(found in one of his data notebooks)
He was promised the fog when he rolled into town
But the sun was shining bright and his boots kicked up the dust
He pitched his tent tight and settled in for the night
Praying for the moon to bring the chill on down
So curse the bright sun and the clear blue skies
I long for the fog and there I'd like to fly
A number of years ago I decided we should have a "Red Dress Party", where everyone, regardless of their gender, wears a red dress. This is one of my favorite pictures of Dave, he's so happy and relaxed, and he looks strangely right at home in a red dress. The picture was taken on the back porch of the home that Dave has lived in for the past 8 years or so. Dave didn't live there when the party was held, but he moved in shortly therafter, when the previous tenant moved out of town.
2008 is the year that I rode my harley from Los Gatos out to Long Island for mum's birthday. David decided (rightly so) that a plane was far better a mode of transportation than riding on the back of milwaukee iron :^)
Those lobsters (that David picked out at the local monger) were 3+ lbs each, and turned out perfectly on the grill! I always was the grill(master?), David was the saucier which requires a far more delicate skillset.
This past thanksgiving, I just cooked the bird, mum managed the veggies, and David took care of the difficult part(s). I will never be able to approach his gravy.
This is Dave as I remember him: bright eyes, mischievous expression and those lovely dimples in his cheeks. We were 24 years old and having a lot of fun checking out Christo's umbrellas outside of LA. Ashley Wilson, a friend of Dave's from his Cornell undergraduate years and my friend and roommate in my last year living in LA was the photographer.
Dave always loved the ocean. In fact when we were together, he liked to be called "Wave", and he helped me learn how to sail. I think this photo was taken in the same year Dave's old red Porsche finally died for good and he had to get a new car. He bought a white Nissan Sentra and a little while later, rebelling because the "new" car was probably too sensible and boring to him, he showed up to pick me up with the car entirely covered in seashells which he had patiently glued with some sort of cement/permanent glue.
I hadn't seen Dave for close to 18 years and I think the last time we communicated over email was several years ago (which is very unfortunate), but the memories of our 3 years together are strong and very dear. We were young and didn't always know how to communicate in the most constructive manner, but there was a lot of love and we were both deeply (and I hope positively) affected by our time together.
It was a gift to have Dave as part of my life. He was creative, bright, loyal, kind, extremely deep in his thoughts and feelings, and one of the few people I've met whom I can say, without any reservations, was a true mensche.
Dave, I hope your next journey goes well. Wherever you're headed, I hope you find more oceans to explore and take care of. Smooth sailing, my friend.
Dave is the only person I know who can take the light rail transportation pretty much anywhere in LA. Most people probably don't know there is something called public transportation in LA!
Several years ago, Ben, Jorge and I organized a small technical meeting at JPL (in Pasadena) to discuss the high resolution SST products, including Dave and Chelle, and a few others. After a full day's meeting, we went to the Dodgers stadium for a baseball game, Dave's favorite. As usual, Dave got a ride to the game.
When I saw Dave the second morning, I asked Dave how was his ride home? To my surprise, Dave told me that it took a little bit longer to get back to his hotel in Pasadena, a little longer, only several hours after midnight, in Dave's usual calm voice!
Why? It turns out that Dave got separated from the group after the game. Try to imagine 50,000+ people rushing to their cars. Just you know that Dave does not carry a cell phone! All of us assume Dave got a ride from someone else in our group. Without knowing the details, Dave figured out a way to walk to the Union Station (the train statin in downtown LA), and then took the light rail train to Pasadena. A 30-min car ride turns into a few hours journey after midnight. To this day, I still don't know how to walk from Dodgers stadium to the Union station without a smart phone map, not to mention it can be quite scary to walk around midnight in downtown LA.
Recently, I started to use the light rail system from Pasadena to downtown and then to LAX airport. You know what, I start to enjoy the peachful ride without worrying about the heavy traffic on LA freeways particularly I-110 going through downtown.
Dave, you will be missed greatly!
Left to right: Ben Holt, Frank Monaldo, Dave Foley. We all went to a spring training game at Vero Beach between the Dodgers and the Orioles in 2008.
A few years back, Dave and I were scheduled to be on the same flight home from Edinburgh Scotland, following a GHRSST Science Team meeting there. As we were waiting to board the plane, the gate crew announced that our flight was cancelled due to maintenance issues and wouldn't leave until the next day.
The airline put us up in a very nice hotel, formerly some kind of estate or castle. They gave us a meal voucher and we enjoyed an excellent dinner together after a very long day, waiting in various lines at the airport to sort our the arrangements. I could not have asked for finer company.
I was lucky and was on a fully refundable ticket, so could change to another, earlier flight the next day. We shared a taxi to the airport, said our goodbyes, and I was happily on my way home. Dave however, was not on a flexible ticket... he was at the whim of the airlines, and was scheduled to fly home on that same aircraft from the day before. Turns out, the flight was again cancelled due to maintenance issues. That night, he was put up at a less elegant hotel, with less elegant food. He showed up at the airport the following day, where again - I kid you not - the flight was cancelled. This time, he was put up at a flea-ridden airport motel. The following day he was finally on his way home.
As Dave related the story of his additional nights at progressively "less desirable" hotels with progressivey less desirable food, I detected what might be considered a gleeful tone in his voice. While others would be angry and resentful, I think Dave relished the experience, soaking in the comedic aspects of it. After all, here was another great story to add to the collection of wonderful stories he had gathered from all corners of the globe. I often reflect on his telling of the story, and the grace and peace he demonstrated in the face of stress and uncertainty. And looking back, I wish I could have been "stuck" in Edinburgh a little longer with Dave...
Ken
