Our beloved David collapsed unexpectedly at his home in Portland, Oregon and died on Saturday evening, April 15th, 2023. He is mourned by many dear friends all over the country and world. But he is especially missed and mourned by his wife and companion of 42 years, Veerah, and his niece and her husband, Renee and Ben Pascar of Alaska.
Born January 10, 1951 in Rochester, New York, he grew up in the country nearby. He studied piano and cello at an early age and showed great talent in both. Indeed, music was his calling, even though he graduated with a BA in psychology from Clark University in Massachusetts.
David took a year away from Clark to study at a Fourth Way school in England, started by John G. Bennett, who became one of his favorite teachers in life. David forged many enduring friendships during that year and the experience changed his life and his connection to music.
He moved to Alaska in the 1970s where he continued to study, teach, and perform music. Around 1980 he began performing individual concerts of spontaneous improvisations which he called ‘Musical Portraits’. David had discovered his unique talent as a mystical improvisatore – and – that’s how he met Veerah!
David was a scholar by nature and was more than interested in many things: philosophy, astronomy, human psychology, history, cosmologies, schools of wisdom and, always, music. The last book he purchased was “Quadrivium: The Four Classical Liberal Arts of Number, Geometry, Music, & Cosmology.” In his last days David could be observed, sitting in his chair in the living room, smiling, perfectly happy to be reading his latest esoteric find.
Over the years David performed hundreds of concerts of spontaneous piano improvisations. One of his friends described these concerts as “dynamic meditations”. Many people treasured the experiences and all had looked forward to more of them.
David always looked for the best in others. He was loving, kind, and generous of heart. He had a broad, eclectic, surprising sense of humor. He adored Veerah and she adored him.
He will be missed...