David Gardner Chism

David Gardner Chism
September 6, 1945 - June 30, 2024
David, referring to himself as "the runt of the litter," was raised in a magical environment created by his parents, John and Miriam Chism. From playing commando across a roaring Truckee River to driving a jeep at the age of ten on the family land on West Second Street, David bonded with his late brother Willy and his older brother Gordon, while under the watchful eye of his late sister Betty. Just as his grandfather, father, sister, and brothers, David, class of 1964, graduated from Reno High. Four years later he would graduate with a degree in Business Finance in 1968 from the University of Nevada, the same institution where his father John and mother Miriam, the daughter of University President Walter Clark, had graduated, and where previously, his grandfather Cyrus Harry met and married Mary Bacon, both from the university class of 1905.
With millions of Americans watching the Vietnam Draft Lotteries on television, David's birthday and his number six draw meant military service, and he was enlisted in the United States Air Force, entering pilot training and eventually flying KC-135 tankers for more than 100 missions during that unpopular war. He was honorably discharged in 1973 and returned to the university to earn another degree as a lab technician, working at Washoe Med until 1979 when his parents wished to retire and requested that brother Gordon and David manage their Chism Trailer Park established in 1927, with the other siblings being partners. Later, Gordon would step aside for brother Willy to join David, who continued to humbly and proudly carry the family legacy as his parents had hoped, even to the extent of understanding the Chism family motto of "buying high and selling low." After the sale of the property, David could not avoid the devotion of the Park's tenants who expressed their gratitude for his creation of a small community of happy campers.
In addition to his new work responsibilities with the family business, David's stars aligned with his future wife and mixed doubles partner Nikki in the fall of 1979, when they first met to call lines at a Nevada State Senior Tennis Tournament at the Washoe Tennis Courts on Moana. After one month, Nikki and David were married on Friday, October 5, 1979, attended by matron of honor and dear friend Sandy Hardesty and David's brother Gordon at the now historically designated Chism House on West Second Street. In November, 1980, their daughter Johnna was born, joining David's children, Parvanah and Aaron from his marriage to Kate Deming.
David always felt the most comfortable in the air or under the sea, which his children believed to be the reason he was such a scary driver on land, a place with so many more obstacles. Over the years, David flew his single engine Cessna 206 from coast to coast, taking along family and friends for business and pleasure. One memorable trip included cross country travel to Washington D.C. to enjoy a live performance by the Beach Boys at the National Mall. Later, after selling his plane, David was asked to join the Nevada Army National Guard as a Chief Warrant Officer to help fly their King Air, since it was a time that all new positions within the Guard were frozen.
David loved to travel; however, with the longest and last working ties as a 4th generation Renoite, he never wanted to reside far from the Old Chism Properties. Often, David reflected on early family trips to the West Indies, Lake Tahoe, Pyramid Lake, San Francisco, La Jolla, Albuquerque, Honolulu, Maui, most of the continental United States, and later flying over the Arctic and Thailand, visiting Mexico, Canada, England, France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia, Amsterdam to Budapest.
David was the epitome of a modern Renaissance Man, well-rounded, skilled, and gifted in many areas. He played on the University of Nevada tennis team and was an excellent club tennis player, participating and winning tournaments from the time he was 16 through his 60's. For 30 years, he enjoyed Tuesday evening doubles with his partners Jim Bailey, Randy Gardner, and Steve Petersen at the former Lakeridge Tennis Club. He worked as a tennis instructor at Hidden Valley Country Club and volunteered at Reed High School assisting with both the boys' and girls' teams and helping organize and run the high school district and state level tournaments. To this day, people remember David's patience, kindness, and sense of humor when they were learning to love the lifelong sport of tennis. Later he enjoyed playing golf with family and friends for fun and also in competition as part of the Men's Match Play at Hidden Valley Country Club, where his parents had been charter members.
David enjoyed cooking, having learned culinary skills alongside his mother. Every day for his family, he prepared beautiful, delicious meals, presented with the artistic flair of a high dollar restaurant. Friends spread his reputation saying, "if you're invited to a David Chism dinner, don't turn it down because you're in for a treat." He was able to prepare delightfully intimate meals or cook for 100 people as he did for Reed High special events. Though David felt he was the least talented artistically of all the Chism children, his friends also loved and admired his creative photography, produced from a keen eye and technical skills revealed in the thousands of photos he took for all requesting his services.
Adopting a type of Rube Goldberg approach to a problem, something impossible or ready for the junkyard, David would step back, analyze the situation, and rehabilitate, restoring all to working order. For his entire life, David remained curious about this world and found joy reading and learning; he possessed an innate rapport with the physical, intellectual, and social world.
David's warmth, generosity, great wit and humor will be missed by his devastated survivors: wife of more than 44 years Nikki, his three children Parvanah Saladino, Aaron Chism (Ayla Pike), and Johnna Chism (Joshua Restori), his six grandchildren, Dante and Stone Saladino, Wyatt Chism (Emily) and Joe Chism, Sloane and Luke Restori, and great-granddaughter Josey Rose Chism, his many nieces and nephews including loving and generous Kim Cunningham (Mike) and Kitt Del Sesto (Dean), cousin Bob Clark (Wendy), and friends he touched here and abroad.
And should you be asking, as David often teased Nikki, "Is this going to be a long story?" the answer is "No," rather an abbreviated version of a life halted abruptly, but whose large heart resides within us all. Luke, David's four-year-old grandson stated it perfectly, "I think Grandpa flew his jet to heaven."
The family wishes to thank the doctors and nurses at Northern Nevada Sierra Medical Center for their expertise and compassion and the entire James Hardesty family for their unwavering love and support during this difficult time.
Loving Reno to its core, David took great pride in this "City of Trembling Leaves." Donations may be sent in David Chism's honor to KEEP TRUCKEE MEADOWS BEAUTIFUL (KTMB), P.O. Box 7412, Reno, NV 89510 or online at www.ktmb.org/donate
The family plans to host David's Celebration of Life at a later date.