David Rexel Handy

David anchored the Back Bench Sunday mornings at Church, where a squad of OG's enjoyed his company and gab and admired his humor and courage in the face of the Inevitable. In addition to the Back Bench, he and I shared (without knowing each other at the time) several experiences in the early '70s in the service of our Uncle Sam: Ft. Benning and the jump towers, Jungle School at Ft. Gulick, Canal Zone, and a year as Army first lieutenants in Viet Nam, between Saigon and the Cambodia border, where David survived a land mine which sent him airborne for 30 feet or so. For the past several years, we have observed Memorial Days and Veterans Days together at the San Francisco Presidio Post Chapel, next to the National Cemetery. David was a hero.

I met David for the first time in Redondo Beach on a visit from NJ. Joanne is my best friend from high school. Right from the start , I knew he was a "keeper ". I enjoyed his stories and visits over many years on both the east and west coasts. He was a person who filled the room when he entered. David never gave up, fighting his difficult cancer for so long. He did it with dignity and grace.
Well done to Joanne, she did a wonderful job caring for him.
He will be missed by his family. They are lucky to have so many memories of all the great times they shared together.

I came to know David during the last years of his life. He was what the LDS religion called my ministering brother. He would always end our conversation asking if there was anything I needed. I had no doubt that he would do his best to meet my needs. I was happy to meet his need the week before he passed when he needed visitors in the hospital. He will missed by many, including myself.

Art Johnson

I'll miss our hour+ chats about Husky football and life. Dave was a good friend, an especially great man who loved his family. Handy family, you are in my prayers and thank you for sharing him. He will be missed.

I was a high school classmate of David's and a teammate on the Shorecrest High Baseball Team. David was a hilarious guy and he always kept the rest of us laughing. He was a good friend back then and I have a lot of great memories of time spent with him in High School, including some hijinks at DIcks Drive-in one Friday night that he probably would rather I not divulge (it was harmless). The last time I saw David was at a tailgate at a Husky football game some years ago. I am saddened to hear of his passing, but I am glad I knew him. He was a unique and interesting guy. RIP Dave.

I am very saddened to hear of David´s passing. David and I were classmates at Shorecrest High in Seattle. David had written about the death of our classmates during the Viet Nam War and sent the pages to me to read. Such a great writer. He lived life enthusiastically and with purpose. I hope his passing was peaceful as he deserved no less. I offer heartfelt sympathy to those who loved him. Nancy Kennedy

We shared a name and some genes. What short time I spent with D. was time well spent. His encouragement and mentoring were appreciated and took my own life in directions that I never considered. A huge loss for the world, the clan and his family. To paraphrase Patton "Let us not grieve that this man died, but rather thank god that such men lived".
LTC David Billings Brown -cousin,

I met David through Lew Johnson while working at SPNB in San Francisco. Met Joanne. Kept in touch over the years. Enjoyed many conversations about whatever!!!

Appreciate David's friendship over the years and will miss him. Will always remember his sense of humor, "gift of gab" and connections to everyone. Will never forget how he battled cancer with faith and was blessed to see the marriage of his daughter and experience being a grandfather. Much love and condolences to Joanne and the Handy family.

Ryan Belcher

I´ve enjoyed reading his blog posts on the Huskies for well over a decade now and never knew who the author was. Just found out recently he had passed, and this is first time knowing who the author was. Sounds like an amazing person who lived an incredible life. Amazing to impact not just the people you actually know in life but also complete strangers as well. Very sorry for your loss.

Knowing only a message board profile and having enjoyed Meanderings, I was blessed to meet the man at a Dawgman get-together. Easy to talk to about anything is definitely accurate. Even as a non-booster in my first year with cheap season tickets, he contacted me for my ticket for a game I was missing. It didn't work out logistically, but it still made me feel good that he would even consider dealing with me.

Dear Mrs. Handy,

Our office noted with sadness the passing of your husband, David, and we wish to send our condolences and sincere sympathy to you and your family at this time of bereavement. As a member of Weber State University´s extended family, friends and associates will miss him.

While we realize a condolence letter cannot lessen your sense of loss, we want to let you know that his achievements and contributions were appreciated at Weber State.

Sincerely,

Nancy B. Collinwood
Executive Director of Alumni Relations