David WEYGANT

WEYGANT, David J., 84. Born: August 16, 1929 to Theodore S. Weygant & Loretta Freely Weygant in New York, NY. Died: August 4, 2014 in Lake Placid, FL. Survived by his wife of 60 years, Mary Lou Weygant; 4 daughters, Catherine Hammond (James), Susan Heim (Peter), Carol Beck (Brian), and Linda Weygant; 7 grandchildren (Meg Heim, Kevin Underkofler, David Hammond, Ryan Underkofler, Allison Hammond, Erik Weygant, Kylie Heim); brother, John F. Weygant (Frances); and sister, Joan Lonschein (Noel). He was preceded in death by a sister and brother, Mary E. Waldman and Theodore G. Weygant. Dave moved to Central Valley, NY with his family as a young boy during the Great Depression. They later moved to Fort Lauderdale, FL in 1938. He graduated from Fort Lauderdale High School in 1947 and became an elec-trician. He served in the 211th Infantry Division of the Florida National Guard from 1948 to 1956. The highlight of his life as a young man was a trip to Alaska with two friends in 1951. They worked along the way. He married Mary Lou Haman, the love of his life, on September 18, 1954. After achieving his Master Electrician License, Dave opened Weygant Electric in 1966, an electrical con-tracting business, and served as its President and CEO until 1976. From 1976 to 1979, Dave worked on several infrastructure projects in Saudi Arabia. In 1979, he joined the Negev Airbase Constructors to build an air force base in the Negev desert of Israel as part of the American contribution to the Camp David Accords, bringing peace to Israel and Egypt. The family took advantage of their time overseas and travelled extensively throughout Europe. On their return to the United States in 1981, Dave and Mary Lou settled in Boulder, Colorado, and purchased the Sundown Saloon. A dive bar in a college town, the bar achieved a cult following and has since become the largest seller of Pabst Blue Ribbon in the world. Dave and Mary Lou encountered many people in their travels who had stories to tell about their experiences in the Sundown Saloon. In 1991, Dave and Mary Lou settled in Lake Placid, FL, where Dave nourished an interest in rare coins. It developed into a dealership and he and Mary Lou travelled around the country to attend shows and auctions. Dave was respected in the business for his keen eye and inte-grity, and became a role model for the many friends and associates he made along the way. A gregarious and eternal optimist, Dave was a gifted story teller and frequently held court at the family dinner table telling stories and reciting poetry from memory. The Rock and Monsieur Le Beaujolais are family favorites, along with the works of Rudyard Kipling, and the Weygant Family Song. A luncheon will be held to celebrate his 85th birthday from 11:30AM until 3:30PM on August 16, 2014 at Tropical Acres (2500 Griffin Road Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312). In lieu of flowers, contributions to Good Shepherd Hospice are much appreciated. https://goodshepherdhospice.chaptershealth.org/GeneralDonation Words of comfort to the family and a video tribute of Dave's life can be seen by visiting www.scottfuneralservices.com. Cremation arrange-ments entrusted with the Scott Funeral Home 504 W. Interlake Blvd., Lake Placid, FL 863-465-4134.