They always say that a little girls first hero is her dad. I could have had no better of a hero to look up to. Growing up, he was always a hard ass, but he did it with a purpose and a sense of humor. He lived by the motto of “work hard, play hard”.

At work he was a Professor at SDSU for 27 years in the field of Hydrogeology. I have met so many of his former students that came up and... thanked him for all that he taught them, and also all of the research that he has done for his field.

When it came time to play hard, he was able to show me so many different areas of the world growing up, traveling to places that most people could only dream of going. He taught me how to be respectful and responsible to all things around.

I am so thankful that I had such a strong example to look up to as I was growing up, and presented with so many wonderful opportunities.

Later on in life my dad became an even better role model, someone that one day, I could only hope to inspire as many people as he has. As he started training for triathalons and marathons he started raising money for various charity organizations, and training other athletes in the same style of endurance training. Everywhere that my dad went he influenced people in such a positive way, whether it was teaching students, mentoring athletes in various activities, showing people new and different fun activities that they could be participating in, or some words of wisdom, he was always their for you.

Over the past two years ALS had slowly robbed my dad of every single one of these activities that he enjoyed doing.  I am so thankful that my son Jake was able to know my dad before this disease took away who he was.  It has been a horrible experience to see such a strong person placed in this state with no chance for recovery. I am relieved that my dad is no longer having fight this battle and hope that the FDA will soon get there acts together so that others do not have to suffer this same fate.

There are so many other great things that I could say about my dad, but I will cut it off right here stating that he was by far one of the best people that I have met on earth, and I have the privilege to call him “dad”.

Dr. David Huntley, Professor Emeritus, SDSU Dept. of Geological Sciences, passed away Saturday, July 4, from breathing complications related to ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease).  He is survived by his wife, Linda (Lina) Clark; daughter, Sabrina Parker; and grandson, Jake Parker.  For the past 30 years Dr. Huntley has been a principal technical expert for San Diego County’s groundwater regulations and various technical issues.  In 2014 the Groundwater Resources Association of California presented him with a “Lifetime Achievement Award” in recognition of his contributions to environmental science and his impact on a generation of hydrogeologists.  He was also bestowed the honor of a 2013 David Keith Todd Distinguished Lecturer, and March 11, 2014 was proclaimed “Dr. David Huntley Day” by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.

Dr. Huntley earned his PhD from the Colorado School of Mines in 1976 and subsequently taught at the University of Connecticut then San Diego State University from 1978-2005. During his tenure he supervised over 60 Masters’ theses and taught groundwater courses to more than 1,000 undergraduates.  Over the years he received numerous job offers from industry but his response was always “it would be exponentially better for them (industry) if I continued my research while teaching students to be excellent groundwater hydrologists.”  He was known as a demanding professor who approached hydrogeology in a mathematically rigorous and challenging manner but his students often became his friends for life and frequently give him credit for their successful careers.

In addition to being a highly respected instructor, his groundbreaking work on the movement of petroleum hydrocarbons changed how practitioners viewed the effectiveness of certain remediation practices. He provided quantitative measures of potential recovery rates via simple tests, methods that were adopted by industry and continue to inspire research.   Dave also served as Associate Editor of the professional journals Groundwater and Groundwater Monitoring and Remediation, and as a private consultant for both industry and regulatory agencies throughout the United States.

Dave’s life was not defined by his career however.  Growing up in San Mateo, CA he became a lifeguard, scuba diver, wrestler, and earned a black belt in judo.  Later his passions expanded to surfing, downhill skiing, sailing, racing sailboats and cars, photography, and traveling all over the world.  Many San Diegans know him for his involvement with triathlon and the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) for which he raised tens of thousands to help wounded warriors and challenged athletes of all ages lead a healthy and rewarding life.  In 2011 he added to his long list of achievements completing both the Boston Marathon and Ironman New Zealand.  He completed an Ironman 70.3 in St. George, Utah in 2013 even after he suspected he had ALS.  He was officially diagnosed in June 2013 but completed a 1- mile ocean swim continuing his support of the Challenged Athletes Foundation 4 months later.

In addition to fundraising for CAF, Dave donated generously to numerous charities throughout his life. The consummate coach, he was a mentor to many whether instructing them to ski, swim, sail, or compete in their first triathlon.  Dave was extraordinarily capable, generous, a genuine friend, the voice of reason, and comforted many with his words of wisdom. His many friends and family will miss his passion, his compassion, his biting wit, his intellect and his knowledge.

Dave is a founding member of the global grassroots campaign to urge the FDA to use Accelerated Approvals (AAP) for promising drugs to treat terminal illnesses like ALS:  www.change.org/ALSMedication .  Up until his death he remained active as a science advisor to the organization he and his wife helped create, Hope NOW for ALS.  His wife continues to be a leader of this organization that is meeting with the FDA to foster pathways that will accelerate the pace of drug discovery and access to those affected by ALS, people with an average life expectancy of just 2-5 years.

A celebration of Dave’s life will take place on August 8 at La Jolla Cove.   Charitable donations in his name can be made to www.HopeNOWforALS.org  
or to the CAF team IM~POSSIBLE racing in his honor this year:  http://caf1.convio.net/site/TR?px=1006425&fr_id=1050&pg=personal