 pm.  This has been a long and emotional 10 months. Despite everyone saying this will take him quickly, that was not our experience. In typical Dave fashion, he stubbornly refused to let go until he was good and ready. Although he had said for months that he was prepared and at peace with death, he stuck around a while longer. 

He met our mom, Mary Jo, at the horse barn in East End when they were 12 or 13 years old. He went on to marry her once he was done with his Navy service. They have been married for 52 years. Of course it was not always easy. As much as we love him, we know he can be a stubborn pain in the rear as well. He was opinionated as hell. However, he was typically not wrong. Our dad has a big personality that completely fills the room. He is able to “bullshit” with anyone, especially since his love to read has provided him a gigantic knowledge base of interesting topics. He is comfortably able to make friends everywhere he goes without even trying. During this entire journey, we have been humbled and amazed by his wide-reaching group of family and friends that have been there supporting us. He was so loved by so many. Not having him in the world is incomprehensible and leaves an enormous hole in many people’s lives.

One of the most important things to our dad was kids. Every single kid he has ever met has been drawn to him and he to them. This applies more than anything to his grandkids. He had such a special relationship with each of them. From the first time he met Ella, his #1, in the Seattle airport in 2004, it was love at first sight. Chloe arrived a year to the day after Ella and his heart grew even more. Jamison was his first grandson a couple  years later. Their bond has been fantastic. He sought grandpa’s input for everything and was often the recipient of the “treasures” Jay gifted him with.  Then Cal, his little man with the world’s softest cheeks and their shared affection for gopher hunting. Across all four kids, he loved being able to give them their first foods. First taste of ice cream, grapefruit, sour berries, High Life, you name it. Another special time each of the kids had was reading books in Grandpa’s big bed at bedtime. They were so little, but they all have the fondest memories of this time with him. 

One of our dad’s favorite pastimes involved fishing. Summer or winter, he loved to fish and took great pride in his boat and taking friends out for a day on the water. Fortunately, his inability to feel well enough to go ice fishing was tempered by the fact there was not any ice to go fishing this past winter.  When he was going through chemo, his biggest concern was having neuropathy in his hands and forever being unable to reach into a minnow bucket. We are grateful that he never had to experience this disappointment.

Anyone who has ever driven past his house knows the tender love and care our dad put into his yard. Both in Superior and in Braham, he took great pride in having his lawn perfectly manicured. He reveled in the times when people would stop and tell him how beautiful his lawn looked. He was meticulous and rather over the top in his lawn care routines. He was notorious for having to “get home” because he had to mow. 

Our dad will once again will get his own way in that he did not want a service. It feels weird and wrong not to be able to publicly honor a man who means so much to so many. Fine, he can have his own way, for now. He did not specify that we could not have a party later on where people can gather and tell stories about him and his life. Therefore, there will be a “roast” in the coming months so we can all remember him together over a case of High Life. More information to come.