David William Almas

David William Almas, born November 29, 1961, passed away peacefully in his home, surrounded by family, on September 20, 2023. If you knew David, perhaps you will remember him as a fierce competitor whose high-spirited nature led to some of the most memorable moments in the history of Indiana sports. Certainly, David was fully capable of taking things seriously when necessary. Indeed, the seriousness with which he approached auto racing, illustrated by 46 appearances at the Indy 500, is legendary. But his special gift was his unique ability to inject levity and lightheartedness into virtually any situation. Never afraid to be zany or silly, we could always count on David to lighten our loads. David steadfastly refused to act his age, and we are all better for it. When faced with his final challenge, David harnessed his competitive nature to battle cancer head on. Throughout the entire ordeal, however, his quick wit and guileless charm remained. David is survived by his wife and soulmate, Melody, his brothers Denny (Carol) and Dean (Lynn), and his sister, Jennifer (Greg); his nieces Leslie Guzulaitis (Rimas), Jessica Almas, Hilary Almas and Claire Davis (Adam); beloved mother-in-law, Nancy and brother-in-law, TL (August). In honor of David’s courageous battle and devotion to the PanCan cause, we kindly ask all of you to go “purple for Dave” by wearing something purple to his celebration of life.   In lieu of flowers donate to David’s PanCan team: https://secure.pancan.org/site/TR?fr_id=2793&pg=personal&px=3481771