Bwana, the Big Game Hunter
I have had the pleasure to have known Dave for the past 15 years, the last ten as a co-worker. Dave recruited me to come to work for the company like Tom Sawyer painting a fence. On the day I was hired, the national sales manager at the time, Dave Evans, told me that I was fortunate to work with Dave because he was a special type of person. And he was right!
The savvy sales manager went on to tell me that Dave was "A rare breed, the type of guy that's a big game hunter - And I want to clone him". Upon returning to southern California from the home office, I shared those thoughts with Dave, laughed about it and after that I started calling him "Bwana", a term of respect used by Red Buttons in the movie "Hitari" to address John Wayne (African safari genre, collecting animals for the Swiss). I used that term to address Dave when we spoke on the phone ever since that day. Dave always focused on the large targets and that is what made him successful.
Nom de Plume
Dave Gaisford taught me to let go of my hang-ups, like labels and a lot more.
The Bwana name stuck with Dave and in return, not to be outmatched Dave gave me a nickname of sorts: "Danny". I explained to Dave, my given name is Dan, and I told him that I hung onto that all my life and bristled at those that would call me anything else. Until I met Dave. There I was, Dan for 42 years and one spirited conversation with Dave Gaisford and I've been Danny ever since. If you call me Danny today, it is probably because David Gaisford re-branded me in a coffee shop in San Pedro..
Kings of the 90 Second Phone Call
We always had fun at work. Like those at the memorial service that mentioned Dave's constant phone usage, I learned with Dave early to make my point quick on the phone. And he was always also very direct when it came to something that had to be done. He'd start "this is it" or he would say "just tell me what you need". It became so easy to ask him for anything and easier still to do what ever he needed - because communication was always clear and to the point. He did not tell me what he needed, he just explained what the need was. We'd talk in code be "Kings of the 90 second telephone conversation". That "Just Do It" thing Dave's bicyclists friends spoke about. I loved it when he would say; "Let me make a sweeping statement".
"Car Guy"
Early on Dave and I connected on cars.
As others mentioned at the memorial service, Dave was an enthusiast in everything he did. Dave always loved his work cars, especially the first red Volvo with the 5-spoke star twist wheels (the one he put 118,000 miles 24 months into the lease) and all of their family's cars. Dave explained to me how cars were important tools "since we spend so much time in our cars and use them as an office - you really need to have a nice car". The multi function thing. He went on to explain the "California what you drive is what you are" thing but added that "an efficient car was important just like a proper work station, a comfortable office chair and file cabinets within reach". So often, Dave made solid insightful points - Key little secrets to sauces that he said were obvious once to see them! He helped me see so much more.
And Dave always "pulled the rabbit out of the hat" when it came to renegotiating those leases!
The Baby Shower & the New Car
When I was Dave's customer back in 1998, Jeanie and Dave came to my yet to be born son Scott's baby shower. They were relative newlyweds, busy and had a lot on their plates...
I was so impressed, that Dave and Jeanie drove all the way from Camarillo to Huntington Beach, an hour and a half each way to attend a customer's family function on a weekend. Off course, Jeanie and Dave came early to help out, brought a wonderful thoughtful gift and stayed all the way thru to the coffee and cake and helped clean up too, even though it got late and they had the longest trip home of everyone else that attended.
After they arrived Dave said "hey, got to show you something". While our wonderful wives were setting things up ole Dave took me for a "hot" ride around the neighborhood in Jeanie's new car. Wheeeew.
What stuck with me was that Dave was so happy and so proud that they could afford such a nice car (for his wife) but more importantly that he could earn and provide for his wife - and that she would appreciate it as much as he did. Dave enjoyed sauces and wanted to share his sauces with others - all the while being humble and thankful!
It wasn't the car, it was the joy of being able to make his wife happy, because that made him happy.