David: A life of service and duty
Jan. 27, 2020
David was born into a military family in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. His father had fought in the trenches of The Great War, and he and his brother also felt it was their duty to serve in Canada’s military, once they came of age.
For David, this meant enlisting in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1961 — at the height of the Cold War. He trained as a radar and communications technician, and served abroad in Germany, as well as at the former Rockcliffe Air Base in Ottawa (now the Canada Aviation and Space Museum). David rose to the rank of Warrant Officer, which landed he and his wife, Louise, in Edmonton, where he stayed for a few years after retiring in 1996.
Despite having been in the military for 35 years, David wasn’t done with serving the public good. He had a second career as a Bylaw Officer in Edmonton. Following that, he moved to Arnprior to be near his son Darren, who lives in Pembroke. Three years ago, he moved into the Grove after attending the Adult Day Program.
“I guess I’m always trying to give back,” he says with a smile. In fact, he hasn’t stopped. In addition to being a voracious reader of science and other non-fiction, David now serves as President of The Grove’s Resident Council.
However, David also acknowledges that he enjoys having others take care of him as he enjoys a more leisurely stage of his life.
“It’s good,” he says. “They treat you well here.”